# 29 gallon - soon to be sorority?



## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I am very excited because my old 29 gallon tank is going to be up and running again soon! My mom just called me to tell me she pulled it out of storage and we can begin to clean everything and move it over to my house to set it up. This is part of my Xmas present to myself and also my NYE resolution - to have a really awesome fish tank! I really would like to turn it into a planted sorority/community tank and am looking for suggestions.

I have never had a planted tank before, but really want to make that the case with this one. I just think they are beautiful and the fish love them, so that's amazing too. I have a bunch of old, natural colored gravel that was in the tank before (it was a healthy community tank at one time, but I plan on bleaching the gravel) and am wondering if gravel is okay for live plants? I know sand would probably be better, but it's messy and I'm not sure if I want to deal with that just yet. I also plan on getting a piece of driftwood or two that I can attach plants to. What are some hardy plants that people recommend for tanks?

How many fish should I put in the tank? Like I said it's 29 gallons, and I know I need at least 4 female bettas. I would like to have other fish in there too if possible, but don't want to overstock. I have a fascination with kuhli loaches so I would like to try and have a couple of those in there, and maybe tetras of some sort and corys? I tend to sit and watch my aquariums for hours (literally), so something that's gonna give me entertainment (and beauty) would be awesome, lol.

I plan on doing a little photo journey of the tank set up which I will include in this thread. I have been reading quite a bit about sororities on here but would appreciate any advice. I am so excited about this!


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## mattoboy (Feb 4, 2012)

Carbonxxkid,

Sounds like its going to be an awesome tank!

Yes, natural colored gravel is good, but it also depends on the plants. I use natural colored gravel in my 10 gallon with Amazon Swords (Not really recommended with gravel), Corkscrew Val and Jungle Val (which are both doing great). I think the natural colored gravel gives an awesome "river" look on the tank. I recommend Jungle Val (These things multiply like crazy for me!), Corkscrew Val, Hornwort, Water Sprite, Duckweed, Anubius (For the driftwood), Java Moss, and Java Fern. The thing with tanks that are planted is that you never stop fiddling around with them!

Fish - When you're trying to decide on stalking ideas, you have to look at all the options. Do you want to pay the basic amount of money at a petstore for your ordinary bunch or do you want to pay a little more for a different or more colourful fish that with entertain you? I recommend looking around first at options (pet stores, local classifieds, etc.) or minnfish.com (Minnesota fish forum) for people around you. I recently saw that Petsmart are carrying these COOL looking Blue Platys at only $3.50 where I live (Canada). Wish I could get my hands on some of those! In a 29 gallon, you have quite a few options. You want to do a sorority, so you could probably do 4 or 5 female bettas. You could also do cory's, platy's, gourami's (Stay away from Dwarf Gourami's!), some types of tetras, kuhli loaches, white cloud mountain minnows, snails, and shrimp! I would stay away from Neon and Cardinal tetras for now because they thrive in certain tank parameters like pH 5.0 and stuff that will make you go crazy.

If you need anymore help, feel free to drop me a message!

Matt


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Thank you so much for all the info! 

I went to my mom's house tonight and we cleaned out the tank. It had been sitting in her basement for 10 years and was very dusty. The stand got a new coat of stain/varnish tonight too! I am going to end up buying new gravel for the tank, I had thought it was all natural colored but there was a bag of pink and blue gravel mixed in, and I don't want that for this tank. I have an Eheim 2213 canister filter for the tank that is missing a part so we have to go to a LFS this weekend to see if we can replace it. Hopefully they have it in stock or can order it so I will get it soon and be able to start this baby up! The store we are going to for the part is my favorite one in the state, they have a huge selection of all sorts of fish and plants and lots of driftwood and stuff so I think I will be doing most of my shopping there. Not sure what their female betta selection is though, so I might have to stick with Petsmart/Petco for those but that's alright. Luckily my local Petsmart does a pretty good job taking care of their bettas.

