# Successful planted tank



## Uncle Rico (Sep 4, 2005)

I have just started a planted tank and have been reading on this site about the four things that they need, CO2, light, nutrients, and phosphates. I was wondering where you can get fertilizer for the plants and whether it can adversely affect the fish. Is it added directly to the water? And how do you add C02 to the tank, do you just make sure the tank is aerated well or are there C02 tanks you need to buy. And lastly how do you ensure adequate phosphate levels or is that not an issue (since the post I was reading was about making phosphtes the limiting ingredient). Thanks. Also, I was wondering if it was wise to keep my 7 inch plecostomus in the 90 gallon planted tank or if I should move him to my 60 gallon non planted tank so he wont eat the plants. Any answer will be helpful.


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## james__12345 (Mar 25, 2005)

I dont know about the phospate part, but id move the pleco. For one, he'll probably eat the plants. And secondly, when he darts around suddenly as they do, he'll probably uproot them too.


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## Uncle Rico (Sep 4, 2005)

yeah, plecos are kind of a pain in a planted tank. I guess he'd probably get eaten by the piranhas eventually anyway. Thanks for your advice.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

You have to be specific about what kinds of plants you want to keep, how much light you want, etc etc.
CO2 is for tanks that have higher lighting, about 2.5wpg. You can do a DIY CO2 setup for tanks 40g and under, but it is quite a pain.. the better bet is a pressurized system. 
As far as fertilizers hurting fish, my neons and blue rams seem to think it is food LOL. doesn't hurt them in the slightest


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