# bout to plant



## malicious1 (Jul 4, 2005)

i wanna make my 55 gallon as natural as i can so i was wondering what kind of plants i should plant, my tank is 4'x13"x20". how many plants and what kind should i put in there, pictures and names would be nice, also would i need to put any kind of cO2 system in it>


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## spree_rider (Mar 20, 2004)

we need more info, what lighting do you have? substrate? ferts? what do you want your tank to look like, what type of fish?


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## malicious1 (Jul 4, 2005)

i want it to look natural and as for the substrates i don tknow what to get untill i know what plants to use. i am going to get a rhom


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

You have to be specific.. what setup do you have? what are you willing to spend?

IMO, a high lighted P tank with a huge carpet of dwarf hairgrass, around rocks or driftwood, and a wall of giant hairgrass in the very back would be sweet.. but you would need CO2, plant substrate, and a strict fertilizer regiment.. not to mention maintenance.. but it would be simple and less maintenance than alot of planted aquariums..

imagine this tank with giant hairgrass in the back, and a rhom in it..


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

I'm just stupid by how awsome that tank is....
DiPpY:
How do I do it...What do I need....I'm prepared to do anything.
:laugh:


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

wow that tank is crazy


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## bmpower007 (Feb 11, 2005)

NIce looking tank, I just photshoped a nice diamond rhom and more highgrass but I accidently didnt save it, ill do it again and post it later on but beautifull tank.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Thompson374 said:


> I'm just stupid by how awsome that tank is....
> DiPpY:
> How do I do it...What do I need....I'm prepared to do anything.
> :laugh:
> [snapback]1118202[/snapback]​


Ok, first off, you need great hardscape... driftwood (I prefer prepared natural driftwood over store bought) or great looking rocks.. The guy who did that tank spends boo-coo bucks on hardscape items.. you can go to the local river, stream, or lake









Then you buy substrate. For a thick carpet like that, you will need something small like flourite or eco complete... you can get away with other stuff, but someone else will have to recommend that to you, I don't know what to tell ya.. Pea gravel?? not sure-- In my 75g I have 100 lbs of flourite or so in it.

Then you need good lighting.. there are other good lights out there, but I have great luck with my 4x55w bright kit from AHSupply

Then you need fertilizer.. You can use flourish ferts if you are indipendantly wealthy, or you can go to this site and buy dry fertilizers that will be a fraction of the cost.. You just have to mix them with distilled water (I prefer distilled) If you do buy some, get the chelated Iron, Plantex CSM+B, Mono Potassium Phosphate, and Potassium Nitrate... If it is a small tank, maybe just go with the PMDD Pre-Mix, and the phosphate... --more on dosing ferts when you need to ask--

Now with this lighting, you are going to need a pressurized CO2 system... I know, we are talking big bucks already, but this is what you need to get to do this really great.. If you have a lot of light, you will need CO2 definately (over 2wpg PC flourescents, I'm at 3)here is a 10 pound CO2 Tank that looks nice, and I bought my regulator/pH controller here gdew is a great seller, I can vouch for him









IMO, (and ppl might disagree) I would get a cannister filter. You can set them up so they don't disturb the top of the water too bad.. this AIDS in keeping the CO2 in the water for the longest possible time, still produces O2, plus in my Rena filstar, I drilled a hole convieniently in the cap of the intake to feed the CO2 line.. works out great, and I don't need a diffuser









After you get all this you need to get your substrate in there (if you get flourite, make sure you rinse it very good) be an artist with your hardscape, and plant it.. if you get hairgrass or any small plant, you will need to make little plugs, and plant them about 2, 2.5 inches apart to make a nice carpeted area. (I wish you were ready now, because I have a carpet of hairgrass that I would let go for cheap) After it's all planted up, make sure you learn about feeding your plants, and enjoy!! (oh, don't forget about buying a scrubbie for the glass of your aquarium, it will need scrubbed every now and then at the sign of ANY algea... if you let it get a foothold, you will be sorry







)

I think I covered most everything you need to know.. hope this helps..


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

Baddd-asss. Thanx man. That was awsome info. Gotta save this. Deployed right now, got a few months left. Going home and starting this project is plaguing my mind! I would be intersted in the dwarf grass deal (thats deffinately what I want to go with) but I got some time left over here. In a few months I'll shoot ya a PM, think you can point me in the right direction on where to purchase some? Thanx DiPpY. Taker' easy.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Thompson374 said:


> Baddd-asss. Thanx man. That was awsome info. Gotta save this. Deployed right now, got a few months left. Going home and starting this project is plaguing my mind! I would be intersted in the dwarf grass deal (thats deffinately what I want to go with) but I got some time left over here. In a few months I'll shoot ya a PM, think you can point me in the right direction on where to purchase some? Thanx DiPpY. Taker' easy.
> [snapback]1120467[/snapback]​


No problem, it is my pleasure... I just hope that some ppl read this and go for it, it sure is a great hobby... the thing that turns ppl away is the maintenance and $$. But I love it, so it's worth it for me









Where are you deployed?? Thanks for defending your fellow Americans!

Dwarf hairgrass is reletively easy to find, and I'll be able to point you in the right direction when the time comes, I'm not going anywhere as far as i can tell.. But I'm getting some hairgrass that gets only half as long as the dwarf stuff gets, so if you are interested, maybe I can hook you up with some of that. Just remember, your planted tank does better with tons of plants in a high lighted CO2 aquarium... so when you plant your tank, get some plants that grow really fast that you dont care about, until your carpet starts to fill in thick.. Your tank will be much better off, and with less algea probs.. 
Again, I hope this helps


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

dippy





























I am abroad right now as well, my situation is nothing like yours Thompson, I am just studying and thinking about getting back home to start working on my tank is driving me nuts too! When I get back I will have about 300 dollars to spend on tank supplies. I really want to go with a planted tank and that tank you posted up above dippy has given me some sweet ideas as to what I want to do. I already have 260 watts for my 75, a fluval 4 and a magnum, so all I need to spend money on is the co2 equip, ferts, and of course the plants. Maybe you can take a look at the pic below and tell me if my substrate is the correct type.
The dwarf-dwarf hairgrass sounds cool, I'll have to shoot you a pm when I get back and am ready to plant to see if you have any available.
Also can you explain how you make the "little plugs" for the hairgrass? 
Thanks for all the info dippy, I have read a lot of your plant threads and have learned a lot!


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Thanks a lot BigChuckP! I am very glad to hear that you have chosen to go planted! Awesome choice! I am also happy that someone got inspired/gained any knowledge in the hobby from reading anything I posted..







!! Sounds like you have a lot of light there~! (2 rules on high light... the higher the light, the higher the maintenance! the more you will have to fertilize too!)

--Seriously, I am very new to the hobby, but I have done a lot of reading and experimenting.. 
This  site and this site will help you out a bunch too. I learned a bunch from ppl there, and they are very friendly. (most of 'em!)

The substrate you have will be ok for plants, but for a carpet of fine, small plants it may be quite a headache, and they won't be able to grow super dense, due to the larger space between the gravel. The main thing with the "made for plants" substrate is it's very small size, and nutrient content. The gravel you have will work, but I'm not sure if you will be happy with the results or not. I have a percentage of medium gravel in my tank. Although it is ok to have it in there, or use it exclusively, I hate the way it makes my hairgrass look, and I find myself picking it out when I have the chance.. But seriously, it is up to you.

The plugs I was talking about are for small, foreground plants like hairgrass, Elotine triandra, glosso, stuff like that. When you buy a bunch of say, hairgrass, it usually comes clumped in a pot. What you will have to do is take the clump out of the pot. Then pick out carefully all the rockwool or whatever it is potted in. Then you gently and slowly break it apart, making small little clumps of like 5-8 strands of grass (give or take a few) Then, when you have all of it finished, you plant it gently in the substrate 1.5 or 2 inches apart, trying to cover the whole area you wish to carpet. With your set up, CO2 and all, I'll give it 4-6 weeks and you will have a dense carpet over the whole area that you "plugged"...LOL Then it starts creeping to the other parts of the tank that is near.

Hope you understand that.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> Thanks a lot BigChuckP! I am very glad to hear that you have chosen to go planted! Awesome choice! I am also happy that someone got inspired/gained any knowledge in the hobby from reading anything I posted..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


stupid double post sorry


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> Thanks a lot BigChuckP! I am very glad to hear that you have chosen to go planted! Awesome choice! I am also happy that someone got inspired/gained any knowledge in the hobby from reading anything I posted..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## spree_rider (Mar 20, 2004)

i have a sand substrate, and it works perfectly fine for me, i even have very fine grade sand and i have no problems with compaction or nutrients not getting into the sand, my plants grow like weeds with medium light 30w on 5g tank, although i havent tried dwarf hairgrass yet because i cant get any of it locally, im sure it would work as other similar plants grow well. 
i added malasian trumpet snails and they dig into the sand and keep it stirred up so it never compacts, plus they are great cleaners and you can have lots of them and never really see them.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

MAN!!!!!! I was going to post my hairgras that I had on sale @ aquabid.com, and by the time I got to the site, it SOLD!! Oh well, I'm going to have to put some more up for sale!! But here is my pygmy chain swords and my Sagitaria subulata that I have for sale... All great plants, very healthy and great looking. The pictures are the very plants the winning bidder will recieve.

Sand as a substrate should be ok, but you will need to have some trumpet snails to burrow through the sand or rake it every now and again to keep it from compacting.. I think that is what you need to do with it..







I'd go with the eco-complete or flourite. But that is just my opinion.


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