EXACTLY! You can try DIY some stuff like lightings and CO2 before you deep into this hobby. It is true that this hobby is money sucking hobby but once your tank is start growing healthy, it is worth and PRICELESS....

Happy planting and welcome to this hobby....

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Their War. Our World.

7 .4 .7

Thanks a lot for the replies everyone. I guess what you guys are trying to tell me is that, I have to learn to walk before I can run.

I have already DIY-ed the 4X36W PL-L lights and it seems like overkill to me. I normally only have 2 lights on, as so far I have only got some Java Fern, Java Moss and Nana in the tank.

My DIY Co2 should be up and working within the next few days. Will 1 bottle be sufficient?

Can you please reccomend some other plants for a beginner like me?

Cheers

Good man, at least get something going on. Well, you can look through the forum to see some of the member tank setup, and we usually post out our spec and details.

If you got any question, just ask, don't be shy ah... heheh..

For me, i used 2 bottle DIY co2. Because my DIY Co2, first week the co2 very strong and went it come to second week, its very low, so I have it continue with the second bottle. Mean, first bottle will last around week plus, and continue with the second bottle. And usually on the third week, I will change and redo on the first bottle. With least, I will have consistant of Co2.

But only recently I put back on my co2 because I want my moss to grow fast. It being almost 2 month my planted tank without co2, still working fine, slow and steady.

Just like Ari say, once you got the basic, everything will work fine. But remember, not all plant will go nicely, just some of it. My HM are growing fine with or without Co2.

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Regards,
Flashout
snail.flashout.net

4x36wPLL in 18inch height tank for java fern, moss and nana?....hehehe..... brown sayur in 2 weeks...guarantee.
with the lighting you have, you could actually go straight for the intermediate plants (semi hard level) .it doesnt mean you are a beginner, you must start with beginner's plant.
infact its better you skip java fern, moss and nana, they are very slow growing plants and they look helplessy monotononous....not much of a moral booster if they still looks the same 4 weeks from now.

try some rapid growing intermediate plants like...Alternanthera Lilacina or Reineckii, Echinodorus Tenellus, Hydrocotlye Verticillata, Limnophila Aromatica ( highly recomended), Rotala Wallichii and Ludwigia Acurata.
this list is the full set...fore, middle and background plants and just right for you lightings
if you want an impressive tank...do not plant too many different species, or else it would look like rojak or ABC. the trick is more of the same plant...max 6 species. do not try to plant closely together in hope of getting an instant result look just like in the magazine. a good setup always looks botak and ugly in the beginging.....but after a few weeks its a different story.

some people have beautifull tanks, some just average, the worst looking tank is for the people who like to rescape their tanks without fail every weekend.
you must learn to HANDS OFF your tank after planting...plan everything ahead , get what you want, get them together before you setup..once done, you leave it alone. the worst possible thing you could do is...going around LFS to hunt for plants during your off days,..buying new plants leads to planting leads to adjusting leads to rescaping leads to disaster. its always best to pool your stuff together before setting up your tank, if you cant find what you want...just put down rm50 as a deposit for the FS to order the plants you have in mind. FIY plants are actually quite easy to get, only that FS will not order for you...i mean who knows if you are serious or not...what if you dont collect when what you odered arrived, so 50 bucks is a clear cut sight that you will be back. if there is a delay for a certain plant and the rest cant wait, just make sure you leave some space in your setup....when they finally arrive its just about planting them at their given spot. everything will fall in nicely ...if you have planned early



here is some photos to show the botak look of a new setup to the fully grown tank in 8 weeks

a week after planting...ugly ugly...never mind the initial botak looks. there should be no shortcuts or instant sucess ready for the camera kinda planted tank...this the "downfall" you must learn to avoid.


week 3...the emerger plants has already turn submerge, from here they will grow rapidly


8 weeks...as of this week. and frankly such setup will last about 14 weeks...past that they need to be replant, and here is the time and chance for rescape if you want to.in fact i have already order the plants for my next project 4 weeks from now.....20 pots of Ludwigia Glandulosa. some say this an easy plant, some say its a roadside ditch plant, to me this is a jinx plant, i get very little sucess with them and i have yet to meet a person who would swear this species is actually easy to turn submerge before the stem rots

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Everyone Has a Photographic Memory..........some just dont have film!

Thanks again Flashout and Ari.

I know this may be a dumb question but please advise. When I order plants from FS do I tell them the scientific name or are there local names for the plants you reccomended?

Cheers

depends on who your talking to at the FS...some are truly A1 gonggong, usually the plants are reffered to in their chinese names, im not chinese educated so i too have trouble when it comes to chinese names, i know is L.aromatica is call Luk kok cho, Tenellus is siew hong ama zon cho, the rest i dun noe lar.....a fool proof way is to bring a book or photos and show it to them.......ah li check yau, li chek yar yau,

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Everyone Has a Photographic Memory..........some just dont have film!

Bro Ari,

hehehe..... you sure are a funny guy. Guess I'll have to go and get a handbook of aquatic plants.

Can you please explain the meaning of, "frankly such setup will last about 14 weeks...past that they need to be replant".

thanks

meaning the plants will touch surface in 14 weeks..in my esitmate. and in my case the L aromatica. once this happen the top of the plant will breakup and develop into new shoots. i plant L.aromatica the same ways as E.stellata..in single fat stem without new shoots poping up. care must be taken not to damage the tops or new multipile shoots will form...which is of course is nice, giving the bushy looks but thats from a point of view of an unexperience planter.
once the plant hit surface ..you have 2 choices...one is to cut them and replant the heads... meaning staring all over again with the same plant...but believe me, they will not look as good as the frist time.
the other is to start with something new...which is the best choice. but then you dont need to tear up the whole tank, just replace the one you have cut.

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Everyone Has a Photographic Memory..........some just dont have film!