📋 Complete Guide: Day 0 to Year 4
Shopping List (order 2 weeks before setup)
From rostlinna-akvaria.cz:
Platinum Soil 2x 8L (16L total, do NOT buy gravel)
All plants (buy small sizes, they grow). See Dashboard for your plant list.
INVITAL Ferox 500ml, INVITAL Fosfo 500ml, INVITAL Carbon 500ml
INVITAL AquaFresh 250ml (dechlorinator with humic acids)
Seachem Stability 100ml (bacterial starter for cycling)
JBL Easy PRO Aquatest 7v1 (strip tests: NO2, NO3, GH, KH, pH, Cl2, CO2)
Hikari Micro Pellets 45g (auto-feeder food)
Other supplies:
Programmable timer plug (must support 2 daily on/off programs)
Voltage controller for LED strips (to dim to 75% during first months)
2x large bucket (10-15L each), 1x 90L container or bathtub for WC water
Airline tubing + flow valve (for slow drip water addition)
Aquarium heater for the WC bucket (to pre-heat new water)
Long tweezers (for planting, ~30cm)
Flat plate or saucer (to place on soil while filling, prevents disturbance)
Superglue gel (cyanoacrylate, for attaching moss/epiphytes to hardscape)
Day 0: Tank Setup
Step 1: Soil. Open Platinum Soil bags, pour directly into dry tank. Do NOT rinse. Shape a gentle slope: ~2.5cm at front glass, ~4cm middle, ~5.5cm at rear glass.
Tip: use a ruler or credit card to smooth the slope. Deeper in back creates visual depth.
Step 2: Hardscape. Place driftwood and rocks on the soil BEFORE adding water. Press them down gently into the soil so they don't float or shift later.
Step 3: Fill VERY SLOWLY. Place a plate or saucer flat on the soil surface. Point the hose onto the plate so water flows gently without blasting the soil. Fill to ~50% height first.
CRITICAL: If you pour water directly onto the soil, it will crater and cloud the water for weeks. The plate prevents this. Go slow, 15-20 minutes to half-fill.
Step 4: Equipment. Start Fluval 307 filter (prime it first per manual). Set heater to 25C. Turn on UV sterilizer. Plug in timer for lights.
Step 5: Bacteria. Add Seachem Stability: 20ml (5ml per 40L) poured directly into the filter intake or filter media compartment.
Step 6: Lights. Set timer: 07:00-09:00 ON + 17:00-22:00 ON (evening starts 1h later than final schedule). Set voltage controller to 75% (~10.5V).
The tank will be VERY cloudy. This is 100% normal, tannins and fine particles from the soil. It clears in 2-7 days. Do NOT do a water change to fix it, just let the filter work.
Day 1: Planting Day
Prepare all plants in trays of tank water. Remove gel/rockwool from in-vitro cups (wash thoroughly under tap). Split potted plants from wool, divide into smaller portions.
Plant background first (while water is at ~50%). Push stem bases 2-3cm into soil with long tweezers. Space stems 2-3cm apart in groups. Work from back to front.
Plant midground. Place Crypts with roots spread, crown at soil surface (not buried). For Tiger Lotus: half-bury the bulb (top half exposed).
Attach epiphytes to hardscape. Tie Anubias, Java Fern, Bucephalandra to rocks/wood with cotton thread OR dab of superglue gel. Do NOT bury their rhizomes in soil (they rot).
Attach mosses. Spread thin layers of Christmas Moss on rocks/driftwood. Tie with cotton thread or glue. Thin layer = faster, denser regrowth.
Plant foreground last. Divide Helanthium/Staurogyne into small plugs (1-3 stems each). Plant in a grid pattern, 2-3cm apart. More plugs = faster carpet.
Fill to top slowly over the plate again. Remove plate. Add floating plants (Salvinia etc.) gently on surface.
Start INVITAL Carbon at HALF dose: 1.5 ml/day. This helps plants AND inhibits algae from day 1.