I have no idea what kind of plants I want but I will check out the ones you listed, as well as see what they have to offer at the store. I will probably have to get a new incandescent bulb for my light hood too for the plants. As for fish, I'm thinking for sure at least 6 females, 2-3 kuhli loaches, and a small school of some type of cories (or a pictus catfish instead, I really like those). I would like to get some middle dwelling fish too, so maybe a few platys? I love gouramis, especially gold ones, but the last time I had one I ended up giving him away because he got way too aggressive. I'm not really sure what my tank capacity is, and I've seen people with 20 gallon tanks who have a lot more fish than I was thinking of putting in mine so hopefully it will work out.

I will be bringing the tank and stand home probably on Saturday, so I will try and get a picture of it before I add anything and then as it comes together. Very very excited.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

not sure on stocking or anything
but there is an awesome website called aqadvisor.com - you punch in your tank information, what kind of fish you have/want in it and it will tell you if they are compatible, stocking percentage, and i believe filter capacity or something of the sort. I always check it out when I want to add anything to a tank


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

I don't have experience with this (yet), but if you read the sticky in the planted tank section (How To: Natural Planted Tank ), it doesn't seem like sand is that messy. You use a layer of organic potting soil, then you have to wash out the sand beforehand in a separate bucket until it runs clear when you pour the water out, and then you put the sand over the potting soil. Then there will be little to no problems with the water looking cloudy from the sand. Also, it's easier to vacuum up because all the junk stays on the surface. Plus if you're going to have loaches and cories, I think they do best on sand.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

aemaki, thank you for sharing that website! I will definitely use that calculator, I can't believe I didn't think to search for something like that! 

OrangeAugust, I will agree it doesn't seem that hard. My mom said she tried to do that with her tank when she first set it up (12 years ago, at least) and she said it was a mess and she ended up removing the soil/sand (which was even more of a mess). She does not have very good patience though, so that might be part of her problem. I will have to do a bit more research, since I am starting completely from scratch with my substrate now anyway. I know there are a lot of live plants that do fine with gravel, but even more prefer the sand/soil so I will just need to figure out what I want and go from there. I feel like I have read that sticky, but I'm going to go read it again right now, haha.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

So after doing a bit of research, I think I'm going to go with the black Eco-Complete substrate, it looks nice and apparently is good for plants/fish. A little expensive but I think it will be worth it.

I put my info in the calculator, and it says if I have 6 female bettas, 6 corys, 5 kuhli loaches, 3 amano shrimp, and 6 harlequin rasboras, I am 99% stocked. This is just an example I put in there, I'm not sure if I want the rasboras or if I want to go with something more colorful, like platys instead. My filter is rated for up to 65 gallons which gives me a lot of options.

I do have a feeling that this tank set up is going to take me a while. I will probably be buying new things every couple weeks when I get paid, and making sure that the tank is cycled and plants are established and growing before adding any fish. I plan on adding the bettas last, and all at once.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

That sounds like a lot to put in there lol! I'm 90% stocked in 26 and it looks empty so thats probably why. 
Goodluck with it! I can't wait to see pictures!


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I know, it does seem like a lot...I just put a bunch of stuff in the calculator and was shocked when it said I wasn't over 100% capacity! 

Tomorrow when I get paid I am going to bring the tank and stand home, and buy my Eco Complete and fill it up. Saturday I will be going to the LFS and hopefully buying some plants and driftwood and getting my filter part. If they need to order in the part I will still set the tank up with the plants and stuff because they don't really need a filter anyway. I will take some pictures tomorrow once I get the tank home!


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Well, I had to order my substrate off the internet so I won't get it for 3-6 business days. Still going to the store tomorrow to see about my filter part, but everything has to be put on hold for now. BOO. 

I'll update this thread again when I actually get stuff started. 
In the meantime, I'm doing research on plants. I don't really want to have to supplement with CO2, and therefore am looking at low-medium light options. I am okay with using ferts, but would prefer not to if possible. mattoboy, what are the requirements of the plant suggestions you gave me?


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Heres some suggestions--stuff that have worked in my tanks without co2 and low/moderate light
Amazon frogbit, vallisneria* sp?, water wisteria, anarchis, java fern, java moss, rotala indica, money wort, anubias, cabomba, bacopa, aquatic banana, morimo moss balls, amazon sword, and giant duckweed.
I also had some riccia and pellia in them but they are really messy so I moved them into spare tanks.
Hornwort and water sprite would work too!


