For the lighting, as long as you don't give less then what they require, they will be alright. Give more lights might be a bit reddish la.

Not only fish require low temperature, plants will grow more healthy if the temperature is low. DIY your own PC fan and pull down the temperature, if possible. How long you put the light on??? Since you just started, put 6 to 8 hours more then enough already. Get timer for the lights also, go Giant buy, should be <RM20.

The eye-mo one not a lot of place sell, the blue flat bottle should be enough la.

Remember don't fertilize it for the first 3 weeks ok... Since your DIYing the Co2, just get the air tube, nano glass diffuser(get the smallest you can find) and silicon glue for the LFS, don't go and buy the nutralife thingy, its a rip off. The rest you will need a big plastic soft drink bottle, 1.5 litre and above, yeast and sugar.

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Added on February 27, 2011, 11:05 pmI don't actually follow the instructions on the bottle, cause if I follow = algae attack (most recently thread algae)

Blue bottle = Just put around 1/3 of the cap every 3 to 7 days like that, or each water change. FYI, my tank is 100 litre. And I don't put the first few days after I trim

Eyemo like = Now 2 drops a day, this one I follow instruction, cause it does not contain iron, only trace elements, so I still dose it even during algae attack. can last 3 months(last bottle I put 3 drops a day, and it was old stock so seem like it evaporated some already)

Before the Ferropol, blue flat bottle, I was using ferrotabs, only put 1/4 of the recommended dosage.

This post has been edited by radver: Feb 27 2011, 11:05 PM

Direct link is better(plastic bottle >> tube >> diffuser), the lesser the link, the lesser the risk of leaking. And bubble counter serves no purpose in DIY, cause you can't control the output also. No need check valve also.
Just use one 1.5L bottle enough already, change new mixture every 2 to 3 weeks.
Diffuser, get the smallest one you can find, I used the ISTA nano glass diffuser for my DIY Co2 last time.
For the yeast use warm water, not hot boiling water, you'll kill all of them...

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Added on February 28, 2011, 1:02 amLet him try first, then when he gets his Co2 tank he'll appreciate how important it is...

This post has been edited by radver: Feb 28 2011, 01:02 AM

DIY Co2 no need check valve and bubble counter, but the steel Co2 tank will need 2 check valve and 1 bubble counter.
When your getting the steel Co2 tank, get around 2 to 3L ones. Get a manual regular around RM75, don't get the Solenoid RM280, too expensive and the normal manual regulator will work find. Get one with a gauge to at least tell you if its full or not. Should be around 1000psi when its fully filled.

48w is definately ok. I've grown Java moss with 36w before.

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Added on February 28, 2011, 8:31 amBought 10 Yamato shrimps, but they didn't seem to be touching the hair or thread algae.

Now, I just cut off all the affected stem plants and minimize my iron dosage. Funny that it only affected my red stem plant (rotala wallichi)

This post has been edited by radver: Feb 28 2011, 08:31 AM

My Co2 always on, don't see any detrimental effect on my RCS also. No extra algae also...

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Added on February 28, 2011, 8:51 pmShare share... So cheap one...

This post has been edited by radver: Feb 28 2011, 08:51 PM

Try doing DIY Co2, you'll never regret it... I did it, and the effect of Co2 and non Co2 was sssoooo BIG... . I was so glad I did DIY Co2.

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Added on February 28, 2011, 8:55 pmSee you tank... Where you find this Killisoil???

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Added on February 28, 2011, 9:01 pmFissiden... The only one I know. Its supersmall and grow super slow...

This post has been edited by radver: Feb 28 2011, 09:01 PM

Price expensive because its so slow growing... If fast growing, it'll be cheap, like stem plants...

Look at marimo balls...

This post has been edited by radver: Feb 28 2011, 10:44 PM

I want fissiden also...

The Aquashop in JB one is it???

Small advice from me is that only RM100+ drop checker will work as far as I know, the rest all cheat money one... Won't change color one...

This post has been edited by radver: Mar 2 2011, 12:46 AM

get stem plants, they can grow in gravel...

can refer to the first page of this forum, got list of LFS

Lights you will need those in the spectrum of 6500K, and IMO around 50watts as a low light setting

You will need some fertilizers, better if can get in tablet forms such as JBL ferrotabs. Less chance of overdosing, if cannot find, just get liquid fertilizer, JBL Ferropol but dose only half or quoter of the recommended dosage.

But IME you'll face a lot of algae problems...

Lights for 2.5ft I don't know, I only have a 2 ft tank... should be around RM150-200.

IME, Ferrotabs less problem, cause its released slowly into the tank. Ferropol will straight go into the water column. All of us have algaes, we use algae cleaners like Yamato shrimps, Siamese algae eaters and snerite snails. But you want to keep very big fish, it probably eat them all up...

The biggest fish I've heard being kept in a planted tank is arowana...

You should ask yourself which is more important to you, the fish or the plants???

If its the fish, then you should go to the monster fish forum and tell them to recommend plants for your fish.

If its the plants, then I personally would recommend you to keep smaller fish, not chana AKA monster fish...

Err... Ok

Yes, the lights very expensive one, or you can DIY using T8 fluorescent tubes. Just get the philips 6500K bulb that cost 8 per tube of 18 watts.

then the fertilizer you put around 1/4 of the recommended dosage la. Since slow growing plant and the tank is not fully planted. But the plants won't grow as nice lo...

T8 for 4 feet will be 36 watts and cost around 16-18 I think...

The fish I scare they will dig up the plants or chew it...

For planted tank actually no need cover, cause having a cover will increase the tank temperature which is not very favourable for the plants. But if your fish is jumpy, then you will need one.

From Klang, but now in Kuala Terengganu... Why???

I never use carbon before... Even the carbon floss that came with the Eheim canisters I took it out before connecting it to my tank.

Its a Molly, and your tank looks like it could use a few ottos...

Well, you see the color of the leaves is a bit brownish right? Its actually due to a type of brown algae aka diatom growing on the surface of the leaves.
It'll affect the old leaves first and takes time to cover on the new leaves, but its definitely there.

If you put an otto in or maybe a few yamato shrimps, they'll clean it up for you and the leave color will return to bright green.
Depend on how big your tank is, 1ft or less = 1 otto or 2 yamatos, 2ft or more = 2 ottos or 5 yamatos.

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Added on March 15, 2011, 2:21 pmLike

What kind of moss did you tie on the driftwood??? How you make it so dense??? mine very scares only...

This post has been edited by radver: Mar 15 2011, 02:21 PM

Now I know what went wrong with mine, I had too little to start with, so its a bit botak...

Thanks for the java moss offer, but I'll just let mine grow a bit more longer then retie them...

But if your offering the glosso, I'll gladly accept it...

You dropped it in??? Or just put it in the same room with the aquarium???