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I am going to set up a new planted tank for my birthday(hopefully) and I was wondering if this setup is good enough, please tell me if there's anything I'm leaving out.

1. 29 Gallon Perfecto Freswater Aquarium Kit
2. 40 lbs. of Eco-Complete Freshwater Planted Aquarium Substrate
3. 30 inch 65 watt Satellite Compact Fluorescent Fixture w/ Lunar Light
4. 6 1/2 inch soft tissue scissors
5. 250 mL of Flourish Excel(I already have regular Flourish)
6. Power Strip(almost forgot )
7. Hagen CO2 Ladder thing
8. MarineLand Light Timer

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I like Led Zeppelin.

Sounds like a nice setup. It looks like just the plants and hardscape(driftwood, rocks) are missing. Also, you might want to head over to greg watson's and get some KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4, and any other ferts you might want.

Oh and a timer for your lights.

That's all I can think of.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I was planning on one of those power strips from coralife with the built-in timer or one of the Marineland ones. About the Chemicals you listed, what are those, and how would I get them in my tank? Are they in like Flourish Tabs or what?

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I like Led Zeppelin.

They are dry ferts in a powder form. I use Chuck Gadd's calculator to first dilute the powder into water in a known quantity. Like 1ml of my mixture will increase the NO3 or PO4 or whatever in my tank by .25ppm or something like that.

As for what they are, well you need to read up on a lot of these tank logs to figure that out. As for starters, all of these nutrients are consumed by the plants. Usually there will be a depletion of one or more, possibly all, of these nutrients in a fully planted aquarium with good light and carbon supplementation(CO2 or excel). There are different methods to making sure your plants get all of the nutrients they require. The most popular one right now seems to be the EI or estimative index.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I added the Hagen CO2 ladder to my list, forgot I was going to get it.

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I like Led Zeppelin.

I'm going to assume you will have a heater and a filter as well. Driftwood and rocks are also good in planted tanks. They are the hardscape or the skeleton of the tank. Without them you just have a nice collection of plants but no real interest.

What are the scissor's for if you don't mind me asking?

For the Hagen CO2 ladder thing, pick up a check valve as well, one isn't included and I was worried before the CO2 started moving that water from the tank would be siphoned back into the canister. And if you get the kit with the canister, an extra canister may be handy for changing time, then your CO2 level won't drop as significantly.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

I was planning on one of those power strips from coralife with the built-in timer or one of the Marineland ones.

Why?

Just get a regular power strip and a medium strength (amperage) timer, that should do. I lost faith in the "all in one" combined unit you mentioned as I was considering one of these as well (the one with 2 timers built in). Our Salt guys here strongly voted against it as, at least at that time, there where a lot of problems with functionality on these units. This was also stated by my LFS, they sent over 80% of their units back to the supplier.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I'll just get a regular powerstrip and buy that MarineLand timer. I have one already and it works pretty well. I'll get a check valve too, luvmykrib.

The scissors will be for if I (hopefully)have to trim the plants.

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I like Led Zeppelin.

My timer/power strip works pretty good, but I got the one with only one timer. The one that was having problems was the one with 2 timers.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Hi,
I was not even aware that you could get power strips with
built in timers. I simply went to Home Depot and purchased
two timers that would handle the wattage of the lighting
system, and a short, 1 foot extension cord.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I agree, don't bother with the coralife timer outlet . I have it and it's really designed for saltwater. It has 4 timer settings. Two will allow you to put something "On" during daylight hours and 2 will allow something to be switched on when the 2 daylight timers are in the off position. In a freshwater planted tank I havn't thought of a purpose yet. Oh yes a moonlight

My Scapes

OK, thanks for helping me get a list together. I hope that I'll have to trim my plants(that would mean that they're growing).

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I like Led Zeppelin.

I pinch mine off when they need to be trimmed, I save pruners for the bushes and shrubs outside. It's a habit that's not going away anytime soon, old gardners never die...

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus