Yes, it is Java Fern.

The thing that looks like caterpillar is actually the root or called rhizome.

Sanzo, it's better to get the biggest bottle you can (if space is not your concern) because you wouldn't want to make CO2 so often. Big bottle of CO2 can last from 1-3 weeks depending on your ingredients, save your time and worries having to check if CO2 still available for your tank.


Happy DIY-ing

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Added on June 30, 2008, 4:06 pmSanzo,

Another thing to add... if possible get at least 2ft tank to start with. Bigger tank is easier to maintain than smaller tank in the long run and less casualties for your fish in case drastic changes of water parameter in your tank.



This post has been edited by setheo: Jun 30 2008, 04:06 PM

Good good. Remember to post some pics of your tank once you set it up!

hang on back filter??what this??i just use hang on pump.this pump like waterfall.
i think you already have hang on back (HOB). You need filter like sponge and bio-ring for mechanical and biological filteration.

what kind of fan?
You can either DIY using PC-fan (4 inch) or get the same fan from LFS (more expensive). Most plants grow well between 26-28 celcius temperature

CO2?how to DIY?
The main ingredients are sugar and yeast and a empty bottle. Once you do this, you also need a CO2 diffuser in order to supply CO2 for you plants in the tank. Don't worry, it doesn't cost a lot.
For more detail go to http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/DIY-Yeast-CO2/7/`

my budget is around rm300 for starting this planted aquarium
Should be enough to start with.

light not yet.will get it this saturday.
Plan ahead what sort of planted tank you want. It is high light or low light. Some plant requires high light and some can survive with little light.

On top of that, you may need soil for you plant and fertilizer to maintain your plant growth in future.

This post has been edited by setheo: Jul 1 2008, 03:41 PM

hi kashikitsu,

You don't just insert the CO2 tube to filter. You going to waste all your CO2 if you do it that way.

Assuming you already prepared the CO2 (yeast+sugar) in a bottle and have a tube connected from the bottle cap (refer the 2nd picture from the link above), what you need to do next is to connect the other end to a CO2 diffuser. This diffuser acts as a medium to break CO2 into smaller bubbles so that the CO2 will be easily dissolved in water. In order to give you a picture what a diffuser looks like, check out this link CO2 Diffuser

Can't wait to see your setup.

Kashikitsu,

Before you get way too excited, may i know what is your tank size? What sort of plant you want? Low light or high light? These are the few things you need to ask yourself first because the answers would determine what sort of light you need, what filter to get, soil and fertilizer and co2 supply. Take note that if you plan to have a nice planted tank with those nice green carpet be prepare to burn your pocket.

You don't need all the items from the link but it's nice and make your life easier. However, you can also do it the hard way.

Let's take it one at a time..

May i know the following:
1) what tank size
2) what plant you want?
3) what's your budget?

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Added on July 2, 2008, 9:19 pmyes, it's a SAE. Take note that young SAE works harder compared with the adult SAE.

This post has been edited by setheo: Jul 2 2008, 09:19 PM

Oh.. seems that this is not totally new to you eh. hehee..

Good that you have ADA soil. Actually cheap soil might work too. Muddy water is quite normal when you first started filling the empty tank. What you need to do next way is fill up slowly or place a plastic plate on the soil and pour the water onto the plate. Thus it will not mess the soil and create muddy water. You also need to do water change regularly on the first few days. So, it is actually quite common to have muddy water. Just be patient and ask opinion from forum. I am sure many people are willing to assist you.

About the lamp, what lamp are you getting? It's quite expensive for that kinda of watt you are getting. You need at least 3-4Watt per gallon in order to grow nice healthy planted tank. Moreover, I think 11W x 2 is not enough for your tank. For my case, I am using 36Wx2 PLL (costing RM30 each) Philips light for my 2ft tank. However, for some, that also not enough.

Don't know the plant name... hahaa.. slowly am pretty sure you will get to know some. Actually, i am still trying hard to know the plants in my tank too. You can always refer to list of plants in planted tank. Learn about their requirement and difficulty to grow.

Btw, i just started this hobby a few months back. Anyone out there feel free to comment on what i said.

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Added on July 3, 2008, 10:09 pmwah... do scaping at wee hour eh..

Emm.. in my opinion, it seems that you just concentrate on the back of the tank. Usually, for aquascaping, it's best to have plant for foreground, mid ground and background which will create a different level of dept which is more natural.

Btw, any reason why you don't fill your tank at least 1 or 2 inches from the top?

Anyway, it's a good attempt! Remember not to introduce fish too soon hor.

This post has been edited by setheo: Jul 3 2008, 10:09 PM

oh good good... more pictures please..

Sanzo,

geediver is right about the amazon soil. New one doesn't has this problem anymore. The only thing you can do now is do frequent water change. Some said it takes days to get clear water.

nice..