Add Stability dose 2 (20ml into filter).
Some leaves will melt in the first week, especially Cryptocoryne. This is completely normal, called "crypt melt." New submerged leaves will grow back within 2-3 weeks. Do NOT remove the plant, leave it alone.
Day 2-7: First Week
Add Stability 20ml daily (pour into filter intake)
Carbon 1.5ml/day (manual dose or via doser)
Cloudiness should start clearing by day 3-5
NO fertilizers (Ferox/Fosfo) yet. Soil is releasing nutrients. NO fish.
Test water on day 5: use JBL 7v1 strip. You should see NH3/NH4 rising (0.5-2 mg/L). This is good, it means cycling has started.
DO NOT PANIC if NH3 is high. There are no fish yet. High ammonia during cycling is expected and necessary. The bacteria need it as food to establish.
DO NOT do a water change during the first 2 weeks unless NH3 goes above 4 mg/L (extremely unlikely with plants).
Weeks 2-6: Fishless Cycling
The nitrogen cycle: Ammonia (from soil) -> Nitrite (first bacteria) -> Nitrate (second bacteria). Dense planting absorbs ammonia directly, shortening the cycle to 3-5 weeks.
| Week | What you should see on test strip | What to dose |
|---|
| 2 | NH3 still high, NO2 starts appearing | Stability 20ml/day. Carbon 1.5ml. Start Ferox 2ml/day (25% dose, helps plant roots) |
| 3 | NH3 dropping, NO2 at peak (may be dark pink on strip) | Same. Start Fosfo 0.5ml/day (25% dose) |
| 4 | NO2 dropping, NO3 rising. Plants showing new growth! | Continue 25% doses. Stability every 2 days now. |
| 5-6 | NH3=0, NO2=0 for 3+ days in a row. NO3 present. | CYCLE COMPLETE! Increase to 50% doses (Ferox 3.5ml, Fosfo 0.85ml). |
Test 2x per week (e.g., Wednesday + Sunday). Write down results on paper or phone.
COMMON MISTAKE: Adding fish before cycle is complete. If NO2 is not ZERO, do NOT add any fish. Fish will die from nitrite poisoning. Be patient. The cycle completes on its own schedule.
COMMON MISTAKE: Doing large water changes during cycling. This removes the ammonia bacteria need. Only do a WC if NH3 exceeds 4 mg/L.
During this time: observe plants. New leaves emerging? Good. Brown/melting leaves? Normal for Crypts, Bucephalandra. Stem plants growing visibly? Perfect.
Trim any dead leaves that are fully decayed (brown mush). Leave partially melted leaves alone.
Weeks 6-10: Adding Livestock (the exciting part)
GOLDEN RULE: Add fish SLOWLY, in small batches, over several weeks. Never add everything at once. The filter bacteria need time to grow to match the new bioload.
| When | What to do | Dosing change |
|---|
| Day ~42 | Shrimp first. Add Neocaridina x15. Drip acclimate 45-60 min (float bag 15 min for temp, then drip tank water into bag slowly). Shrimp are the most sensitive, so they're your "canary in the coal mine." | Increase to 75%: Ferox 5ml, Fosfo 1.3ml |
| Day 44-46 | Watch shrimp. Active, grazing on surfaces, not hiding in corners = good. Dead shrimp within 24h = water problem, test immediately. | |
| Day 47 | First fish batch. Add 10x Cardinal Tetras + 1 Honey Gourami. Bag float 20 min (temp), then drip acclimate 30 min. Turn off lights during acclimation (reduces stress). | FULL dosing. Set dosers to calculated amounts. |
| Day 48 | Start auto-feeder. Load Hikari Micro Pellets. Set to 07:10 + 18:00. Use smallest portion setting. Watch first 2 feedings to ensure fish eat within 2-3 min. | |
| Day 49 | Add Amano shrimp x6 (drip acclimate 45 min). Amanos are robust, can go in now. | |
| Day 55 | FIRST WATER CHANGE. This is the most important one to get right. See WC Protocol below. | |
| Day 62 | Second fish batch. Add remaining 10x Cardinals + 1 Honey Gourami. Same acclimation procedure. | |
| Wk 10-12 | Otocinclus last. Only add when you see greenish algae film on the glass (they need this to eat). If no algae yet, wait 2-4 more weeks. Add 6x Otocinclus. | |
COMMON MISTAKE: Adding Otocinclus to a clean tank. They will starve. Wait for algae film first.