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

carbonxxkidd said:


> ...a new incandescent bulb for my light hood ...


For plants, it's better to use a florescent bulb with a color temperature of 6500 Kelvin. Three watts per gallon will let you grow nearly anything.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Yeah I actually meant fluorescent (always get the two mixed up) I still need to buy one though, right now I have a kitchen and bath bulb in there lol. Is it okay that my hood only holds one bulb? The hood sits directly on top of the cover glass.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I brought the tank home today. Now I get to sit and look at an empty tank for at least a week while my supplies get here. It's killing me already, and it hasn't even been home an hour, lol. 

My substrate will be here probably by next Friday. I had to order a new Eheim filter today too, because my old one wasn't cleaned properly and is basically shot, unfortunately. BUT a brand new filter is on it's way, and I didn't even have to pay for it -THANKS MOM!!!! I think she's as excited about this tank as I am. So, hopefully the filter will come around the same time as the substrate. I am also planning on ordering plants from plantedaquariumscentral.com, because apparently they are really good. I was thinking about starting off with the 20 gal plant starter kit, and possibly adding a couple extras. I will probably order plants the day my substrate arrives, and hopefully my filter will be here by the time the plants arrive. I also bought a new light bulb for the fixture today, it's a 20w, 6500K fluorescent. I'm hoping that is going to work.

Here are a couple pictures of my empty tank:


























Now I have to sit and be patient! I made the mistake of looking at female bettas at Petco yesterday, and there was this absolutely gorgeous, almost opal colored one that I almost went back and bought today. I really need to wait and try really hard not to look until I'm ready to add the girls! This is going to be so tough, lol.

Another random question - what is the best way to seed the tank? I am in the process of cycling my little 5 gallon right now, but my mom has a tank that has been up and running for 12+ years. She is due for a cleaning, and was planning on giving me some of the nasty brown water she siphons out with the gravel vac as well as some of her filter media - will this work??


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Good idea to cycle your 5g. I hope you mean a fishless cycle. 

Using filter media and surface gravel from your Mom's established tank will give you a head start. Put it in or near your filter. That "nasty brown water" doesn't contain as much nitrifying bacteria as you may think. It might also contain other things which are not so helpful. You want to try to espablish a large healthy colony of nitrifying bacteria which you can transfer to your 29g when you set it up. 

Get plants, substrate and filter foam into that 5g. Use lots of flow (you do have a filter now, yes?) High temperature (>82*) and aeration (using a sponge filter or airstone.) To feed the bacteria use pure ammonia (that doesn't foam when shaken), available from ACE hardware or Dr Tim's or Amazon online.

When it comes time to build the 29g, you can transfer your filter and other things in there for a virtually instant cycle.

Btw, that is an unusual and good-looking tank.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Unfortunately, the 5g I am referring to is the divided one I'm having issues cycling right now (in my Cycling Woes thread). I had one of my fish when I bought the tank, and added the other right away. Wasn't patient enough, so I'm going to try really hard to do the 29g right.

My mom is one of those people who periodically replaces her filter floss, so I am just going to try and see if she will give me that, or at least part of it. She has the same Eheim filter that I will have, so it should work out great. If she gives me gravel too, should I put that in some panty hose or something and hold it by the filter intake? How long should I wait after starting it up and seeding it with her filter media to add fish? Or should I go by test results? 

I am currently trying to buff out a bunch of scratches from the 29g using toothpaste. I had this tank set up with I was younger, middle school I think, and did not do a very good job with scrubbing algae off the sides from the looks of it. Hopefully the toothpaste will do the trick. The scratches are really apparent with the 6500K light on there.


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## mattoboy (Feb 4, 2012)

Tanks looking good! Keep it up!


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## bettasareawesome (Jul 9, 2012)

I really like moneywort but three things I'd recommend is make sure the plant are stuck in the substrate well the first time and cut off any brown spots on the plant. I've learned both those things the hard way. Also never add fish in until your 100% ready.

And that is an awesome tank!


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## Hopeseeker (Feb 6, 2012)

*About planted aquariums central:*

If you put in the coupon code BETTAFISH (all caps), you get 10% off. I have bought quite a bit from her in the last few months. Plants are always in top shape and arrive fast. She even adds extra plants most of the time. She works with you if there are any problems, too. I have no complaints, at all!


