[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by Maverick Avi

Bunnycart has good delivery speed and customer service while Finsnflora has better plant quality and quantity.

ADA Amazonia, Tropica, Aquario Neo and Platinum are good soils. I have used Aquario Neo personally and am satisfied. You have chosen Platinum and can go ahead with it.

Topped up the current setup with 3 liter Platinum soil and added plants purchased through bunny cart. Drift wood is removed for now since it was occupying bulk of a space.

Old algae infected plants are not removed though some pruning of infected leaves were done (but still there are infected parts left). I was wondering if Algae is sort of contagious and spreads to the new plants and whether it is safer to remove the old ones altogether

Here is the new snap after planting

[Maverick Avi]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Topped up the current setup with 3 liter Platinum soil and added plants purchased through bunny cart. Drift wood is removed for now since it was occupying bulk of a space.

Old algae infected plants are not removed though some pruning of infected leaves were done (but still there are infected parts left). I was wondering if Algae is sort of contagious and spreads to the new plants and whether it is safer to remove the old ones altogether

Here is the new snap after planting

Attachment 2433471

From what I can make out you have primarily planted Hygrophila Difformis and Echnidorous tenellus. Your tank has still lot of space to plant more densely. Difformis stems are usually longer so you can cut a few of tall ones and replant them so the growth would speed with more leaves sprouting from the cuttings.

If old plants are heavily infested with algae and you've not seen any growth since sometime then removing them is better. Wait for new growth and keep up with water changes as new soil might lead to ammonia spikes initially.

Adding back driftwood would be beneficial as it helps in maintaining ph to some extent and also has good aesthetic appeal.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by Maverick Avi

Your tank has still lot of space to plant more densely. Difformis stems are usually longer so you can cut a few of tall ones and replant them

If old plants are heavily infested with algae and you've not seen any growth since sometime then removing them is better.

Adding back driftwood would be beneficial as it helps in maintaining ph to some extent and also has good aesthetic appeal.

They are not looking too long, thinking if I should buy some more plants than using the current ones

Old plants seems to be recovering with frequent change of waters and other changes done recently. Let me wait for few more days

Yes, I will soon introduce the driftwood, just waiting for the plants to settle a bit.

Many thanks for your valuable suggestions

Below picture is after 1 week from planting

[Maverick Avi]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

They are not looking too long, thinking if I should buy some more plants than using the current ones

Old plants seems to be recovering with frequent change of waters and other changes done recently. Let me wait for few more days


Attachment 2435556

Good to hear that your old plants are recovering and the new growth looks encouraging !!

You definitely have skope to add in more plants. My strong recommendation would be Ambulia(Limnophila Indica) but I don't see it stocked by Bunnycart. Finsnflora has it though. Other recommendations would be Hygrophila Corymbosa, Water Sprite and Myrophyllum Aquaticum. All of these are less demanding and fast growing.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by Maverick Avi

Good to hear that your old plants are recovering and the new growth looks encouraging !!

You definitely have skope to add in more plants. My strong recommendation would be Ambulia(Limnophila Indica) but I don't see it stocked by Bunnycart. Finsnflora has it though. Other recommendations would be Hygrophila Corymbosa, Water Sprite and Myrophyllum Aquaticum. All of these are less demanding and fast growing.

Thanks for the tips. Yes, Bunnycart doesn't have stock of Ambulia, Water Sprite and Myrophyllum Aquaticum. I am planning to wait for couple of more weeks before adding the new plants due to some commitments at work, by then I hope the plants will be back in stock as well. Hope giving a break doesn't bring back the algae

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Thanks for the tips. Yes, Bunnycart doesn't have stock of Ambulia, Water Sprite and Myrophyllum Aquaticum. I am planning to wait for couple of more weeks before adding the new plants due to some commitments at work, by then I hope the plants will be back in stock as well. Hope giving a break doesn't bring back the algae

Have you tried buying from sreepadma? Used to buy from them pretty regularly

https://sreepadma.com/product-details.php?view=60

https://sreepadma.com/product-details.php?view=157

Good stuff but note that shipping costs are additional.

[Maverick Avi]

Recently decided to re-scape 2 of my tanks. One Betta bowl and another 1 feet cube. Both were doing well but had their unique set of problems. Betta bowl used to frequently get overtaken by Ambulia and Guppy Grass leading to little space for the fish to swim around. I could have chosen to replace fish with something like neon/ember tetra or re-scape the bowl with slow growing plants. I chose the later option as it was more exciting thing to do.

For my 1 feet cube I was having diatoms issues. Though it was nothing alarming but when I realized why it was happening(had used roadside badarpur as substrate leading to high silicates) I thought its better to re-scape as it would also provide me an opportunity to experiment as well.

