My 29g planted project

This is my first attempt at a planted tank so any advise will be well taken!
The tank is a 29g all glass, it has a whisper 30 and a marineland 150 bio filter on it and a typical submersible heater.
The substrate is this really cool stuff from Aquariumplants.com. Its their own mix and I've seen some pretty amazing tanks with this stuff. So I bought a 3 gallon bucket of this stuff and its at least 3 1/2 inches through-out. The lighting is nothing special and needs an upgrade pronto. Looking at a big-al special for freshwater tanks. Keeping it to low or moderate light plants.
Ive finally found some Gertrude's Rainbows. Getting a dozen of them on Friday. I'm hoping they find this tank a lovely new home and will bring me many babies!
Ive cycled the tank for the last month with five zebra danios, which ill probably dump into my main tank, and keep just the rainbows in this one. It does have two half inch Otto cats in it now that will remain. I'm thinking some shrimp for clean up will top it off. (and I'm still hoping for that zebra pleco!)

so this first picture is just after the substrate settled down a bit. Ill make sure to add a picture once it clears up.

 

Re: My planted project

i have gotten some java moss and some spirally grass stuff. And a mystery plant i got from the guy i got my L114 from. He says it grows straight outa the tank, just clip it and stuff it in the ground. Also got this petite thing.. grows on driftwood. Stuffed it into the holes on the wood.

AND *drum roll* i got ten baby Pseudomugli Gertrudae Rainbows! Twelve were shipped but only ten arrived alive. One has a question mark back...he looks like he should be swimming upside down, and another has a squiggly back. This happen often?
*prays to the fish gods* i have both males and females. They are to little to tell!

Will add a few pictures in a day or two. Don't want to stress them out with to much attention.
Thanks for the comments keep em comen!

 

Re: My planted project

Its not eco complete its aquariumplants own mix. You buy it in Gallon buckets..I bought a 3 gallon bucket, with free shipping it was under $50. It didnt weigh but twenty four pounds. It as you can see was more then enough substrate for this tank. I have friends with a 55, 87, and 125 all using this substrate. The 55g used a 5 gal bucket, the 87 used a 6g and a2g, and the 125 used two 6g buckets. They also sell their own furtilizer 'pills'. you stick them under the root balls, in sections and they last for a month. None of my friends use liquid ferts or Co2. ( to be honest i have no clue about Co2 and From what i have read you really have to know what your doing)Im hoping i have that kinda luck too. i dont mind if the plants dont just take over right away. i want healthy. If they are healthy just not super fast growers ill be ok with that.

Im not sure what these plants are, i had the little tags that were in the pots but i think my son took of with it. They all seem to have gone thru a stage with their newer leaves falling off. Hopefuly the rest will stay.

The wood was a gift (sorta ). From my Uncle who traveled to Africa. He shipped about 200lbs of this stuff back for his tanks and i snuck in and stole this piece. shhhhh dont tell nobody!!

I do want a background but im scared to paint. I like being able to change things on a whim. I have a scenic background but it didnt let you see the detail in the tank when i took pics so i removed it. Someone mentioned using a shower curtain...that idea appeals to me if i can get it on there without looking to cheap.

And about my rainbows. I had a death this morning. I think it was a female. I know for sure now i have at least two males...although the one with the squiggly back is a male. Can deformed fish still spawn? will it mean thier babies will be deformed?

Well heres another pic with the water is crystal clear. I have a breeders net in it with the danios (waiting for a new home) Maybe its close enough so you can see what plants they are?

Anyway thanks for the feedback

 

Re: My planted project

I was able to get a shot of my deformed fish! Ones a female one is a male. The top picture you can see the male on top facing the right. Notice his stripes on his back do like this ~. Then a female below to the left looks like shes upside down.

The last picture is of the tank with the new plants. On the driftwood is petite anubias, in the back right is corkscrew val, I'm thinking the plant in the left back is some sorta ozelot. i have a small flat rock with java moss on it and not sure what the little leafy plant is yet.

 

so here are a few pics of the tank as the weeks progressed. At this point everything is growing in well, the ozelot is browning..im assuming its because its not getting enough light.

all the rainbows, but one have died. The otto's are getting fat, and ive found a snail i never bought. Have no idea what plant it hitched in on.

The java moss i have, i had split and put half in the tank and half in a fish breeder net, in prep for eggs from the rainbows... well it turns out there must have been an egg on it already. i have mystery fish. Its getting bigger and bigger, I'm very curious to see what it turns into.

 

hehehe

yes its one of those magnetic things that half of it is on the outside of the tank. my son LOVES it.

 

So my sons golden mystery snail went on a vaca today. we found him about four feet away from the tank.
water was changed yesterday and i probably filled it a little to much. BUT is that why he'd leave the tank? Just because he could?
I am brand new to the world of snails...
well anyway we found him and figured wouldn't hurt to put him back into the tank just in case...well now we see one of his little feelers coming out of his shell..so looks like he wasn't dead. But I'm sure hes not doing to well. the bottom of his body...what i call his 'foot' looks to be hard..and discolored.
is there anything i can or should do for him?

Temp of tank is 82. Only him and another snail..and a Otto in this tank.
i change it once a week at least 30% of the 29g.
water parameters are steller

any thoughts?

Im thinking the hitchhiker snail we found layed eggs, or had babies or what ever it is they do. They dont need a mate? just one can do it? Ive attached a pic of what i think to be ittsy bittsy snails.. but if anyone else can confirm what it looks like id appreciate it.

Also we found this golden looking thing. Not sure what it is.
anyone have any idea?

 

here is the latest with the tank. Nothing to special just things growing. finally. once things fill out a bit more ill try to arrange them. Right now im content to watch them grow.