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Setting up a display tank in my lounge, I've been given strict instructions on what is to go into it and what it should look like. As it will contain plants I need some advice:
Will a 1" depth of fine sand be ok for plants?
or will it trap waste? (I very regulary siphon my tanks)
What plants should I stock?
Tank has two flouro tubes, a couple of power filters and probably 1" or more of fine sand. No elaborate co2 setup or anything, though I am willing to use a cheap fertiliser if needed.
Thanks.

Need a lot more info to help mate. Tank size, filtration, lighting watts, and planned fishes would be very helpfulto know.
-Shane

Tank is 48"x18"x18" 243lts
Filtration, aquaclear300 w/sponges (biological squeeze out in tank water) and an ehiem 2217 with mechanical and biological media. I think they each do about 1000l/h.
Lighting is a 3' light with 2 tubes, I think they're 24watts each, 48watts...so not excessively bright. I do have another 4' flouro I was thinking of using, its 36 watts.
Only fishes planned at the moment are 5 panaque maccus, 2 rineloricaria and 6 corydoras sterbai. I want to add some compatible fish like tetras or rainbowfish and maybe some dwarf cichlids. Pretty unsure about the cichlids though, my experience with them is limited to keeping oscars and eartheaters many years ago. Apart from them I've only had catfish.
Shaun

Shaun,
Your tank is about 67 gallons with 48 watts total light. Most planted tanks run at about 3 watts per gallon and some even higher. With less than 1 watt per gallon you will be very limited in your plant selection. Java moss, Java fern and most Anubias spp. can live in low-light tanks with 1-1.5 watts per gallon. You are even a bit below this. The main issue you will have, lighting aside, will be trying to keep 5 P. maccus in a planted tank. This is a recipe for disaster as wood-eating loricariids produce copious amounts of "sawdust" waste. With planted aquaria it is always best to choose low impact fishes. The other issue is that Java moss, Java fern, and Anubias all grow attached to stones and driftwood. The P. maccus would constantly dislodge the plants.
The Corydoras and Rineloricaria are good choices for a planted aquaria, perhaps with a few small cichlids and a school or two of tetras.

This a 55 gallon lower light tank I had set up. 48" X 12" X 18" so very similar in size to yours. The inhabitants were also similar with rams, tetras, corys and Sturisoma and Farlowella. Lighting was 3 X 4 foot 40 watt bulbs = 120 watts total. No CO2 or anything fancy. Lighting was just three 4 foot shop lights from the hardware store (about US $9.00 each).
-Shane

Thanks for that Shane. I hadn't actually thought about the Panaques wrecking plants, but it makes sense. I might try a few Java fern and see how they go. How does a plant like Vallisneria go in low light? Not too good I bet
Adding more lighting is not really an option, theres enough power running in the house as it is. I don't have anywhere else to put the Panaques at the moment either.

I wasn't really intending to have a full planted system. Just a few plants
What about a "Driftwood Snag" biotope with some Vallis (trial to seeif it will grow). I could have a group of hatchets, keep the rineloricaria and use the corys in a smaller tank I'm setting up. But, are there any larger then dwarf size cichlids I could use inthis sort of setup?

I would not recommend any substrate rooted plants. I would just go for java fern, moss and anubius wedged into gaps in the bogwood, or tied on with wire.

I keep all three plants in a tank with Panaque. I have no problems with this at all. Very occasionally a lump of fern comes astray, but it doesn't do it any harm, and can easily be re-attached.

This way, you will be able to have a thin layer (less than 1cm) of sand as substrate, which is easier to keep clean with Panaque, and looks better i think. The cories and rams will also prefer it.

I have to agree with Racoll, which means I disagree with Shane - or at least I'm of a different opinion!

I have a couple anubias wedged by or tied to wood in my tank, and the Panaques haven't dislodged it so far. Of course, I only have three, and the tank is almost twice the size of yours. But I also have some other Pleco's in there, and they aren't dislodging the plants either. Try it and see what happens...

--
Mats

Don't use fine sand if you're going to have plants which are rooted in substrate. If you want to go economy, line the bottom of the tank with a small amount of peat (single very thin layer not covering the bottom entirely, then add some laterite, maybe a cup full and then cover with gravel. If you want it to be simpler, get some Seachem Fluorite, or Eco-Complete substrate for plants. I am having some success in a 125 gallon cichlid tank with SA cichlids and a 5 inch Gibbey. Corkscrew Vals, Cabomba, Java moss, Java fern and Anubia.

With no CO2 and at < 1 WPG, your choices are quite limited, but those should work for you.

Hey,

I have in my freshwater shrimp tank Vallisneria, java moss and some small cryptocoryne - tank goes without any special light - I put it next to the window and everything is perfect (it's western window so for few hours there is really a lot of sun) - vallisneria should be ok in low light tank.

Regards.