So here I was, all excited to order new plants, substrate and hardscape. For hardscape I picked up lot of pebbles from river Ganga on my recent trip to Rishikesh. Rinsed them with soap water and put them in potassium permanganate dip for 10 mins. For substrate, got 9L bag of Tropica aquasoil. All plants were ordered from Finsnflora. They are by far the best in terms of cost and plant quality/quantity but they only ship on Tuesdays with order cutoff time of Sunday. So if you happen to order on Monday then your order will ship next Tuesday. Secondly, they don't label their plants.

With all my stuff ready last weekend, I started off with the bowl. Decided to not have fertile substrate this time as I did not intend on growing fast stems or nutrient hungry crypts or swords. I chose Java ferns, Java moss and Water sprite. All these absorb nutrients from water column and do not need a fertile substrate. Started off with layer of X-pores and small garden pebbles to aid colonization of beneficial bacteria as it will be a filterless setup. Topped with half an inch of course gravel. Tied Java Fern to pebbles, stuck moss on pebbles with cyanoacrylate glue(its safe for aquariums) and placed them in bowl. Planted a small stem of water sprite at back and I was done. Would be adding liquid fertilizers each week as there is no other nutrient source available in bowl. Might need to add a couple of root tabs if water sprite acts up in future. Transferred my betta the same day and he looked really happy with the new setup. How do I know? Because, next day itself he had created a big bubble nest. Would be changing 50% water every alternate day for atleast 4 weeks.

Now, it was turn of 1 feet cube. This was going to be a 100% aquasoil substrate setup with some finicky plants. Plants I used are Red Cabomba, Heteranthera zosterifolia, Ludwigia Palustris, Water Sprite, Cryptocoryne Wendtii, Echinodorous Tenellus, Rotala Rotundifolia Red and Java Moss. Used 80% RO water to make sure PH does not go above 7.4 and TDS remains below 100. This was done to give better chance for the red plants to thrive as they prefer slightly soft water. Changed 50% water daily for first 5 days and then moved to alternate days. Also, adding some fish food daily to kickstart the nitrogen cycle. Would not be adding fishes for another month so that I can only focus on growing plants. Thinking of adding neon tetras and endlers to this though.

Also want to credit my deep interest in planted tanks and fishes to this particular youtube series from Foo The Flowerhorn (Setting Up NO filter, NO CO2, NO Ferts 5 Gallon Nano Tank). It not only talks about basics of Diane Walstad Method of setting up a tank but also focusses on the harmony of all living creatures that reside in a self sustained ecologically balanced fish tank. A truly inspirational and calming series for nature lovers!!

Finally, parting shots from my new setups!!

[deathwalkr]

Amazing looking planted tank. Love the way the rocks provide a break in the flow and they enhance the plants as well.

Curious to know why you can't set up a similar tank for the betta as well. A rectangular/square tank is any day better than a bowl in my opinion

[Maverick Avi]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Curious to know why you can't set up a similar tank for the betta as well. A rectangular/square tank is any day better than a bowl in my opinion

The 1 feet cube was for betta only but when it first arrived he was restless and agitated from day one. In a week's time he had fin rot(all my water parameters were spot on) so I moved him to a bucket with fin rot medication. He improved a lot within a week post which I moved him back to cube only to realise that he again started to act weird the same day. On close observation I realised that he was agitated by his reflection and used to flare up a lot seeing himself. Ideally he should have gotten used to it but that didn't happen. Eventually decided to move him to bowl and he seemed very relaxed there. So since then that's been his home and he has been happy for now. I would definitely have wanted him in atleast 1 feet cube but I guess he chose his house himself!!

[srini1785]

To all the gurus

What is the minimum setup needed to start an aquarium?. I mean the basic kit?.

What I can offer:

1. A Corner space of approx 2 ft x 2 ft with partial exposure to sunlight during mornings. Its at the corner of a door leading to a balcony. Electrical points are limited but can be arranged.

2. I can spare around 1 hour every week for the fishes not more. I'm the only one who would take care of the fishes. Wife does not like competition to her pet (Son). This implies: Low maintenance.

Coming to Fishes these don't make it to the list. Those that have/are

1. Suicidal jumping tendencies.
2. Prone to depression: The ones that spend most of their time at the muddy bottom.
3. Non Vegetarians: Worm-only feeders. We are vegetarians. Feeding worms would create an armed revolt in the house.
4. Bullies. Siamese fighter types.
5. Fortune fore tellers : Vaasthu types with flower on their heads. I'm personally not a believer so why should my fish be?.
6. Fussy: I'm not able to monitor Ph, temperature and what not.
7. Short timers : Those that go Belly up within 3 months.

I was thinking of Gold fishes but not sure.

[deathwalkr]

I am sorry but when you say you can spend only 1hr a week for the fishes, what is the point of having them in the first place?

2x2 is a decent size for a starter tank.

Electrical point would be necessary for filters/aerators/lights

1Hr a week would be for water changes and general tank maintenance. Hope you can spend time feeding them daily.

