Cj's tank :)

So for my first tank I chose a 120l tank. I only have a standard light on the tank now.
I have a fluval canister filter running 24/7 and a power head which filers 450l/hour which I turn on at night time.
My heater is a 75w which seems to run constantly, but it keeps tank temp steady... So far!

I originally started out intending on silk plants, however I got a taste for real plants this week so tried my hand at planting.

I also have a smaller tank roughly 12g which I had used as goldfish tank, but today I bought a 30w heater for it, we need to find a home for our 7 neon tetras and my pair of dwarf neon rainbowfish, will this be an ok temporary home untill I get my whopper of a tank? (thinking of building it as a project this summer)
so I'm in the process of heating the water as I type.

As far as stocking goes: In the 120 l
1 juvenile leopard pleco (1.5")
A pair of blue neon dwarf gourami, finally found a female today!!
7 guppies (2 female 5 male)
6 harlequin rasboras
2 mollie fry ( gave the parents to my mom)
1 assassin snail.
1 clown loach ( who I am rehoming to my mom aswell. Was told false info they could be kept alone when I bought him)

Then when my water in the 12g heats, nearly there now 22degrees so far.
I'm moving the 7 neon tetra and pair of dwarf neon rainbowfish.

This week I turned the tank into a planted tank. I already had javamoss on bog wood and moss balls in the tank.
I got plants in the riverview garden centre in Bandon.
I don't have a soil type substrate so I planted all the plants I got above JBL kugeln balls.

Ok so here is my tank photo timeline.

First day tank was set up before any fish.
[IMG]http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i321/csteel1/2012-02-06223544.jpg[/IMG]

A week later we were given goldfish on loan to kick start the cycle, I added the bog wood java moss and moss balls,
[IMG]http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i321/csteel1/2012-02-09002301.jpg[/IMG]

Once the tank had cycled we added neon tetras and two mollies.
Made a DIY bubble wall, added a large silk plant and a background.

[IMG]http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i321/csteel1/2012-02-14115637.jpg[/IMG]

A couple of weeks later we had stocked the tank and I also had got more orange & silk plants
[IMG]http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i321/csteel1/2012-02-27115639.jpg[/IMG]

Finally now I have removed all fake plants and started my live planted tank.

[IMG]http://i1088.photobucket.com/albums/i321/csteel1/033b3872.jpg[/IMG]

I love how the real plants look, I can't wait for them to grow lush!

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Comment by Robert Jango on March 14, 2012 at 7:16pm: I had a nice point by point reply to your blog but my damn computer shut off unexpectedly and erased it. So heres a quick outline:

Your light's color spectrum should be around 6000k and emit 17-40 lumens per sq. inch of surface area. You can go as low as 5 or 10 if you use soil or fertilize. Sunlight is best, but any kind of light is fine as ling as it fits the above parameters

A heater is unnecessary unless your room temperature is too cold or fluctuates widely.

I don't use filters but they do speed up natural processes and boost the oxygen levels in your tank. Its a good thing you turn it on at night because this is when your plants consume oxygen.

Your best filter is your kitchen faucet. Water changes help your plants and bacteria keep the water clean by ridding your tank of waste. And the minerals in your tap water help feed the plants. If your tap contains chloramine you'll need a water conditioner. Mine only contains a little chlorine which I find beneficial as a general antiseptic; so I don't use de-chlorinator. But if you include chlorine make sure you don't change more than 50% of the water at one time. I change about 15% everyday but a lot of sources claim 50% every two weeks is OK.

Your fish load seems OK and plants look cool. The more plants the better.

Good luck CJ.