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I have a 29 tall sorority myself. 9 females, 6 panda corries, 1 BN pleco, 1 nerite, and several apple snails. Planted gives you so much more leeway with stocking.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Hopeseeker said:


> If you put in the coupon code BETTAFISH (all caps), you get 10% off. I have bought quite a bit from her in the last few months. Plants are always in top shape and arrive fast. She even adds extra plants most of the time. She works with you if there are any problems, too. I have no complaints, at all!


Even better! Thank you! I have heard a lot of great things about them, from reading other threads on here and from reading the reviews on her page. Do you know what the shipping cost is like? I'm assuming I'm always nervous in ordering live stuff off the internet because of shipping, but her prices are great and plants in stores around here are not cheap!


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Sorry CK, I lost track of who I was advising. Putting your Mom's used filter floss into your filter is, of course, the best way to cycle the 29g. 

You could/should use it in your troublesome 5g just to see what happens

But it begs the question: why is she throwing away all that beneficial bacteria?


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I know! I told her that she should keep it until it's falling apart, but she said "it's too gross." Her tank has never had any spikes after she's done it, so I'm guessing there's enough bacteria in her gravel and in the other filter media (bio rings and substrat pro) to keep her cycle going. 

SO, I guess I'll take it. If my 5g is still struggling next week when she cleans her tank, I will put some of her stuff in that tank too. Today marks 4 weeks of the 5g being up and running, and apparently cycles usually take 4-6 or more so I feel like I'm on track with that one. Still a bit frustrating regardless.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I just ordered my plants! They are all low-light/beginner plants, so hopefully they will stay alive in my tank. Here is what I ordered:

Bacopa carolina
Hygrophila corymbosa
Banana plant
Vallisneria spiralis
Dwarf Four-leafed clover
Low light package for 20g tanks which includes 2 java ferns, 2 Crypocoryne Wendii, 2 Cryptocoryne Retrospiralis or spiralis, 2 anacharis or anacharis narrow leaf, 1 Marimo ball, and 1 amazon sword.

I kind of went overboard, but I want the tank to be heavily planted from the start. Some of the plants I bought are in bunches, or have 5-6 stems, so my tank should be pretty full I hope. I also bought some Flourish complete fertilizer and some dwarf lilly bulbs from Walmart. Substrate coming tomorrow, so whenever I get the plants I will set up the tank. My filter is supposed to come between the 20th-24th, so that will be set up probably after I get the tank set up.

Once the tank is set up, I'm planning on getting a few platies (because they are hardy and colorful) to help feed the plants, and then start adding other fish probably a week or two later, in small bunches.

My mom wants to clean her tank/replace her filter media this week, probably before I get my filter. Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping her bacteria alive while I wait for my filter to put it in? If I can talk her into holding off a few more days until it arrives, I will, but she is pretty impatient.


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## Viva (Oct 18, 2012)

What a funky shape for a tank! Did you make it or purchase it like that? I thought all 29gals were just the same length and width as 20 longs but 6" taller.

I'm planning on doing basically this exact project when I get enough money and move into a new place so I won't have to tear down a newly setup tank...my lease is up at the end of April so hopefully I'll have a 29g planted sorority by next summer!

Good luck on yours, and good luck holding back all your excitement until its ready to be set up, lol!


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Viva said:


> What a funky shape for a tank! Did you make it or purchase it like that? I thought all 29gals were just the same length and width as 20 longs but 6" taller.
> 
> I'm planning on doing basically this exact project when I get enough money and move into a new place so I won't have to tear down a newly setup tank...my lease is up at the end of April so hopefully I'll have a 29g planted sorority by next summer!
> 
> Good luck on yours, and good luck holding back all your excitement until its ready to be set up, lol!


I know! It's so unique! It is an Oceanic tank, my mom bought it over 10 years ago. Apparently they don't make them anymore, too bad because they are so cool.

I got my substrate today and I definitely put it in my tank already and filled the tank up about halfway. My plants are scheduled to be here on Friday or Saturday, so I am going to plant then and hopefully my filter will come early (even though it says it will arrive December 24). 

