Low-tech planted 40 breeder

[sudofish]

This is my newly setup tank. It's my first fish tank I've had since I was a kid many years ago. I'm going for a heavily planted community tank. So far the only livestock is 7 praecox rainbowfish & 1 Electric Blue Acara. I want to add a pearl gourami and I'm not sure what else in the future. Anyway this is just a place I'm going to post pictures and changes in the tank. And work on my photography skills or lack thereof lol.  Below is the specs and plant list as best I can remember. Any questions or advice don't hesitate to post! I'm a noob, though I did do a lot of reading and video watching before I started. Lots of useful info was gained from the FishTubers out there. Way too many to list and I wouldn't want to leave anybody out 🙂

Substrate: Eco-complete layered with fluval stratum with a layer of brightwell laterite in the middle. Got the idea from Bentley Pascoe. Well the brightwell laterite was my brilliant idea and it ended up clouding the tank a ton when I disturbed the soil. Oh well live and learn lol.

Lighting: 36" Fluval 3.0. Pretty standard. I use 1 1/2 hours sunrise/sunset with 8 hours light @ 70% max except for blue which I keep at I think 5%

Filtration: Fluval 407 with spray bar attachment, small aquarium co-op sponge filter with air stone in corner (mainly for QT use). Definitely overkill

especially in a planted tank I know but I knew I wanted rainbowfish and heard they like flow, plus it's adjustable. I actually got the idea from seeing a

40 breeder tank that Mass Aquariums on youtube did. It's filled with biohome ultimate media.

Plants: Bacopa Monnieri, Myriophyllum Matogrossense, Limnophila Indica(the bushy green one), Ludwigia Brevipes, Repens & Arcuata, Hygrophila Corymbosa,

Madagascar Lace, Alternanthera Lilacina & Reineckii, crypts (forget exactly which ones)

Ferts: Easy Green & Easy Iron with seachem root tabs

 

 

 

[Gator]

Your tank looks great and the plants are going to grow very well with the light schedule you mentioned, you're doing great as an admitted newbie. Welcome to the hobby and keep up the good work.

Sooner or later you're going to have to trim your plants to keep them looking good. Throw your plant trimmings and any dead fish you may ever have in the trash, never flush them down the toilet. The diseases that infect our pet fish can also infect our native fish.

 

[Mmiller2001]

Looks good. Following your progress!