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Hi everyone! This is going to be a new series that I plan on updating when I have big updates. Like most new people to planted tanks (I believe), I jumped in without actually knowing much about aquatic plants, what they need, and how to properly take care of them. I knew the basics, lighting, nutrients, and water parameters, but that was about the extent of the knowledge that I had. So, in this series I want to take you all along with me as I establish a planted tank the right way. So let me introduce you to our tank!
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T H E T A N K
So in this first section I’ll simply be listing off the supplies I’m using in case anyone else wants something simple to copy off of and just follow along with. For the tank I have a 5 gallon TopFin Retreat. I’ve taken out the filter media that came with the tank and replaced it with 2 course sponges in the intake portion of the filter, and I threw a filter media bag in above the filter.
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[BC](https://image.staticox.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.aminoapps.vertvonline.info%2F7909%2F71b3a0314dffeb47944fbf3f68788180e2948b2cr1-1536-2048v2_hq.jpg)
As for the contents in the rest of the tank, I purchased a large Amazon Sword, a medium Rosette Sword, and 2 Anubias Congensis. All of these are beginner plants that for the most part require the same basic things. I didn’t like the original light that came with the tank, as I couldn’t put it on a timer, so I swapped it out for a Fluval NANO LED light thats specifically meant for planted tanks. I used Fluval Stratum as my substrate, a large fake piece of wood in the center, and some smooth pebbles as decoration. I also have some floating plants (Water Spangles). I used a TopFin heater to keep the water at a consistent temperature while cycling. Here is a picture of the full tank:
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[BC](https://image.staticox.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.aminoapps.vertvonline.info%2F7909%2F87aba4f86b8b84a07c05e671a3c96a26cf7b05f0r1-2048-1536v2_hq.jpg)
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B A S I C S
Here I will link a video that I watched that perfectly explained how to balance a planted tank. This is always something that has been very hard to attain for me, so the video was much appreciated.
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Comments (4)
Nice, but oh lord. I know that fluval LED alone is about $100. :joy: At least where I've seen it.
I've got what looks like a NICREW or stingray light that was like $12 on Amazon that was recommended to me here actually, works great so far. Says 'Aquaneat' on the light itself.
Oh and one tank has a $20 mini LED COB light from petsmart. It's alright, the light is great for the plants, but I have a couple qualms with its design. Like the way it clips to the tank and such.
Yes!! The setup is fairly expensive and there are definitely cheaper alternatives! I personally chose a different light simply because I needed it on a timer and thought the app was a cool touch, I also don’t like how the filter and the light plug into the same wire so if you unplug the light from the outlet it unplugs the filter too. Thank you for suggesting some more affordable lighting options!!
Reply to: kairos
Hm, I wasn't aware it was all-in-one wire like that, that'd probably be a deal breaker for me.
You can get 'smart' outlet plug-ins that are timers as an alternative. I actually have one I haven't used yet that was ~$15 on AquariumCoOp's website. I'm sure there are cheaper ones out there too. I can't speak to its usefulness yet since I haven't yet tried it though.
Also no problem, I'd honestly love to try and help people save money where they can.
Like for measuring medicine or water conditioners or what have you, I just use a measuring spoon from a big set of plastic ones I got for a dollar at the dollar store. They go from like a 1/4 tspn up to an entire cup, so I'm not using the ones we use on our foods for the fish.
Also! A cheap alternative for those who want a floating ring for feeding or keeping floaters in one place, use Styrofoam. I learned this from my LFS where they use Styrofoam in their pond fish tubs to label what's in them and for how much.
Oh and I recently finally got my nano siphon and it works so well for the smaller tanks and even has a duck bill attachment. It also came with a little cage looking piece that the instructions don't mention, but I think it's for slowing the flow when adding water to your tank, but I just use it to clean.
It's ~$12 from HiroAquatics on Etsy.
I also got one of their bamboo board + LED light stands (I think the 9W one), but that's a little more on the pricey side. The one I got looks like it'd fit my 5.5g's max.
Reply to: Water Letycs
That’s awesome!! And yes, for some reason TopFin decided to make both the light it came with and the filter plug into the same wire, so if you unplug the lights it also unplugs the filter. Super weird setup haha