COMMON MISTAKE: Not acclimating. Dumping fish directly from bag into tank causes shock from temperature and pH difference (bag pH rises during transport). Always drip acclimate.
Water Change Protocol (NON-NEGOTIABLE for shrimp safety)
Your tap water pH is 7.97, tank pH is ~7.0-7.2. This 0.8 pH difference + temperature difference can kill baby shrimp if water is added too fast. The slow drip method is mandatory.
Day before WC: Fill 90L container with tap water. Add 9ml INVITAL AquaFresh immediately (dechlorinator). Place aquarium heater in the container, set to 25C. Leave overnight.
WC morning, Step 1: Remove old water. Use a siphon hose. Siphon out ~90L (50%). Lightly hover the siphon over the soil surface to pick up debris, but do NOT dig into the soil or push the siphon down.
Step 2: Check new water temperature. Must be 24-25C (within 1C of tank). If not warm enough, wait or add some hot water to the container.
Step 3: Add new water SLOWLY. Use airline tubing with a flow valve (knot or clip). Run from the container (elevated) to the tank. Target: 45-60 minutes for 90L. That is about 1.5-2L per minute.
CRITICAL: Do NOT pour 90L in at once or even over 10 minutes. The pH shock will stress or kill baby shrimp. The Platinum Soil needs time to buffer the incoming high-pH water. Slow = safe.
Step 4: After WC. Check heater is back on. Dosers will fire at 15:45 automatically. Update "Last WC" date on dashboard.
Frequency: Every 14 days (biweekly). Pick a consistent day (e.g., every other Sunday).
Months 1-3: Establishment
Biweekly WC following the protocol above. No shortcuts.
Lighting ramp-up: Month 1: 75% (10.5V) | Month 2: 80% (11V) | Month 3: 100% (12V). Gradual increase prevents algae while plants are still establishing.
Monthly test: JBL 7v1 strip. Target: NO3 15-25 mg/L, pH 7.0-7.2. Write it down.
Trim stem plants when they reach the surface. Cut the top 10-15cm, remove the bottom portion, replant the trimmed top. This makes stems bushier with more side shoots.
Clean glass with a magnetic algae scraper before each WC (debris gets siphoned out).
Thin floating plants every WC day. Keep 30-40% of surface open (gourami need surface access for breathing). Compost or discard the excess.
WHAT IS NORMAL: Brown diatom algae on glass and leaves during months 1-2. This is expected in every new tank. It disappears on its own. Otocinclus will clean it. Do NOT increase lighting to fight it (that makes it worse).
WHAT IS NORMAL: Cryptocoryne melt continuing. Some Crypts melt twice before establishing. Leave them alone. New leaves are growing at the base even while old leaves melt.
WHAT IS NOT NORMAL: Green hair algae everywhere. This means too much light or too few plants consuming nutrients. Reduce light to 6h for 2 weeks, increase Carbon by 25%.
Month 3-6: Growing In (Dashboard represents this state)
Full dosing as dashboard calculates. Adjust plant sizes on Dashboard to match reality, press Recalculate.
Carpet (Helanthium) should be spreading noticeably. Fill gaps by splitting dense patches and replanting into bare spots.
Background stems need trimming every 2-3 weeks. Always replant tops, discard bottoms (bottoms get woody and ugly).
