Whuddup?

[StanDaManTX]

Hello, I'm new to the forums. My father always kept a tank, but i am pretty new to it myself. Started with a ten gallon for my son and has evolved into a 60 gallon community, a recently acquired 29gal and another ten gallon I use as a quarantine. The 29 has yet to be set up (puffer tank maybe?). The 60 is currently stocked with 4 turquoise rainbows, 1male kribensis, 1male blue ram, 1male golden wonder, a white mystery snail, and an awesome male l-144. I'm loving this tank. It is full of silk plants though I have been bitten by the planted tank bug. I have acquired some Asian water moss, dwarf water lettuce, and red root floaters. Trying my hand at growing these before I go fully planted.

Future plans:
Add millennium rainbows if I can find them
Add Parkinsoni or boesemani rainbows
Inject co2
Change gravel substrate
Plants!

Great forum btw!

[eklikewhoa]

Welcome to the box!

Shouldn't have any problems growing those floating plants, stuff is like weeds! Get some low light demanding plants to try out like ferns and anubias!

[StanDaManTX]

Thanks! What do you suggest for substrate? Right now I just have black gravel. I'm kind of dreading an entire substrate change. Also I worry about how to clean it. Gravel vac?

[eklikewhoa]

Depending on what your overall idea is for the tank.

Plant substrates you don't gravel vac, the detritus build up fuels the substrate and plant growth. I have used a few different plant substrates to full on baked substrates to inert clay/lava and for each purpose it worked great.

[HERM]

Welcome to da box !

[Darbex]

Welcome to the box.

[troy tucker]

Welcome to the Box. Postup some pictures. the tank sounds nice. but picture would be great....

[sunkenmetal]

Welcome to the box...

If you want to grow plants you can just get some wisteria and amazon swords and some root tabs and dose excel and flourish. They are hardy easy plants. No need to change your substrate...

[mnemenoi]

Welcome aboard! Planted substrates can do quite a bit and knowing the direction and inhabitants you wish to keep will help in directing us as to which we would recommend.

[Totenkampf]

welcome to the box! you dont mention what kind of substrate you have now but most plants will appreciate something that is of a smaller grain size than your typical aquarium gravel. there are many good choices out there these days, but i typically use a dusting of first layer laterite powder on the very bottom mixed with biozyme powdered bacteria starter. i have added bamboo carbon to this as well since it is supposed to fuel the bacteria. i then add a couple inches of red fluorite mixed with swimming pool filter sand (leslie's brand is great) and cap with ecocomplete. once i plant i will add root tabs around heavy root feeders like swordplants and crypts. i dont deep vacuum this gravel but i will often siphon off extra mulm with a canister filter hose. i dont worry about being spotless but too much deitrius buildup can actually interfer with your CO2 levels. another member of this forum told me about how he uses a small propellor pump mounted on a stick to occasionally blow the extra mulm around so that the filter can pick it up.

[StanDaManTX]

Here are some pics of the 60 gallon. There's about double the floating plants now and the l-144 is growing an awesome beard. This is the tank i would like to plant.
CPrgU.jpg
OA7Ff.jpg
zowvM.jpg
3kku5.jpg
YW21e.jpg
02lZm.jpg
bbEdL.jpg

[HERM]

Very nice !

[aquabee]

Welcome to the box! Wonderful setup. I really like the way you've scaped your tank. Look forward to seeing more pictures of your current tank and future planted tank!

I agree with all the advice said so far about the different plants to try. Wisteria, java moss, Christmas moss, java fern, anubias, and amazon swords are all hardy and forgiving plants.

[StanDaManTX]

Thanks for the nice comments

[troy tucker]

thanks for the pictures. Thats a great looking tank...