I am getting so impatient, lol. I actually broke my cover glass today cleaning it - which in my mom's eyes would have been a sign that I shouldn't set up this tank. Luckily the standard 20g Aqueon top fits my odd shaped tank, so I just bought a new one and am all set. Now hopefully not a whole lot else goes wrong, lol.


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Nicest OEM 29G tank...*

The front part of the tank would be perfect for low growing dwarf grass/crypts.

Also based on the way the glass is designed, you always make sure you completely remove the hood ANYTIME you need to do maintenance of any sort. 

Feeding shouldn't

Buy one of those long underbed storage containers where you can place your hood, nets, ornaments, accessories, etc.... Otherwise you're going to get water all over carpet where the tank is located. 

How are the silicone edges of the tank? I'm going to assume they're still in good condition because anyone who would have had that tank 10 years ago would have been meticulous with maintenance. 

If your mother doesn't like handling the filter media, offer to take over that task completely from now on. Well established filter media that's disease free will save you from dealing with a unstable tank for the next 30-60 days. 

Another thing you can do while you're waiting for your plants to arrive.... is attach as much filter media to the exterior of that ACTIVE filter. Try to grow as much b-bacteria as possible.




What type of fish inhabit the 5G tank & what brand & model number filter is it using?

What type/brand/model filter were you planning to use with the 29G? Most HOB filters would be too chunky to fit your tank. 

Looking forward to see how you arrange your tank.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Thanks for all the tips! I actually don't think I'd even want to try putting my hands in the tank with the lid on, it's kind of awkward. Towels are definitely a must. The silicone seems to be fine, I actually had a panic attack earlier because I wasn't sure if silicone degrades over time. All the silicone seems intact, and as of right now the tank is holding about half it's water with no leaks. It was only in use for a few years, if I remember right because I left for college and my mom didn't want to deal with it anymore.

My mom is actually kind of slacking on her tank. It is overstocked (3 angelfish, 1 clown loach, and like 8 other small fish). She has a 26 gallon with an Eheim 2215 and only does monthly water changes (probably why her filter media gets so scummy, but her fish are all healthy). I offered to do more water changes for her, since I am at her house often, and she said she'd think about it. I tested her water today and her nitrates were literally off the chart, over 160ppm. Even with her cleaning her tank in a few days, it's going to take a lot to get that down. I told her I would share some cuttings of my plants with her to help, though (the only live plant she currently has is a Marimo ball).

I will also have an Eheim 2213 on my tank, it just needs to come in the mail already, lol. The 5g just has a small Tetra Whisper filter on it, and is currently divided with 2 young male bettas and 4 ghost shrimp. I think I am on the right track with cycling, just need to be patient and do daily water changes until my nitrites go down. I plan on putting a piece of my mom's filter media in that tank once I get it.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Okay, question - I put my eco-complete in my tank yesterday, and realized I probably should have ordered at least 3 bags, instead of 2. The depth is averaging 1.5" but I do plan on sloping the gravel and making it look more "natural" instead of flat so the back will probably have about 2" of substrate. Will this be okay for the plants I have ordered? I know 3" is preferred but if I can get away without adding more eco complete that would be great, and I don't really want to mix gravel/sand with it either.

Also, is a 150w heater what is recommended for a 29g? I have a 100w that I have been playing around with to see if it still works and it's set all to the highest temp (93F) and only seems to be able to get the tank to about 78F. Assuming a higher wattage is necessary?


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*If you take 50% of the media......*

in the ESTABLISHED Eheim 2215 filter, your Eheim 2213 filter will be cycled in about 7-10 days once the bacteria has more time to spread out. 

That will be fastest & safest method IMO to get your tank ready for fish. 

You can even add all your f-bettas right after, but I would leave the tank alone for 48 hours because you should still get bacteria bloom. 