Tiger Lotus management: It will send stems to the surface with lily pad leaves. You have two choices: (1) Trim all surface stems at the base to keep it submerged, or (2) Let 1-2 pads reach the surface for a dramatic look (gourami love resting on them). If left unchecked, it can shade the entire tank.
Check doser containers every 6-8 weeks. Ferox runs out fastest (~10 weeks per 500ml bottle). Refill before it empties.
Clean auto-feeder drum every 4-6 weeks. Humidity can clump the pellets and jam the mechanism.
Press Save on the Dashboard after updating plant sizes, to persist your data to GitHub.
Month 6-12: Stable Operation
Month 6 review (important): Look at the overall tank and check these signs:
| Observation | What it means | Action |
|---|
| Plants growing explosively, trimming every week | Nutrients are plentiful, great! | Can increase Ferox by 15% if you want even faster growth |
| Green algae appearing on glass/leaves | Light/nutrient imbalance | Reduce Carbon dose, check NO3 (if >30, reduce feeding). Ensure photoperiod is 8h, not more. |
| Red plants (Ludwigia, Alternanthera) turning green | Not enough iron or light | Increase Fosfo slightly (+0.3ml/day). Ensure red plants are directly under lights, not in corners. |
| Plants looking pale/yellow | Iron or micro deficiency | Increase Ferox by 20%. Check if doser is actually dispensing (not clogged). |
| Shrimp breeding, babies everywhere | Excellent water quality! | No action needed. Population self-regulates. |
Full filter clean every 6 months. Open the Fluval 307, rinse all sponges and biomedia IN TANK WATER (squeeze in a bucket of old tank water). Never rinse under tap water (chlorine kills beneficial bacteria instantly).
COMMON MISTAKE: Cleaning filter media with tap water. This kills ALL the beneficial bacteria and crashes the cycle. Use only old tank water from the WC siphon.
Month 12-24: Monitor Soil Buffering
Platinum Soil buffers pH by absorbing Ca/Mg from the water. With your soft Zelivka water, this lasts 18-30 months (longer than with hard water). As buffering declines, pH slowly rises toward tap level (7.97).
Monthly pH test (important from month 12). Log the results. Trend matters more than absolute number.
| pH reading | What it means | What to do |
|---|
| 7.0-7.2 | Soil still buffering well | Nothing. All good. |
| 7.2-7.4 (creeping up over weeks) | Buffering starting to decline | Normal aging. Most fish and plants are fine at 7.3-7.4. Just continue monitoring. |
| Above 7.4 consistently | Buffering nearly exhausted | Tank is now running at near-tap pH. This is fine for most community fish. Shrimp may breed less. Consider pH buffer products if concerned. |
THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY. Soil buffering decline is gradual (months, not days). Your fish and plants will adapt naturally. No sudden changes needed.
Month 24-36: Soil Nutrients Depleting
Soil nutrients (iron, potassium, trace elements stored in the soil granules) start running out after ~24 months.
Signs: Root-feeding plants (Crypts, Helanthium) may grow slightly slower. Leaf color may become less vibrant.
Action: Increase Ferox from the dashboard-calculated dose to ~15-20% more. Update quantities on Dashboard and recalculate.
Water column EI dosing now carries the full nutrient load. This is expected and the tank performs fine this way. Many planted tanks run 5+ years on depleted soil with water column dosing only.
You do NOT need root tabs. The EI method provides all nutrients through the water column, which all aquatic plants can absorb through their leaves.
Year 3-4: The Decision Point
Option A: Continue as-is (recommended if tank looks good)
Just keep dosing, doing WCs, and trimming. The substrate becomes inert but the plants feed from the water column. Most aquascapers run tanks 5-7 years on original substrate. If it's not broken, don't fix it.
Option B: Full rescape (if you want a fresh start)
Move fish to a temporary container (large bucket with heater + airstone). Drain tank. Remove old soil. Add new Platinum Soil 16L. Refill slowly. Replant (reuse healthy plants, buy new ones for gaps). Beneficial bacteria in the filter survive, so the new cycle is 1-2 weeks (not 6). Add fish back after testing NH3=0 and NO2=0.
