From: mstephens.520@postman.gsfc.nasa.gov (mark stephens)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: [F] Setup for plants and fish
Date: 19 Aug 92 17:48:25 GMT
Organization: nasa/gsfc

Hi, I'll try to answer...

In article <fr!nwmd@lynx.unm.edu>, denise@pprg.eece.unm.edu (Denise J. Richards) writes:
> 
> 
> First, I am not who the header says I am. I am borrowing this acct
> as our newsposter is sick. I am
>  
>                         boggs@agps.lanl.gov
>  
>  
>  
> OK, I have come to the conclusion that if I want to have plants in my tank,
> and have them do well, then I must do away with my UGF.  How do I do this?
>  
> Can I move the current inhabitants of my tank: 2 blue rams, 4 discus,
> 1/2 doz otos, and a clown loach into a bucket and siphon off most of the water
> out of my 55 gallon tank then push all the gravel to one side, remove the
> plate, then move all the gravel to the other side and remove the other plate?
>  
> What is going to happen to the bacteria living there?

The bacteria will be dead without the flow provided from the UGF.  I take it 
you have tried plants and have been unsuccessfull?  One option is to simply 
leave the UFG in place, but turned off.  This may not be a great idea because if it's been
in operation for a few months, you'll probably get a horrendous outbreak 
of anaeobic (wow, that's a hard one... without oxygen) decay.  What I would
do is to basically bite the bullet and tear down the whole tank, take out
the gravel and if you are going to reuse it, clean it well.  One concern
is having adequate filtration.  If you have another filter, I would get it 
started at least two weeks before teardown to make up for the loss of the 
bio-filtration.  If not, a powerhead and sponge (tetra) would do wonders.
On the other hand, the Whisper 3 may have all the bacteria that you need.

>  
> Then what do I do for the substrate? I have had mail from those who use
> potting soil, sand, gravel, etc...  If you use sand, where do you get it?
> Just any old sand?  I'll be getting a load of sand for my dog run. Is this
> sand OK?  And how do you keep the sand from being siphoned up when you
> vaccuum the bottom of the aquarium?  Recommendations for how to set this up
> are welcome, encouraged, begged for!

I've used sandblasting "sand", a #3 grit.  Only problem in my area is that the
stuff is white (quartz) and I much prefer brown earthy colors.  I did use this 
stuff on a low tech plant tank at work by mixing it with peat moss and laterite
from Theil.  The peat turned it a nice brown color.  For the top part, I used
some leftover "wild caught" gravel/sand. 

>  
> Will a whisper 3 external power filter be enough filtration for a 55? Or will
> I need to add another EPF or what?

I don't know... see above on the sponge filters.  If you have the bucks, 
a canister filter will be much more effective and less troublesome.

>  
> Will I also need to add another light strip?  I have one strip that goes
> across the lenght of the aquariam with triton bulbs.

Two bulbs is a minimum and the tritons, for all the problems they seem to have,
are nice plant bulbs... they work well for me.

> 
> Also, does anyone know of a source for a plant called Cape Fear Spatterdock
> ( Nupar sagittifolia )?  It is supposed to like acidic water according to my
> references and is a lovely plant.

Hummm, don't know where except look into some of the lilly/water garden catalogs.
Check out a garden magazine or a fish one.

>  
> I realize a have a lot of questions, but I want to do this right and I don't
> want to have to do it again, at least not for a long time!
>  
> Thanks!
>  
> Remember, I am not who the header says I am. I am borrowing this acct
> as our newsposter is sick. I am
>  
>            boggs@agps.lanl.gov
>  
>  
> --Marsha
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                      boggs@agps.lanl.gov (505) 665-6606
> Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663  MS J488  Los Alamos, NM 87545
> 
> 
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria