Dear all,

Yt and I would like to host a planted tank setup workshop in Aquaworld Aquatic Centre in Damansara Damai. It is going to be 3 or 4ft tank setup. We are going to show on how to tie the mosses and planting. And members are encourage to try on it.

Any experts, beginners, newbies...planted hobbyst or non planted hobbyst are welcome to join.

Date : 26th March 2006. Time will be around 1:00pm.

This post has been edited by itssg: Mar 2 2006, 05:14 PM

http://www.geocities.com/bananaws/OPEN.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/bananaws/MAP.jpg

YT Lim H/P: 012-231 6135
D 008 Jalan PJU 10/3,
Damansara Damai,
47830 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia.

coz mostly ppl still working on saturday. sunday are free mah. why?? you work on sunday?

just a small tank. don't need to make it 2 days lar. somemore i doing it for volunteer.

myself n yt will be there...+ other members.

Date not yet confirmed.

The direction is goto sg buloh. After the exit of north south highway.(Not turning out to the highway.) go further... Pay attention on yr left. Then you will see a big white sign board said some properties for sale and lot of shoplots over there. Then turn in there.. and you are in damansara damai.

once left turn...go further a bit n turn right into the shoplot area. goto the end and turn right...another end turn left. then you will see the aquaticworld in on yr left.

Planted tank already started years ago. There are several local forums with lot of planted tank members. As well as oversea forums. I had done this kind of work shop years ago as well. But this is the first time i posted in lowyat.net.

Planted tank aka Planted Aquarium. Aquarium mean the tank with water. And it is full with water. Planted mean we are using the aquatic plants with some gravel, woods/rocks and fish to make a layout which look natural.

Paludarium which is planted tank + the emersed plants which growing on top of the aquarium. Normally ppl extended the tank background with corkbark. Or...just some styrofoam and grow some ferns or mosses.

Vivarium...mostly ppl keeping organic or low land plants. Which with 1/3 or 1/4 of water remaining inside the tank. Something like Guzmania, Bromeliad, Orchid, Pitcher plants...etc.

Terrarium...which can be the tank keeping talantula, tortise, gekco. Oh...just the layout with some plants and keeping froggies. Mostly there is no water inside. Unless there is a water bowl for yr pets or...keeping it moisture. The one you saw in Pet Safari in Ikano is Terrarium.
Vivarium which is

For a 3ft tank, it is depend on yr budget. It can be costly or it can be very cheap. you can easily spend like RM3000 to get a very nice setup and well equiped aquarium. Or..just few hundred ringgit and learning it from the beginning.

If you want to make it one short, try to get a 5L or more ADA soil which cost RM140 per pack. I believe 1 pack is enough for yr 3ft. (there are Amazonia, Malayan and Africana soil. Different soil/sizes with different price.) Beside that, you need the power sand or power sand special as the base fert. It cost about RM170+ for power sand and RM240++ for power sand special. (Power sand contained certain fertilizers. And Power sand special container all the fertilizers.)

Once you got the base fert, gravel/soil, tank. Then you need a set of CO2 system. A 3L CO2 system cost about RM500-600. Which came with a regulator with solenoid.(Allow you to control it by timer) A CO2 bubble counter. Then you gonna get a CO2 reactor whcih cost like RM30-40. OR a CO2 diffusor which is around RM15-30.

After you bot the above mentioned. Then you need a set of lighting. It you want it as low maintenance tank mean which those low lighting requirement plants. Then you just need 36W x 2. FL tube or PL tube or MH doesnt matter. As long as it is white color with 6500K min. The best is 8000K. Only ADA tube with 8000K. But each tube cost about RM100+. If you want those colorful plants, which is high maintenance tank. And you need at least 140W and above. Depends on what species you hv inside the tank.

So, sound like you already have everything. But filter... it is recommended to get canister. Like Eheim classic model 2215 or 2217. OR Professional 2026 or 2028 is good for planted tank. 2215 and 2217 is around RM380-500+. Prof 2026 n 2028 is around RM700-1000.

After you bot that, then...time for you to decide what fishes you want to keep. Some hobbyst purely into aquatic plants. So they will decide what plants to keep then only decide what fish to get. But for newbies, normally is to decide what fish to keep then only decide what plants to get.

Aquatic plants + fishes will easily cost you another RM300-800.

hehehe...for marine, if you want to keep coral. You HAVE to get MH which is 250-400W and 14000K -20000K. which cost around RM1000-3000. Once you got MH, you have to get chiller. Chiller price is depend on yr tank size. If 3ft tank, CL300 should be enough. that cost about RM600-800. If German made - Teco...cost RM3000+.

Beside that, you need powerful powerhead to make the water movement. Protein skimmer, Calcium reactor, etc... Which might cost more. And marine using CO2 as well. but to perform some other thing. For sure not for coral lar...

Marine and planted tank is the same. You want the tank look nice n beautiful or get it done one short. You need to spend money. 3ft tank marine may just need to change water once a month. But for planted tank, you need to change weekly. Trimming plants is more than trimming yr coral. What i can tell you is..To start marine is tough. But once it is running well. What you can do is top water (if u r using fan), feeding n change water only. But for planted, you need to change water weekly, dosing fert, feeding, etc. More works to do.

Once you are into any hobby. you can't be lazy. Just like you got a doggie. You need to bath them, feed them, play with them n send them for gromming. $$$$, TLC n effort all get involve.

Mostly lfs not recommended for me to show that kind of setup. coz...they can't do business if everyone go for DIY n low maintenance.

If you guys want to learn low maintenance n DIY stuff. make a gathering at my place. i got some sample to show.... and you guys can bring along the tank with stuff needed. I can up the tank for you FOC.

ya lar...you are the one disappearing. not me ler... i m inside the forums all the time. how's yr tanks doing?

no shrimp...90% died when i was back to johor for CNY. due to water dry up. muahaha...

thx man.. too busy. miss out this forum.

This post has been edited by itssg: Mar 2 2006, 04:44 PM

haha...spend more money will be more hassle free mah. i said rm3-4K is the 4ft tank which with cabinet and using the T5 lighting. 5L of CO2 cylinder with bubble counter, check valve, co2 reactor.

And of coz it is included the base fert, gravel, nice plants n nice fishes. + some decoration stuff like woods/rocks.

i can imagine yr rm500 type of setup lar. dont forget...i went thru that b4. was started my 2ft tank which is just rm15, gravel - rm10, plants - rm20, fish- rm10, filter -30, lighting - rm60. i believe it is just below rm200 only. muahaha...

if u r looking for nice species. perhaps u hv to call my friend Joe. He is home base type of lfs. He do import n export fresh water fish. Can get nice species n good price. 012 2358837

lfs in kl/pj hard to get tangayika.