# 10gal Planted tank setup



## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

so i thought i'd give "Dippy eggs" ingenius setup and see how my underwater gardenin skills are...

started small and revamped my empty 10gal tank...
i couldnt find soilmaster select in canada, so it was replaced with flourite red then everything was capped with black gravel and black lavarocks... as a preference of course...
but i suggest reading dippy eggs substraight information, as it was my intruction manuel to follow...
thanks again dipps...









the tanks also got a fluval 204 on it, filtering threw ceramic rings, peat fiber, polywool, n' biorings...

enjoy the pix...
cant wait to see how this pans out... it will be a temperary home to a very small s. sanchezi soon...


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Wow, looks great so far!

Don't forget to feed the plants well







according to how much light you have on the tank. Give it time, and don't panic if something goes wrong.. 
Keep an eye on the tank, and make sure you post all that you do with the tank, and water params when asking a question!

I hope this tank screams for ya


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## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

yeah, im slowly getting the seachem line of ferts.

for lighting i was going to go with the aqua glo, but you can only get up to 10watts for those on a 10gal, so i went with the compact flourescent bulbs...

im running two 15wat compacts on it...

thanks again...
if this works out well, im going to set up my future MONSTER tank like this...


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Humanburger said:


> yeah, im slowly getting the seachem line of ferts.
> 
> for lighting i was going to go with the aqua glo, but you can only get up to 10watts for those on a 10gal, so i went with the compact flourescent bulbs...
> 
> ...


Umm.. I would like to say..









If you have 30watts PC over this tank, I will say don't slowly get your ferts. Try to get them pronto! 10-25ppm nitrates at all times, .5-2ppm phosphates period! If you get green spot algea, no matter what the test kit says, add more phosphates. 
If you get black brush algea, up the nitrates. If these things don't help, use excell, and double up on your dosing every week.
If your plants look white, try to dose more iron. If they are flimsy and weak, try to dose more potassium. If they are yellowing, try to dose more micros








With 30 watts of light, you are going to need CO2, or a carbon source pronto. please do so now, or ASAP, before you get tempted to toss your tank out the window lol


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2006)

Dippy, you truely are a great addition to this site







Great lookin tank Humanburger, great start


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> Umm.. I would like to say..
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This bit of information should be pinned if it isn't already!!!


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## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

DiPpY eGgS said:


> Umm.. I would like to say..
> 
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> 
> ...


yeah, ill agree with that.. PIN THAT INFO SOMEWHERE...

dippy if you wrote a book on this, you would truley revolutionize the planted tank hobby!!!

amazing write out, i need that tattooed somewhere!!!









next pay check ill look into riggin up some CO2... pick up the fert. line tomorrow... and thanks again for that textbook right up... talk about MEGA ULTRA HELPFUL!!!









im getting a few of those problems in my 108gal tank, so cheers once more


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## Guru (Apr 20, 2004)

Some of those high growing plants can be topped off and replanted, with that much light and proper dosing those stem plants should shoot out more shoots from where you cut. Topping can help give you a nice bushy effect in most stem plants when proper conditions are given.


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

DannyBoy17 said:


> Dippy, you truely are a great addition to this site
> 
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Ditto!


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## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

Nuggs said:


> Some of those high growing plants can be topped off and replanted, with that much light and proper dosing those stem plants should shoot out more shoots from where you cut. Topping can help give you a nice bushy effect in most stem plants when proper conditions are given.


thanks a bunch man...
i was wondering if the anubis could handle a heavy trimming like that...

but thats what im going to do with it... ill post some more pictures after i trim it up some...
so cheers, thats a lot of help!!!









all my progress im going to deffinitally owe to you guys!!!
keep everyone posted...


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## Fresh2salt (Jul 16, 2004)

tank looks great


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## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

Trimed the anubis and replaced the big flat rocks with wood/java moss...

thanks again 'nuggs'...

edit:
oh yeah, im thinkin of making it strickly a tetra & danio tank instead of housing a small sanchezi, that way, if i botch the whole project, i dont loose a cool piranha...


