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Feb 2026
Feb 2026
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Journal NC AL’s First Planted Tank (8g AIO)
- Thread starter NC AL
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- Thread starter
- #2
I had a freshwater tank as a teen. Then saltwater and then left the hobby. A few years back I started back again with reef tanks. I am really enjoying the hobby and have recently grown interested in planted tanks. The newness might be what is drawing me to it, or perhaps the ease of maintenance compared to reef tanks.
I am starting small with an 8 gallon Coralland AIO. The display is about 5.5 gallons. I have put in the equipment to do a mechanical test. Before I filled the tank I mounted some driftwood to the back wall. This should give me more planting room while more exposed ground will help create the illusion of more depth.
I am starting small with an 8 gallon Coralland AIO. The display is about 5.5 gallons. I have put in the equipment to do a mechanical test. Before I filled the tank I mounted some driftwood to the back wall. This should give me more planting room while more exposed ground will help create the illusion of more depth.
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techman81
Well-known Member
Careful! As you browse through journals here, you'll see there's lots of variation in levels of maintenance when it comes to planted tanks.
- Thread starter
- #4
For sure, but the just the lack of mixing saltwater and being able to do a water change from the sink would drastically reduce my maintenance efforts. I have good clean well water. So I should be able to fill from the sink and send waste water down the drain. These are two things I can not with my reef tanks.Careful! As you browse through journals here, you'll see there's lots of variation in levels of maintenance when it comes to planted tanks.
I also ordered some plants. I asked them to be shipped out next Monday. They decided to ship them yesterday instead. So now it is a mad rush to get everything ready before Saturday.
*Ci*
Tending water worlds since 1975!
What is the substrate going to be?
techman81
Well-known Member
This was going to be my question as well. If using aquasoil and planting immediately in an uncycled tank be prepared for some plant melt. Some hardy plants won't mind but others might be quite sensitive to the high initial ammonia.
- Thread starter
- #7
Yes I am not happy with events, but it is what it is. I am using aqua soil, but capped with sand with bacteria. I have added some additional nitrifying bacteria. I was hopping to have 5 days with tank running and cycling before the plants. I was able to get everything up and running yesterday so after my overnight dipping of the plants I am hoping it will be cycled enough. There isnt any fish or anything so it would just be what is leeching out of the capped aquasoil.
Here is what I ordered if you are interested. Most are hardy easier plants. Probably too much for the tank
Not all aquasoils have super high initial ammonia spikes. I have used Controsoil and never saw one, and according to their marketing copy that is as they intended.
Second this, Platinum doesn't have super high spikes either.
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A bit, but nothing like aquasoil.
Bear in mind you want to use the "super powder" smallest grain size
for some reason what they call "normal powder" is way too big granules to plant in easily , the plants just float out 
techman81
Well-known Member
My experience with Controsoil was that, while not nearly as bad of an ammonia spike as Amazonia, it was still relatively high and some plants that went in immediately, struggled, even though they were healthy submersed grown cuttings. But I can't say for sure it was the soil and not something else I missed.
There may be some inconsistency between batches, so it's possible you got a hot bag and I didn't.
