New 45 gallon planted glowfish tank

Hi all. Going to be posting up my build as I get it going. Just got a Marineland 45 gallon tank, will be setup as a planted, glowfish tank. This is not my first tank, I have a small 15 gallon tank that I've had for about 8 years. Been ready to jump into the big leagues, but space, money (mostly this) and other issues mean I have to get something smaller than hoped. I really wanted a 75 gallon or larger but just can't.

Eventually, I want something similar to this:


The actual tank (stock store pic):

What I have so far:
Fluval Plant 3.0 light
Hygger 100W heater x2
20 liters UNS Controsoil
40 lbs black sand
Big Kahuna 300 micron Mesh media bags
Seachem Tidal 55
AquaMiracle SV800 UV Filter (40-70 g tank) {also provides agitation}
CO2 drop checker
Big piece of pre-treated driftwood (root ball), some glowie fake plants
giant tweezers donated by my son who is a chef - he uses them for plating, I'll use them for planting


Do you think starting out with just 10 plants is enough? I don't have a CO2 system yet, but I have a bunch of CO2 tabs and a diffuser. Will be getting one more diffuser. Will get a CO2 injector only if necessary.

Once this is cycled, I'll be introducing about 20 or so Glow pristellas, 6 Amano + 10 Neocaridina shrimp and some snails.

This is my first planted tank, so any and all suggestions/tips/tricks are appreciated. Especially in regards to the substrate. I've only ever used gravel before. I'll also be slanting the substrate so the back is higher than the front (and keeping the mesh bags of Controsoil hidden). Suggestions on type of plants to get also - tank is just shy of 25 inches tall, so nice tall plants in the back, medium in middle, ground cover type up front. Both above and below soil. I have some black fishing line to tie plants with.

Am I missing anything?

Thanks all,
Rob

Hi, welcome to fishlore! I want to help but I am a plant killer!

Why do you need a UV unit?
Why CO² tabs (that everyone agrees do nothing)
Why have diffusers and no pressurized CO² system?

You can certainly do low tech plants without any CO². Actually you can grow just about anything with no CO².

Why do you need a UV unit?
They sterilize the water. I have well water that we won't drink, doesn't seem fair to make the fish swim in it
Why CO² tabs (that everyone agrees do nothing)
While they fail to provide the stable, high concentrations required by demanding carpeting plants or fast-growing stem species, they do provide a mild benefit. Especially in the tiny tank I currently have.

Why have diffusers and no pressurized CO² system?
I don't currently have the $200-$300 for a good system, and figure even a very small benefit is better than none.

As for the rest, I'm sorry, my ethics prevent me from helping you with man made monstrosities that are glo fish. Wild type fish rule.
Not a problem, I am not looking for animosity or negativity. I will happily see myself out. Toodles.

Why do you need a UV unit?
They sterilize the water. I have well water that we won't drink, doesn't seem fair to make the fish swim in it

Click to expand...

No they don't sterilize the water. At most they help clarify the water of some single cell organisms. You are mistaken if you think that UV units equals healthy fish.
Well water isn't necessarily bad at all just because you don't drink it. Do you know what the paramaters of your well water are? Do you really want sterile water? Sterile water is lifeless.

Why CO² tabs (that everyone agrees do nothing)
While they fail to provide the stable, high concentrations required by demanding carpeting plants or fast-growing stem species, they do provide a mild benefit. Especially in the tiny tank I currently have.

Click to expand...

All the experienced plant people I know consider CO2 tabs to be worthless and a good way to separate you from your money. I even tried CO²tabs 10 years ago. They did nothing but fizz. So does alka seltzer. Go to the plant section, ask how many people use CO² tabs and ask how much success they've had with them.

Why have diffusers and no pressurized CO² system?
I don't currently have the $200-$300 for a good system, and figure even a very small benefit is better than none.

Click to expand...

Right. So a CO² diffuser that isn't hooked up to a pressurized CO² system (tank and regulator) does absolutely nothing. There is also no need for a drop checker without a pressurized system.

As for the rest, I'm sorry, my ethics prevent me from helping you with man made monstrosities that are glo fish. Wild type fish rule.
Not a problem, I am not looking for animosity or negativity. I will happily see myself out. Toodles.

Click to expand...

No one has any animosity or negativity towards you.

There are Vallisneria that grow quite tall. They need to be weighted down until they take root. I think they are really pretty but I didn't have much luck with the one I tried to grow.

I am having a good deal of luck with limnophila and it is a nice plant for the fish to explore but I don't know if it will get tall enough.

It will also depend on what your local store has or what online ordering you have access to. If you have a good LFS they might be able to give you advice based on your water.

Welcome to FL.

First….find out your exact water parameters for the tank and your water source(s). Knowing your pH, GH, and KH is important in determining many factors of this hobby.

Next……imho, you should wait on the UV unit and CO2 stuff. The UV has specific purposes and the CO2 infusion may not even be needed. Keep it on the simple and stable side to start. Then if you have the need to fight green water, parasites, or have unhealthy plants, you can then utilize them. See how your tank plants do with the Fluval Pant Light 3.0. It’s supposed to be pretty good. I use the Fluval AquaSky 3.0s in my 8 tanks and love them. The Tidal 55 is good, but I feel two of them would be better.

Plants… Val’s, and Hygrophylla angustiflora (Willow Hygro) are good ones with growing options. I have never used that UNS Controsoil and I tend to veer away from the soils and stick to coarse sands/fine gravels.

If you set up a tank you like, put fish in it you like, and take good care of them, then there are plenty of us who will be glad to help out in any way we can.

Well I think the OP has gone “Toodles” thanks to being made to feel unwelcome, they did not ask for anyone’s ethical opinions on their choice of fish.
It looks like Mikes wishes for Fishlore have been ignored here.

(written by Mike in 2007)
“As far as how FishLore got started...

I wanted to create a place where those new to the hobby could come to ask questions and not feel stupid or get ridiculed for asking those questions. I also wanted a place where there was an underlying respect for ALL of the members, not just the senior members. On some of the other boards it seems like the senior members have forgotten that they too were new to this hobby at one point. Some of those senior folks really thought of themselves as experts, I mean really, how could anyone possibly be an expert in this hobby.”

Going forward if your ‘ethics’ or personal opinions towards certain fish prevent you from being respectful of others choices then just don’t respond, you’ve all been here long enough to know that Respect for your fellow members is the number 1 rule.

LincolnSternn I do hope you will return, we are here to help.

Hi welcome to FishLore!

Hope you decide to stop back in.