manjil

Hey everybody,

I am back again. It's been long time because i came to Sydney and it took a little while to settle here.

Though i am here as a student i couldn't resist the temptation to have a tank. So finally i got a tank through eBay.

It's actually 55 gallon tank. I've got two viaaqua 230 and 300 filter. Just got 10KG gravel planing to get 10KG more tomorrow.

To tell more about the tank it's 55g the dimensions are 122cm length 46cm length 35.5cm width.

There are many topics in which i want to get the information.

First of all,

I am planing to have a planted aquarium the first thing i want is the carpet plant. Sorry about this i don't know exactly the name that's why i am giving you guys trouble.

The second thing i wanted to ask is about the lighting and CO2 i have to provide. The lighting is not a problem for me as i have a decent light. But, my main point of concern is co2 system. How do i provide co2 and how much does it cost ? and how often do i have to provide the co2 ?

Lastly, i heard about the gravel heating system and all that, do i need it ? It's not that cold here, the minimum temperature is 10degree centigrade in winter and the maximum can be up to 40 in summer days but the room temperature will be below 30.

For now i want help from you guys only in this matter but in future i will be asking and giving you guys trouble as my tank setup progresses.

Thank you for reading this long message.

capekate

Hello Mannu and welcome back!
there are a number of plants that spread 'grass-like' across the bottom of the tank, but one that comes to mind is called Micro sword. and it will blanket the bottom nicely. Not sure which one you had seen tho..

If you have a decent light system, which I dont really know what that is but if it accommodates medium light requirements, then there are a lot of plants you can add. Do you really need a Co2? A lot of folks with planted tanks do not use them... some do. Hopefully some others will come on board and give you a hand with that question.

Im sure it is very warm there in the summer months and a heater does not seem like a necessary item, just make sure that your temperature does not fluctuate too much, that can cause a problem and of course, in the winter months you will need the heater.
Best of luck and congrats on your new 55g tank!

Bad Wolf

i know it really doesn't matter but the tank is really 50 g, it's 200 liters.

good luck though!

manjil

Well, if i don't need the co2 for growing the plants then i don't want i thought it was necessary for the plants.

And about the lighting system i mistakenly said it's decent. sorry about that.

It's Sylvania aquastar F36w 174 t8 10000K.

If I require other then let me know i am ready to buy one.

And thank you Kate for your quick reply.

manjil

Hey Bad wolf My Bad.

And thank you for the info.

Shawnie

welcome back to the world of fish!!

I know nothing about plants but heres a great site for you www.plantgeek.com

kate has you covered elsewhere..goodluck!

its actually around 56.1 gallons http://www.firsttankguide.net/calculator.php

Bad Wolf

I hate to argue but it is really 199.23 liters and that's 51.21 U.S. gallons which rounds up to 50 g and 200 liters. i know this because my tank has the same dimensions. i used that website too and it said 51g.

thanks

Shawnie

I only know inches and redid it again....

122cm = 48.0314 inches
46 cm = 18.1102
35.5 cm = 13.9763 (I did round that off to 14inches)
52.36 U.S. gallons, which is approximately 203.69 liters. so we can call it a draw

capekate

It sounds like you have some great lighting there, Manjil. I can assume that you can go anywhere from low light to moderate light required plants.
Do you only have one bulb or two fixture's with that size bulb in each side?

Bad Wolf

okay, i guess.

manjil

Well, it's actually one long fluorescent light.

and about the carpet plant. Any plant that wil form a carpet like formation at the front of tank will do.

capekate

Well, the micro sword does carpet the bottom of the tank very nicely. There are some plants under the 'grass' classification and you may want to look at those as well.
Our links on each page includes one for Drs Foster & Smith(under quick links). They have great articles that include ones that explain the wattage system and how much you may need for certain plants. Also PlantGeek also has some great photos and info on all kinds of plants you may find that you would like to try. You may want to google 'micro sword' and see if it is something you want for your tank.
Im in the process myself on getting a list together of plants for my tank and have been doing some research.
Best of luck Mannu.

manjil

Thank you kate.

i'll have a look at that information now.