which one to use??

[gigafish]

What is better, using peat at the bottom with gravel on top or using straight flourite???

 

[tjudy]

I use a layer of flourite under a layer of finer grain gravel.

 

[farm41]

Flourite is great stuff, I started using a thin layer of peat underneath my flourite. Just for a little extra softening.

 

[gigafish]

how do you clean the tank without making a mess?

 

[farm41]

What would you need to clean it for? I just change water and scrape glass if the bristlenose can't keep up.

You must mean vacuuming the gravel, no need on a well planted tank, the plants need the stuff you would vacuum out.

 

[gigafish]

That's what I meant. Say you have a 20g long. How will you set this up? Fish, plants, filters,etc?

 

[farm41]

For a well planted 20L I would use 3-4 handfuls peat on the bottom, 1 bag flourite, top off with a natural fine gravel(no painted gravel) for a 3-4" depth. Cryptocoryne, Dwarf Sagitaria, Java fern, Anubias nana. 1 pair A. cacatoiudes or A. borelli, a few otocinclus and amano shrimp. AC 150 with diy co2 running into the intake tube.

Those plants will grow with the standard 20w tube. You would have many more choices of plants if the lighting is upgraded.

HTH

 

[jeb]

Sounds like my 20h.Java fern and moss are always thick and new growth.It looks like a jungle in four months if I dont trim back the wisteria.And the horn wart hangs in at 30w.I cut back on water changes from 10%once a week,to a month.Male and two female cacatoiudes,pair of rams,neon,and sometimes a side of fry.I run a emp.330 and would like to slip a sponge over intake and see how fry would fair.I'm a few spawns to late on the cacatoiudes.When the rams were added she turned from yellow to a silver/white with yellow trim.It was a beutiful.No diyCO2...yet.

 

[gigafish]

Speaking of peat. What kind should be use. I used sphagus peat 100% natural from home depot for filtering purposes. Can I also use that on the bottom? I'm using a penguin 330 on my 20g now. Alot of the peat moss are trapped on the filter. I have to remove it day to day. and suggestion?
Also how do I make a diy co2? Sorry for asking so many question. I just want to get at least one of my tank right. So I can learn from that and create a better one with the other tanks.

 

[Mike C]

I use the method described on this link to make my peat water and my results have been great. http://www.marksfish.f9.co.uk/diy/peat.htm


Also how do I make a diy co2?
Go to google search and plug in diy CO2 or try this link. many different versions. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/2637/index.html

 

[gigafish]

cool sites!! thanks mike!! where would I find the irish peat??? the stuff I'm using, is that close enough???

 

[gigafish]

farm41: Does it matter which flourite I use by seachem?? reg. or red??? are they the same?

 

[mk_ultra]

I layer the botom of my tank with Scott brand sphagnum peat moss and lay a layer of gravel. I also use Seachem Flourish tabs throughout the tank. I have never really suffered from a mess or pick up of peat moss. except for the occasional piece that floats. if it gets caught on the filters mechanichal media no big deal. Filtration through peat. :wink:
Just like mentioned before you don't have to jam the gravel vac into the bottom. if you are worried about debris collecting just skim the top layer.

 

[Mike C]

cool sites!! thanks mike!! where would I find the irish peat??? the stuff I'm using, is that close enough???

Just use sphagnum peat moss. I have used both the Scott brand (smaller packages, but more expensive) and the 2 cubic foot bales available at home depot. Good luck. This method got my pH 8, KH 8, GH 11 water to a point of pH 6.8, KH 2, GH 3 and my apisto aggies spawned. I was targeting 6 to 6.5 pH, but they spawned before I got the water parameters there. I was doing 10 to 15 % water changes with pure peat filtered water to slowly over time get the parameters down.

 

[farm41]

Regular flourite is best, I don't like the color on the red stuff, and heard some complaints about it.

 

[gigafish]

I thank everyone here for answering my questions. You guys are a great help !!!! I deeply appreciated. This is a geat forum!!!!!

Thanks again!!!