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RE: New tank



Ivo Busko is wondering about setting up a new tank. I don't know how long
that external canister filter has been running on your "fish tank" Ivo, but
if it has been there for a couple of weeks, there should be a fully
functioning biological filter inside of the canister. You should have no
problem removing it and placing it on the 10 gallon "holding tank" over the
weekend while you tear down the main tank and redo it. Placing your fish in
the holding tank will keep the biological filter active and healthy. If it
hasn't been there for a few weeks, it might be an idea to postpone your
conversion until it has.

Once you have the original tank re-set as a plant tank, just reattach the
canister filter to it and you are set to go - no cycling will occur because
the bacteria in the filter are already working.

>I will use a coarse sand substrate enriched with Substrate Gold and perhaps
>Tetra Initial Sticks (1-0-25), coupled with some trace element mix in the
>water. Should I use some N-P-rich substrate fertilizer instead ?

You need use nothing aside from Substrate Gold. This is your first plant
tank - don't complicate your life by adding Tetra Initial Sticks and/or NPK
fertilizers (I don't care what you've read on USENET). For your FIRST plant
tank, the KISS principle is the way to go. Substrate gold under plain washed
sand or gravel with liquid fertilizer without Nitrogen or Phosphorous (no N,
no P) will work perfectly until you get some experience under your belt.

>I have already yeast CO2 injection and 90 watts of light (one Hagen
>Aqua-Glo and two Phillips Colortone 50s). The filter is a Fluval 303 with
>under-water return. Tap water pH is 7.4, tank pH is 6.8 after CO2
injection.
>KH is 5.0, GH is 8.0.

This is fine - don't sweat anything else, at least for the time being.

James Purchase
Toronto