I would suggest QT the fish & fatten them up for 7-14 days before adding them.
For the eco-c, just leave 1" high layer in the front of the tank & use "dwarf" plants. Since they're small & typically used as a foreground their root systems won't get too crazy.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I will do that. I plan on adding the females last though, after I get the other fish I want in there so they don't get too aggressive. Plants and filter scheduled to come tomorrow (I hope, if UPS and USPS are on time) so I will get everything set up tomorrow and let it sit for a week before adding fish. If I get really antsy, I might add a few platies for color and to help feed the cycle/plants. I definitely plan on buying females if I see some I like though before I am ready to add and QTing them, I've already seen a few I really liked and had to force myself to hold off, lol.

My mom is going to give me the entire piece of filter floss she has in her Eheim (I actually made a typo, it's the 2213 too).


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

My filter came today! It is all set up and ready to go.

I bought a new 150w heater, and I don't know if Aqueon just sucks or what but there is already water INSIDE the heater so I need to go return it. 

Plants are MIA, the USPS website said their expected delivery was today, but the mailman just came and no plants. So hopefully he will come at a reasonable time tomorrow. 

My family is celebrating Xmas tomorrow so I probably won't get a chance to do much unless the plants come early. My mom is cleaning her tank on Sunday, so I will get used filter floss then. I have the day off too, so I can spend all day arranging my tank if I want, lol.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Jumped the gun and bought 4 females tonight. Technically, they only cost me 81 cents, because I had $10 in Petco bucks. I originally bought the Aqueon heater using that $10, but when I returned it they said I had to buy something else right away or I would lose that money, so I bought the girls.

I'm not really sure what to do with them now though, I don't have enough tanks to quarantine them all separately unless I put them in mason jars (unheated) or float them in either the new tank or my 5gal with the boys. I don't plan on adding them to the 29g for a few weeks - I'd like to get everything else in there first (plants, other fish) and add them last. Here are a few quick cell phone pics of the new girls (all VT):









Red - looks like she might have a bit of fin rot unless that black is normal. Out of the 4, she holds her pectoral fins against her body, almost constantly. Assuming this is a stress related thing.








Pink marble? This was actually the first one I picked out, she was very unique.








Green/blue with red undertones. She's the only one with obvious stress stripes.








Yellow, maybe marble? She reminded me of my late male, Scully.

All the girls got a full 100% water change in their cups immediately after they came in my house. They were also all offered some live daphnia, which they devoured. All in all they seem pretty young (small) but healthy, so I have high hopes. Now to keep them happy until they can actually go in their tank!


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Bought three more females today, CTs. I think I am probably going to add them in the tank first, in a couple days, because I am just that impatient, lol. Plants also came today (finally!!!) so I got the tank set up, I think how I want it for now. Hopefully all the plants will live. Here are some photos of the new girls first, and then the planted tank:

































My mom brought me her filter media and a couple of buckets of her tank water to add (which is awesome for the plants, because she has ridiculous amounts of nitrates). I also dosed with Flourish Complete right away.

So far so good!


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Replace the kitchen bath bulb ASAP.*

I have the same GE K&B bulb, but it's not going to do much other than kill your plants. It's brighter than the OEM stock bulb, but does NOTHING for LIVE plants.

50% of the plants that I tested that bulb on are DEAD/melted. Should have switched it out 2 weeks ago, but I'm actually going to swap out the bulb after I post this. 


Also when you use fertilizers WITHOUT proper lighting, your plants CAN'T utilize the nutrients in the water.

Also, yesterday when I was in I FINALLY located a really good source of 6500K rated CFL bulbs for $2.50 each. 


Good start on arrangement, but let your tank plants settle in for at least 1-2 weeks before you decide on a permanant location for them. Tallest plants in the back unless you want your tank to look like a jungle/forest.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

My bulb is a 6500k Philips daylight bulb...20w t12. This will kill my plants???


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

I thought you were using a kitchen & bath long fluorescent tube? 

6500K is exactly what you need. 

Use a sharpie to write down the date you FIRST started using the bulb. After 10/12 months the "labeled" one should be replaced with a brand new one because the coating that's used to replicate the 6500K range that plants NEED to process nutrients fades over time.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

No, lol my mom originally gave me a k&b bulb but I replaced it when I learned that I needed 6500k. Still think my wattage is a bit low but all my plants are supposed to be low light. I got 2 6500k bulbs at Home Depot for $9.99! Good call on writing the date down.


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Simple thing, that no one ever considers.*

I don't know about you, but it seems like those CFL bulbs don't last as long as the companies want you to believe. 

Marking lights with a date, helps keep track of that. Sharpie markers work the best. 

With the date on the bulb, before I bring these hazardous waste containers to the hardware store for recycling, I can calculate how long they lasted before they broke down

12hrs/day x 365 x 2-3 but hopefully 5 years = total hours used.

Some of these bulbs are supposedly rated to last 10,000 hours. I highly DOUBT that. That's under laboratory conditions, maybe if you used it for 3-5 hours a day mounted in a open air fixture. Enclosed fixture will generate more HEAT. Excess heat usually leads to premature failure.

I would try to find ANOTHER hood, & mount it in the front. You'll have to move it EVERY time you want to feed the fish, but I think your plants need the extra light. 

I've tested it out, & STANDARD 20W fluorescent light isn't enough in my opinion. Thanks for mentioning the HD price, I need to grab a pair myself next time I pass by one. 

For my 30G Acrylic that I dismantled. I used a 65W Coralife fixture. Looked GREAT, but the ballast overheated & died earlier than I wanted due to excess HEAT. I think the bulb is still okay though.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Yeah, I've noticed already the plants in the front aren't getting much light. I will definitely look for a second light, probably won't be able to find the same kind as the one I have though. How long does it usually take before you can tell how your plants are handling the light?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Cute girls! :-D
(and dog)


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Thanks for mentioning the Walmart price, I haven't gone to one in YEARS.*

You should notice if the lights are adequate within 48 hours but give it at least a week or two. 

Some of the fast growing plants can grow 1/2" every 12 hours I think if all the conditions are present.


Light, CO2 & nutrients.


Photos of the ENTIRE tank in the same location/time will always make it easier to take note of how fast things will grow.

23W BL @ $2.50 = $10
13W BL @ $2/4 = $8
10W WM @ $1.25 = $4

Buying 2x 10W - 3 pack & 1x 23W - 4 packs. 

I can use the fluorescent gro-lights from the greenhouse fixture for the f-hoods.

I dread going to walmart with all the "runaway" shopping carts.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

The plants in a low-light low tech tank get all their CO2 from the water movement and fish breathing, right? I don't want to supplement CO2 if I don't have to.


Any recommendations for when I should do my first water change? The tank is a bit cloudy right now, I'm thinking it's the bacterial bloom you mentioned since we're at about the 48h mark. All the girls seem happy though and with the exception of one having a couple nips in her tail this morning they seem to be getting along.


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

I wouldn't have put the f-bettas in the tank without QTing them for at least 2 weeks. Too late now. 

Hopefully the newly acquired bettas don't have any illness or ICK. Otherwise you will have to treat your ENTIRE tank. 

I would have waited till after New Years before introduction. That way your plants will have more time to grow, the cloudy water would clear up, & you don't have to worry about them fighting/killing each other or possibly getting ill from a ammonia spike or contaminates from your mom's fish tank.

Adding all those extra fertz in addition with NEW eco-complete can make your tank a bit unstable for the first 2 weeks. 

I wouldn't touch the water/filter for at least 2 weeks. Maybe even 3. Don't dose any more fertz for at LEAST a month. 

Just do water tests with the API kit. Create a log & write down the results to monitor the readings. 

Take pictures of the tank every 12 or 24 hours.

Plants that don't survive, make a note of & DON'T add any more of those to the tank. Sometimes you can do everything according to recommendations & for some reason the plant withers away.

10W should be okay, I just prefer MORE light. 10W are IMO too dim, but I'll pick up a pack of those next time I'm @ Wallys & see if they'll work.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

All of the girls were in QT for a couple days before I put them in the tank and all look and act healthy and are good eaters. There was a bit more aggression today at feeding time, but nothing too serious. The water is a bit hazy looking, not 100% crystal clear, but clear enough for me to see the plants and fish perfectly. I don't plan on adding any more fish for a few weeks to give the tank time to establish - I just hope the girls are accepting when I do, lol.

I only added 1ml of Flourish when it said to add 3mls for my tank. Someone else on this forum told me to add the ferts immediately after planting. I'm so confused with all this different info, lol! The plants look good except a few of the crypts are getting some dark green spots on them. I'm pretty sure my anacharis has already grown, same with the bacopa. I have moved things around a little bit to fill in places - some of the stem plants floated to the top and needed to be replanted anyway.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Is a 12 hour light cycle too much?

At work, we keep everything on a 16/8 cycle, but I was reading online that the most you want to do in an aquarium is 12/12, so that's what I've been doing since the plants were added. I know keeping the lights on longer will allow algae to grow and I don't really want that, but I'd like my tank lights to be on so I can watch my fish at night when I am home, lol! I've been having them go on at 8:30am and off at 8:30pm.

Also, crypts are definitely melting. I've read this is normal for them when placed in a new set up, so I'm just going to leave them alone and see what happens.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

With the lights, if you want it to be 12/12, try that for a week or two and see how the algae and plant growth work, if you start growing too much algae, then cut it back by an hour or two each day. 
What is suggested though is to start at 8 and them work your way up if you are able just to avoid as much algae as you can.
And with the crypts, just cut back the leaves and leave the bulb/rhizome (whatever it's called), it'll save the plants energy and help it grow bac faster. Most suppliers usually send only the bulb with no leaves to help it grow faster when it gets into a new tank, still needs and adjusting period, but not as long.
Goodluck!


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Okay! No algae yet, but it's only been 3 days. I will probably change my light cycle to be on when I'm at home, so from like 2pm-10pm or something then. My crypts were sent with only 2-4 leaves on them, and it looks like I will end up cutting most of those off today. 

Thanks!


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*Forgot to include this in the last post.*

If at any point the test results indicate dangerous levels of toxins do a water change to keep the numbers STABLE. 

Also I mentioned QT for 1 week, however during the winter the time period should be INCREASED to 2 weeks before the intial introduction to a tank. 

Ideally you would QT'd for 2 weeks while you conducted tests every 24/48 hours to check/confirm the results for your filter. 

Since you've had ISSUES with "cycling" your filter before, I assumed the SAFER route would have appealed to you. 


The main reason I suggested NOT adding MORE fertz is due to the "dirty" water from the "established" tank & the built in nutrients in the NEW batch of eco-complete substrate. That alone should have been sufficient to sustain your plants for a few weeks if not a month. Adding fertz too earlier could be overkill & create early algae issues. Dosing incorrectly without diluting first with sufficient water can also burn/melt the plants. 

Even though you do have some "possibly established" media from the Eheim, it still takes the b-bacteria time to disperse inside the canister & adjust to their new environment. Rarely is the cycling complete "instantaneously" with the addition of seeded media. 

Also when introducing "newbie bettas", their chasing/fighting is going to create extra NH3, so you want the filter READY. 

Too much of the "bottled" nutrients & the "bacteria bloom" can create additional stress for the fish & that's the main reason they end up getting sick/dying.

Plants too also need a adjustment period & when introduced to a BRAND new tank they can go dormant/hibernate or melt/wither away if the chemical composition of the water isn't right. 


For lighting..... Ultimately, this is YOUR tank, do whatever you feel works best for you. 

I've adjusted the mechanical timers on my tanks to turn on 30 minutes after it's DARK outside. Fluorescent remain ON for about 10 hours maybe longer if I'm working on something. Give or take 10-12 hours.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

My 5g is cycled now, with no help from my mom's media. I really don't think I was having problems, I just didn't really understand the process. It took about 5 weeks to do a fish-in cycle, which is apparently normal.

Readings on the 29g have all been 0 so far, I'm assuming the plants are taking care of all the bad stuff. My mom did happen to have a second strip light at home which she gave me today to replace the clamp light. It's only 18" but definitely works much better. I switched my timers to have the lights on for 10 hours starting tomorrow, will increase to 12 once plants get established. 

Tank looks nice and clear now, too. I had a pretty intense protein film forming this morning but that is also gone. I DID bring home some ceriodaphnia (tiny tiny daphnia, basically too small for the fish to even notice so they won't eat them right away) from work today, in the hopes that they would help clear up the water if there was algae forming or something. Not sure if that is why my tank cleared up or if things are just getting established. Either way, things are going well.


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