Substrate idea

[rodalan]

Ok this might be a little extreme, but what do you guys think? i have been planning my setup of 180g (72"x24"x24"). i dont have everything needed to have an established tank, I am getting stuff as my finances allow. the main purpose is to put off getting CO2 injection until last, because it seems less important then the lighting. i already have fairly hard water that goes through an iron remover and water softener.

out of tap:
about PH: 7.4 and KH:200
(that is right out of tap i checked while typing this)

i have 6 bags of fluorite in the tank already making that layer about an inch deep. on top of that i was thinking of using a thin layer of pete moss before putting the gravel in, or i guess i could put it on top of the gravel and not use sand for the top layer. that will help lower the PH of my initial fill water. after the first fill i have r/o that i could mix, even if i have to save it. i know my r/o does 5g at a time but not how much per day. i know that pete helps soften, but being my water is softened i am not sure if it brings down TDS. the main purpose, if i understand it right, is the decaying of the pete would cause the release of CO2 for at least a short pried of time. this would hopefully allow me to get plants and lighting to let the tank start growing in. i intended to let it grow in like this for a month or so with very few fish, just to get the bio-filter going. this idea came up from reading about low tech and El natural setups.

So am i on to something, wasting my time, or making things worse on myself? If it will work, am i ganna have trouble switching to more of a high tech setup or for how long can i expect it to work? would the pete leech ammonia into the water like using potting soil? what additives could be in landscaping grade pete that is would have to look out for? i have some that is ground fine like dirt with little twigs and stuff in it.

Side notes that might help:
plan on stocking cacatuoides and borelli
(i know they are more accustomed to my water)
otos, cory cats, cardinals, maybe another medium schooler
I would like to have 2-3 angels or discus(probably angels) just to have something big to mix it up. i have read very mix reviews on the compatibility of the dwarfs, angel or discus. so i would add the big guys much later when i am am comfortable with what is already in place.

thanks for any incite

 

[ed seeley]

I really wouldn't do this! Trapping the peat like that in a layer could cause parts that haven't properly decayed to rot and release all sorts of things. While some CO2 may be produced a lot of more harmful things will too and the CO2 produced won't be enough to satisfy the plants needs or be at stable levels. IME unstable CO2 levels are a really quick way to get some algae problems and I would start with sorting the CO2 out first - before even the lighting. Flourite is a good substrate (I've used it in the past) and you can just add some gravel or sand in or on top of that to increase the depth.

If you want to use peat to soften the water then either add it to the filter in a fine media bag (or stocking!) or soak your new water in it before adding it to the tank. Also don't get peat with ferts added as a lot of terrestrial ferts use ammonia or urea based fertilisers to add the nitrogen and you don't want this in your tank.

I think a shoal of angels (wild ones especially) would look good in your tank but they may eat any small tetras or fry your dwarfs produce!

 

[rodalan]

i was afraid that it was to complex of an idea and that i was ganna get that response. thanks for the heads up. i will stick with topping with sand and start looking into getting the CO2 equiptment instead of t5s for now.

 

[oldschool]

Years ago Vinny Kutty wrote an article on a simple planted tank that had peat in the substrate. I used the method and it worked fine for me though there are far better ways to do things now, I didn't find any harm in the peat moss in the substrate but who knows maybe I was just lucky.

 

[dw1305]

Hi Rodalan,
I'd definitely rather have the T5's than the CO2, there are plenty of plants that will grow without it. If you go for plants that are floating they have the "aerial advantage", meaning that they can utilise atmospheric CO2. I use Floating fern (Salvinia) and Duckweed (Lemna), but there are plenty of others - Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium), Pistia (Nile Cabbage) etc. Also plants that have emersed leaves, Nymphaea (Water Lily), Cabomba etc. or stems that can grow emersed - Nomaphila etc. Many slow-growing plants will grow fine with very little feeding and no C02, have a look at the list on "the Krib" and Apistobob's pages.

I use Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus and Potomageton gayii planted in the substrate (silver sand with about 5% leaf mould) and I occasionally feed the Sword plants (by pushing balls of clay with 10 grains of "growmore" into the substrate), I've also got Bolbitis, Anubias, Java Fern and Java moss growing, and they cover most of the wood etc in the tank.

It's not a beautiful aquascape like Ed's or Elise's, but the plants grow, and the fish breed.

cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Should have mentioned Water Sprite Ceratopteris spp. as well, I have it in all the tanks it can be grown rooting, floating, emersed and immersed, so it really covers all possibilities.
Darrel

 

[rodalan]

thanks for the list of plants. that will allow me to get the project underway starting with plants listed and slowly upgrade until i am satisfied.