Assuming you get a 2ft x 2ft x 1.5ft (H) tank, it would be approximately 45Gallons which would be a good size to start with.

1) Majority of the fishes are jumpers. They don't know that beyond the glass there is no water for them.

2) No such thing as a muddy bottom in a proper tank setup unless you have a royal pleco like me who craps sawdust all over the tank!

Good filtration, correct feeding, periodic regular water changes with siphoning, Not overcrowding the tank

3) By worms i assume you mean freeze dried bloodworms and mealworms? Relax, you get proper good quality feed which is better. Don't really think you get 100% Veg Feed. But then i believe one's personal dietary restrictions should not be imposed on pets.

4) No one likes a bully, but in cases of fishes they really can't help themselves can they?

5) So called Vastu fishes won't fit in your tank anyway so that's one less headache for you.

6) Again, you have to be prepared to accept that fishes can and will fall sick. You must take care of them. They are living creatures and deserve care and attention.

7) Short timers? Fishes go belly up when one does not treat them properly, give them proper food, a proper tank size etc etc.

After typing all this, i can't help but wonder why you want to get into the hobby?

Anyway, a pair of goldies would be a nice fit for the tank but goldies can be very sensitive fishes who eat and crap a lot. So your water conditions have to be pretty good.

Off the back of my mind these fishes come to mind:
Widow tetras and other tetra varieties
Fancy guppies
Platys/Mollys
Dwarf Gouramis

Hope this helps.

[Maverick Avi]

Originally Posted by srini1785

Coming to Fishes these don't make it to the list. Those that have/are

1. Suicidal jumping tendencies.
2. Prone to depression: The ones that spend most of their time at the muddy bottom.
3. Non Vegetarians: Worm-only feeders. We are vegetarians. Feeding worms would create an armed revolt in the house.
4. Bullies. Siamese fighter types.
5. Fortune fore tellers : Vaasthu types with flower on their heads. I'm personally not a believer so why should my fish be?.
6. Fussy: I'm not able to monitor Ph, temperature and what not.
7. Short timers : Those that go Belly up within 3 months.

I was thinking of Gold fishes but not sure.

Unfortunately unlike Hero Honda, there is no such thing as Fill It Shut It Forget It in fishkeeping hobby. You would need to spend atleast 3-4 hours each week for first 5 weeks post which a weekly 40% water change and daily feeding should suffice(assuming its a non-planted tank). If you cannot spend this much time, be prepared to put up your tank and equipment on OLX after 8-12 months when white scales fill up the edges and water starts to smell bad.

If you are 100% committed, start off with non planted tank and make sure your tank is cycled. Do not be in a hurry to get in all equipment setup and fish added the same day. Get a big filter with filtration capacity of 8-10 times your water volume and enough space to add in lots of bio media. This should help you address the last point of "Short timers". Starting off with Zebra Danios, Mollies and Platies is recommended as they are more forgiving. Guppies are also hardy but would depend on the lot you get. Frequent in-breeding has led to genetic strains that have very weak immunity.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by srini1785

To all the gurus

What is the minimum setup needed to start an aquarium?. I mean the basic kit?.

What I can offer:

I was thinking of Gold fishes but not sure.

You didn't have to list down so much of criterion to narrow down to gold fish. And I'm not sure if they fit the criteria either. Please use that 2X2 space in a better manner and probably have a bonsai tree or other indoor plant which will only require watering .

[srini1785]

Originally Posted by audioholic

You didn't have to list down so much of criterion to narrow down to gold fish.

Originally Posted by Maverick Avi

Unfortunately unlike Hero Honda, there is no such thing as Fill It Shut It Forget It in fishkeeping hobby.

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

I am sorry but when you say you can spend only 1hr a week for the fishes, what is the point of having them in the first place?

Hope this helps.

I guess the fish tank is out of question now.

Before posting here, i did visit the local aquarium and after telling him the same conditions that i mentioned here, he assured me that for the package that he was selling, "You only need one hour every week". So that was why i double checked here. The package was for 8000.00 including fishes, tank, some kind of basic filter and oxyginator all with Chinese markings.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by srini1785

I guess the fish tank is out of question now.

Before posting here, i did visit the local aquarium and after telling him the same conditions that i mentioned here, he assured me that for the package that he was selling, "You only need one hour every week". So that was why i double checked here. The package was for 8000.00 including fishes, tank, some kind of basic filter and oxyginator all with Chinese markings.

Always remember that for the LFS, it is a business only. He needs people to keep coming back to him. He will sell common plecos (sucker) saying they are waste eaters and don't have to feed them but reality is they grow to 30cm+ and crap like maniacs and will compete for food.

LFS will sell arapaimas, red tail catfishes, alligator gars to unsuspecting folks who will either keep it in a 2ft tank or throw it in the local pond/river wreaking havoc on the local eco system.

Unless you personally know the guy, LFS would be the last person to take advice from.