Started an EcoPico 8 gallon

tinman said:
its a type of substrate that allows plants to get nutrients and helps root propagation..

normally this laterite is laid down first and then the desired substrate is layered on it ..
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Sure, Why not! I'll try some. So I would remove the current gravel, place this down, and re-add the gravel?
Thanks!
 
Pick up some flourish excel off Ebay. U can't get a fairly decent sides bottle for cheap. Made a huge difference with my fw tank
 
Joe5688 said:
Pick up some flourish excel off Ebay. U can't get a fairly decent sides bottle for cheap. Made a huge difference with my fw tank
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flourish excel is basically carbon in lquid form, i dont think its necessary in a small 5 gallon tank ..

plants get enough carbon from the co2 and dead substances .. not arguing against using it but just dont think its that required .
 
What the noob is going on here?! Haha...first off, if you're keeping plants and you'd like some substrate nutrients, I can get you some capsules to try out. Excel is good for any size tank if you need it. How do you know if you need excel? If you're running medium to high light, you need the carbon to counteract the light, otherwise the excess light will be used by algae, which no one likes...Idk, there's lots of stuff you can learn about planted, and I'm all about discussing :)

Good luck with the build!
 
jayjigga said:
What the noob is going on here?! Haha...first off, if you're keeping plants and you'd like some substrate nutrients, I can get you some capsules to try out. Excel is good for any size tank if you need it. How do you know if you need excel? If you're running medium to high light, you need the carbon to counteract the light, otherwise the excess light will be used by algae, which no one likes...Idk, there's lots of stuff you can learn about planted, and I'm all about discussing :)

Good luck with the build!
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i disagree to agree but everyones got their way ...

when i had a planted tank last time . i never dosed excel and all i ran was diy co2 and seachem flourish and i didnt have algae and also i have to trim plants every other weekend ..
 
If ur running diy c02 then excel is not needed. Ud just be adding extra carbon u don't need. My planned tank is 100g and diy wasn't an option lol so i dose excel
 
Joe5688 said:
If ur running diy c02 then excel is not needed. Ud just be adding extra carbon u don't need. My planned tank is 100g and diy wasn't an option lol so i dose excel
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thats exactly what i meant .. just saw my old post and i forgot to put in the word DIY infront of Co2 :D
 
Noob! I know right. I should just turn this thing into a reef!

Well, the lighting that I'm running was stock on the tank. I feel like I'll need some more to supplement the plants. I asked for the easiest/hardiest plants that they have.

Tank dimensions: 10” x 10” x 12”
Tank volume: 5.1 gallons
Light spectrum: 12K White & 453nm Actinic Blue
Total watts: 9 watts
Pump flowrate: 80 gph/300lph


Read more: http://www.ecoxotic.com/eco-pico.html#ixzz24r8LkWR1
 
bennyblanco said:
Noob! I know right. I should just turn this thing into a reef!

Well, the lighting that I'm running was stock on the tank. I feel like I'll need some more to supplement the plants. I asked for the easiest/hardiest plants that they have.

Tank dimensions: 10” x 10” x 12”
Tank volume: 5.1 gallons
Light spectrum: 12K White & 453nm Actinic Blue
Total watts: 9 watts
Pump flowrate: 80 gph/300lph


Read more: http://www.ecoxotic.com/eco-pico.html#ixzz24r8LkWR1
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plants need around 6700k to 10K to grow .. 12K is bright and looks awesome with fish only tanks
 
Joe5688 said:
Just get a desk lamp with a home Depot/Menards cfl bulb. I think the daylight ones are around 6700
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That's not a bad idea. I'm sure I could get one with a clip which would work perfectly. Plus I have an extra bulb from my fuge lighting. Thank you for the idea!
Thank you,
Brett
 
hey brett but well see if the glass can support a clip on light from home depot .. i would assume the glass on a 5 gallon tank is too small ..

are you doing any co2 ??

also stop by if you want the laterite .. im home like 6pm almost all weekdays ..
 
bennyblanco said:
Any suggestions how to get there with my set-up? If not, I might just scrap the plants and stick with fish only.
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You already said that you are going with the easiest/hardiest plants, which usually mean low-med light, they won't need much in supplements and can survive with just fish poop and some fert tabs. For that size tank, I could give you a years worth free, just to try it out. Light temp will still grow plants for now. The plants aren't going to grow like crazy, but they won't overgrow the tank quickly either, which is a good thing. Rock if for a while and see how you like it. I like how sleek the tank looks with the stock lighting, so if you can, keep it. No need for CO2 or excel unless you have plants that require more, like blyxa japonica or DHG. Keep it simple for now and enjoy. Get some anubias nana or sunset hygro (illegal to ship in usually, invasive) and enjoy :)
 
jayjigga said:
You already said that you are going with the easiest/hardiest plants, which usually mean low-med light, they won't need much in supplements and can survive with just fish poop and some fert tabs. For that size tank, I could give you a years worth free, just to try it out. Light temp will still grow plants for now. The plants aren't going to grow like crazy, but they won't overgrow the tank quickly either, which is a good thing. Rock if for a while and see how you like it. I like how sleek the tank looks with the stock lighting, so if you can, keep it. No need for CO2 or excel unless you have plants that require more, like blyxa japonica or DHG. Keep it simple for now and enjoy. Get some anubias nana or sunset hygro (illegal to ship in usually, invasive) and enjoy :)
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That's pretty much what I came to terms with as well. Keeping it very simple and letting ride! I picked up a finnex 26wt 6500K lamp so we'll see how that works. Thanks for the help!
Brett
 
Since its still on the subject, what other smaller plants can I keep in my 2.5g glass with one betta and clump of hornwort? I have a standard 25w incandescent bulb over the tank that is on 3-4 days a week or so, otherwise the tank get light spill from stock biocube 14g light sitting next to the betta. Would like more plants that don't look so "weedy" like the hornwort.
 
FishBeard said:
Since its still on the subject, what other smaller plants can I keep in my 2.5g glass with one betta and clump of hornwort? I have a standard 25w incandescent bulb over the tank that is on 3-4 days a week or so, otherwise the tank get light spill from stock biocube 14g light sitting next to the betta. Would like more plants that don't look so "weedy" like the hornwort.
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Dwarf hair grass .. a lotus plant but have to trim the leaves once they reach the top ..
 
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