Ideas on setting up a 250L planted tank

[IOU1]

I've finally got my act together and removed all the gravel and now looking at moving to setting up, a few months late is better than never :lol: The holidays are coming up so I want to begin then (a weeks time). I want a lowish light tank with a few plnts that I can add to as money allows :roll:

So what to do first, my past tanks have been rock and driftwood based so I want to try something else, although I do have a small 90L slightly planted tank with anubis.

I have bought some of the fish so have them waiting for the new tank, so need to get started on their permanent home (other than the small plastic heated one they are in now, don't worry they are only small livebearers)

So whats first? What about the clay and where is it purchased from? Do I need a CO2 reactor? Whats a good cheap one? etc,etc,etc

Also what plants? I was thinking ambulia, narrow and normal java fern, anubis of the different types, a low light grass plant (maybe baby tears), tiger lotus (depending on lighting requirements and care) and any others now needing too much light.

And the fish, livebearers, cories, GBA's and red ramshorn snails.

How do these sound :-? Would any dig up the plants or eat up any small fry etc, my plan is to breed the livebearers with shelter to hide the young, so want to avoid any carnivours if possible.

Thanks for your help :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Alan]

Even Guppies eat their fry.

I know.

I played find the babies first, this morning.

If a fry will fit into a bigger fishes mouth, it will try to get it.

Cover is possibly the best without using traps or, like me, remove the fry.

That's a sure way of saving them.

Alan 104

[IOU1]

Yeah, my plan is to have enough cover for some to survive but also a small tank attatched to the main tank that I could put the babies I catch in

[IOU1]

Played find the babies first :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Great way to start the morning :lol: :lol:

[IOU1]

Any ideas :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[fishboi]

i am a huge fan of Takashi Amano when it comes to planted aquariums so i like a good carpeting plant that covers everything . hair grass would be a good one if ur looking at having live bearers plenty of places to hide in the grass.

get aqua mix from ur garden centre is the best and cheapest option $10 a bag and couple of bags should be more than enough.

never get why ppl want dim lights :-? if u want a well planted tank good lighting is a must even when when certain plants grow in low lights they will thrive under good lighting. with good lighting u can get away without using any CO2 system.

[bOi]

Takashi Amano Rocks.. the Guru of planted tanks i reckon. Tey googleing his name or u nca look under google Image search

His works are awesome..

[meesheelly]

I have a 250l planted tank that i did on the cheap.

I got daltons aquatic mix from mitre 10 and added some flourite from the pet store. That is covered with some fine gravel. I have a 90cm double tube light, which was just a cheapy. I got plats off trade me. I didnt really care about what light hey needed just thought that i would stick with whatever grew. I now have a nicely planted tank that i have to weed weekly.

I dont really think you need CO2. You can use that flourish stuff if you have problems but i find mine are fine as is.

I have swordtails, rams, GBAs and fighters. And red ramshorns with no problems.

Maybe something like indian fern would be good to shelter fry as it floats.

Check out some pics here http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c18/meesheelly/?sc=1&addtype=local

[IOU1]

Awesome, thanks guys Awesome pictures too meshelley I will google the person you mention and try some ideas from his tank, I know I will be broke after these holidays :lol: :lol: My fish deserve it, they are awesome escpecially in some light, their colours are so light with no dark pigments being albino. I will look into Co2 anyway depending on the price, how i'm going to afford it, well thats another story :lol: I don't want too much lighting because I'll feel guilty when my mum receives a power bill with an added $100 a month, and has to pay it

Thanks again, and anymore help would be great if you have any

[IOU1]

I am wondering whether to sell my eheim filters and move to a Jebo 815 as what I have heard they are great When I get home I will look at the model of my eheim filters and possibly sell them, the tank needs the two I have going as they are 8watt each and only filter about 250L per hour I think. It might give me some extra cash for a CO2 regulator etc. My main fear is that I fill up the tank and find it leaks, as it hasn't been set up for a while, and is only centimetres away from newly laid carpet, 250L of water would do a bit of damage. I am going to set up a small tank for the meantime for any plants in bulk I see around so am willing to take any off your hands, free or for money :lol: .Also, what type clips are the Jebo filter lids held by as I would also hate the water to run out of the tank that way. Sorry I'm probably worrying too much :lol: :lol: , but have only set up tanks in the garage so wasn't worried about any leaks wrecking the whole house. How have you found the filters? Thanks

[Caryl]

Why replace the Eheims? If they work then stick with them. Add a Jebo too if you want. Always pays to keep the others running in the tanks as extra filtration anyway, plus useful if you suddenly need to set up a hospital tank or something.

Everyone says Eheims are excellent filters (the only one I have had experience with is the wet/dry and I wouldn't recommend it but I gather all the others are good) so keep them and add the other.

[IOU1]

The reason is they are both model 2213 and therefore only filter 440L per hour, so they both would have to run aswell as another maybe, which would waste all my storage space for other things, but instead I would prefer one bigger model that only takes up one cupboard, and also means the extra cash can help with the costs to set up the tank.

[fishboi]

i've recently said this on another thread as well but why go for Jebo when u can get an Aquaone for the same price or less??? :-?

maybe ur thinking overly complicated?

i am always setting up on a tight budget so if it was me i would set the tank up with aquamix and gravel then put in what ever wood plants that u want in then fill it up and run with the equipment u already have for the mean time. it sound like u already have tank, light, heater and filter so it will only cost u around $20 for the aquamix to do this

upgrading the filter and putting in a co2 system can be done much later on if at all.

just last week i re aquascaped my 3 foot 200L tank. its very simple and hoping the hair grass would fill the ground.

[IOU1]

)eah, that sounds like me, thinking overly complicated :lol: :lol: :lol: me thinking about a question in an exam paper too much has cost me in the past

Awesome pics, I might keep what I have, but maybe swap the two smaller eheim filters for a larger one, and buy any bulk lots of plants as they turn up.

Is there anyway of telling of a tank leak before filling the whole thing up with water :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-?

Thanks Fishboi, my fish are costing me enough as it is, over $50 for 4 little tiny guppies, I'm going to be broke

(actually I am going to hope they can breed well for me )