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Thanks so much you guys, for all the love!!!!
I try to help because I love people, and I know there are some great aquarium lovers on here that would really enjoy the planted aspect of the hobby! 
Oh, btw, I learned all my info from APC, Tom Barr, and the PAPAS team.. Pittsburgh Area Planted Aquarium Society.. All have been a huge help, along with personal experience.

Back on topic lol::
3wpg is lots of light in any tank..ya get excell for sure.. too much light not to use it for sure!

If this was a larger tank, I would yell at you to get pressurized CO2


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## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

ok... so i went out today and spent some more bux...
first off, a complete line of food...
View attachment 104362


second, i picked up a cheep CO2 system that involves fizzy tablets and a big plastic housing you can see in the pictures that slowly mixes with the water... so this will get my feet wet with dosing and co2...

also picked up a few more tetras n guppies...
View attachment 104363

View attachment 104365


when i get the hang of this, ill ask my local plant supplyer to start getting in some more difficult plants to raise...









haha
cheers...


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

great.. looks very nice.. I have never used the Kent products, but I know someone who does. It sould work great.

He happens to be one of those guys that does not like to do maintenance, or keep track of what he is doing much, so I can't give a good account on how good the Kent stuff is lol

Glad to see you got all you need! BTW, what is the foreground plant you are using there?


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## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

yeah, im really excited to see how this panns out...

i'll deffinitally let you know how the kent line works out...

i believe that middle plant there is a Limnophila aquatica but i could be wrong.... its already flowering kind of, the fish love it...

also, the dwarf grass is also shooting runners like mad...
whats the best advice to get a good carpet, leave the runners and let them do their thing, or cut them and plant them somewhere else and let it slowly fill in?


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## Guest (Apr 28, 2006)

I would go with cutting them and planting them elsewhere. Keep it trimmed, yet lush. The co2 and PC lights will help keep it lush, aslong as the broader leaves dont shadow the carpet.

Also, I would reccomend dosing more FEII then normal, to help the roots.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

> also, the dwarf grass is also shooting runners like mad...
> whats the best advice to get a good carpet, leave the runners and let them do their thing, or cut them and plant them somewhere else and let it slowly fill in?


I would leave it go, and only cut them and replant if they are in a spot that you don't want them.
they will fill in naturally


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## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

so i had to do a bit of trimming already...

the plants are takin off like nuts... it looks like i could even start dosing more food too...

thanks for the tips on the carpet grass effect... thats really what im going for, i want that to be the most impressive looking thing in the tank...

cheers again
heres one more pic of how things are lookin right now....

View attachment 105042


more pix in a month or so, but untill then... take care guys... and thanks once more for all the help!!!
wouldnt have done it without ya guys... thats for sure...


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## Guru (Apr 20, 2004)

Humanburger said:


> so i had to do a bit of trimming already...
> 
> the plants are takin off like nuts... it looks like i could even start dosing more food too...
> 
> ...


Nice I see that you have started grouping your plants together. I find it looks much nicer when the same species are grouped together. Good job and remember keep us up to date.


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## b_ack51 (Feb 11, 2003)

Tank looks great Humanburger.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

good job!


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## HumanBurger (Jan 11, 2006)

ok...

so im starting to get a slimy algee growth on my ricca...
heres a pic with the slimy stuff outlined...
View attachment 105345


for water specs:
ph - 6.2
nitrate - about 10 - 15ppm
iron - 1.0ppm
phosphates - are a bit high at 3.0ppm due to a bit of ignorance towards the ferts, but i figure the plants will eat it up, and i just wont dose phos+ for a few untill the level receads to 1ppm

and advise would be HIGHLY appreciated!!!
thanks a TONE guys

cheers


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## Round Head (Sep 26, 2005)

Thats an awesome little tank.
Your plants are thriving very well.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Humanburger said:


> ok...
> 
> so im starting to get a slimy algee growth on my ricca...
> heres a pic with the slimy stuff outlined...
> ...


that is normal for a new setup.. it is bacteria that smells gross.. lol .. Keep the nitrates in the 20-25ppm range, and manually remove it. keep removing it if it comes back.. but higher nitrates tends to eliminate it over a few weeks


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

Your tank looks Terrific. 
Dippy is the man,


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