Newbie tank, leaving for vacation... 46g pea soup recipe?

[maria]

I am so anxious to get started! I know I'll use all the wrong terminology, you can laugh, I'm strong... I know the meeting is Saturday but there is going to be alot going on with that cool demo and I don't want to be the annoying newbie. Well, I probably WILL be the annoying newbie.

I have a tank that I bought used, I figured I would be replacing the plants a couple of times, and look at the price of aquasoil.

It has a 36" two bulb fixture, with reef specific lights in it.

Zoo-Med-Ocean-Sun-10-000K-Bulbs
MARINE-GLO Marine Fluorescent Aquarium Bulbs by Hagen

I'm not married to this fixure, have no problems replacing it, I liked the review I read on this forum about the Cascade fixture with the moon lights.

I also think I would like to start with the ADA aquasoil, it seems a little more dummy proof for a newbie.

Here are my questions....

1. Would it be prudent to try to plant a tank and leave three weeks later for eight days? Remember I am a total newbie. Visions of melted plants float in my head...

2. Do you have to usually order lights, aquasoil, heaters, etc... or can you pick that stuff up locally?

Thanks,
Maria

[ingg]

Usually order lights, aquasoil. Heaters, filters, etc, wherever the deal is - I tend to order filters, just go and buy heaters.

I wouldn't have an issue leaving the tank for a week - fish'd be more of a concern to me. This assumes you aren't running a daily dosing schedule kind of thing.... or have autodosers if you are. We can show you how to build autodosers, hehe.

[maria]

Oh yeah, I will totally be autodosing that tank.

I saw a post describing how to build an autodoser... wait a minute... my husband could hook us up with IV bag autodoser contraption.

That could be geeky cool a planted tank with all kinds of medical gadgetry hooked up to it.

Is there an auction every meeting?

[eleontie]

For a beginner I would recommend not spending too much on the first tank. Make it cheap with whatever you find available. Just choose plants that are not too demanding. Save your bucks for the next tanks ( oh , for sure there will be a couple more once you get hooked ), you'll want fancy stuff for those.
I would also postpone dosing at the beginning, no matter how many recipes you'll find, it is very easy to get it wrong and ... well you probably saw some pea soups around - I think those are more discouraging than not growing fancy plants from the beginning.

There is an auction every meeting ( I think I only saw a meeting around Christmas without an auction )

Eugen

[krisw]

I agree with Eugen's statement. Keep it simple to begin with, and you'll have less problems, while learning a lot of the basics. The only local store I know of that carries Aquasoil is Fins and Feathers in Ashburn, Va. It's not cheap. An alternative you may want to consider is Seachem's new Flourite Black Sand. Are you planning on doing CO2 initially? I believe the light strip you got is a standard fluorescent bulb, not compact fluorescent bulbs, right? That's perfect for less intensive plants. Some plants I would recommend that you might see at the auction:

Background:
Ludwigia arculata x repens
Ludwigia repens
Ludwigia palustris
Hygrophila polysperma
Rotala rotundifolia
Rotala colorata
Limnophila aquatica (Ambulia)

Midground:
Cryptocorynes (crypts)
Anubias
Java Fern
Bolbitis
Moss (Java, Taiwan, Willow, Christmas, etc...)

Foreground:
Sagittaria subulata (Dwarf Sag)
Echinodorus tenellus (Chain Sword)
Marsilea quadrifolia or minuta

This isn't a comprehensive list, but off the top of my head, a list of key plants to listen for in the auction as a beginner.

[ingg]

Myriophyllum is another easy one. Stuff is a weed I tell you! But it can make a really pretty bush.

Most of the hygrophilass as well. Only tough hygro I can think of, relatively speaking, is "bold" - just needs more light than the others. Angustifolia, Stricta, Polysperma are all super easy to keep.

[maria]

Thanks for all the responses! I have to read about and plants to look up now!

[krisw]

If you haven't found it already, this is a fantastic resource for plant info and pictures:

http://aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder

[JMLenke]

Id add Mayaca to the easy to grow list.

I have it floating in a tank and it is trying to grow roots long enough to reach the substrate