A full rescape is a weekend project. Plan for it on a Saturday morning.
Annual Maintenance Calendar
| Frequency | Task |
|---|
| Daily (auto) | Dosers fire at 15:45: Ferox + Fosfo + Carbon. Auto-feeder at 07:10 + 18:00. Lights 07:00-09:00 + 16:00-22:00. |
| Weekly | Quick visual check: all fish present? Plants look healthy? Any algae? Takes 2 minutes. |
| Biweekly | 50% water change: pre-heat 90L + AquaFresh 9ml, siphon, slow drip 45 min. Thin floating plants. Clean glass. |
| Monthly | JBL 7v1 test strip (NO3, pH). Trim stem plants. Update Dashboard if plant sizes changed. |
| Every 6-8 weeks | Refill doser containers (check all 3). Clean auto-feeder drum. |
| Every 6 months | Full filter clean (rinse in TANK water, never tap). |
| Monthly from Y1 | Log pH (track soil buffering trend). |
Emergency Reference
| Problem | Likely cause | Immediate action | Follow-up |
|---|
| Fish gasping at surface | Low oxygen, high NH3, or temperature spike | 30% water change immediately, increase surface agitation | Test NH3/NO2. Check heater (malfunction?). Check filter (running?). |
| Shrimp dying after WC | Water added too fast (pH/TDS shock) | Stop adding water. Wait. Do not add more. | Next time: slower drip (60 min). Check temperature match. Did you add AquaFresh? |
| Shrimp dying randomly | Copper poisoning (from pipes) or NO2 | Test NO2. 20% WC with AquaFresh. | AquaFresh binds heavy metals. Ensure you use it every WC. |
| NH3 or NO2 spike (after cycling) | Dead fish decaying, filter crash, or overfeeding | 30% WC + Seachem Stability 20ml. Reduce feeding by 50%. | Check for dead fish hidden in plants. Was filter cleaned with tap water? |
| Green water (pea soup) | Algae bloom from excess light + nutrients | Turn off lights for 3 days (blackout). Cover tank with blanket. | After blackout: reduce photoperiod to 6h for 2 weeks. UV sterilizer helps. |
| Hair algae everywhere | Too much light, too little CO2, or nutrient imbalance | Reduce light to 6h. Increase Carbon by 25%. Manually remove what you can. | Check NO3 (if >30: reduce feeding). Ensure Ferox/Fosfo dosers are working. |
| Plants melting suddenly | Major parameter swing or chemical contamination | Test all parameters. 30% WC. | Did you spray anything near the tank (air freshener, cleaning products)? Was filter cleaned with tap water? |
| White spots on fish (Ich) | Parasitic disease, usually from new fish | Raise temperature to 28C over 24h. This alone kills Ich. | Keep at 28C for 10 days. No need for medication in most cases. Quarantine new fish in the future. |
| Doser not dispensing | Clogged tube, empty container, mechanical fault | Check container level. Clean dispensing tube. | Manually dose the missed amount. Fix/replace doser. |
RULE OF THUMB: When in doubt, do a 20-30% water change. It rarely makes things worse and often helps. Use AquaFresh and add slowly.
Things That Will Kill Your Fish (NEVER Do These)
NEVER add fish before the cycle is complete (NH3=0, NO2=0)
NEVER clean filter media under tap water (use tank water only)
NEVER add untreated tap water (always AquaFresh first, even for small top-ups)
NEVER pour 90L of new water in all at once (slow drip 45-60 min)
NEVER use soap, detergent, or household cleaners on anything that touches the tank
NEVER spray air freshener, insecticide, or cleaning products near the tank
NEVER add more than one batch of new fish per week (bioload shock)
NEVER replace all filter media at once (stagger replacements over months)