Who Gives A Fish Forums

Just set up my tank and I'm excited to see how it'll turn out. Cycling is complete, levels are all good, and pH is a bit high at 7.5, so I'll be adjusting that to 7 today. This is my first planted tank, and I have high hopes for it, so I don't want to make any mistakes. I've started adding plants, and for now, there won't be any fish.

My tank specs are as follows:
60 Gallon Tank, 48" Wide, 12" Deep, 24" High
2 x oceanic_42 70 Hang on Filters
I'm using sand as substrate, with driftwood pieces for decoration
Medium to high light, running 9 hours a day
Temperature is at 81.5 Fahrenheit
Currently using Seachem Flourish Tabs for nutrients

Plants in the tank right now:
2 x Zorchzon Swords
2 x Anubia Bartari tied to the driftwood

Plants I'll be adding this week:
2 x Anubias Heterophylla
5 x Jungle Vals
1 x Christmas Moss will be on the driftwood
1 x Cryptocoryne Wendtii

A few questions:
1) Should I use another Seachem product, like Flourish or Excel, or a specific nutrient? I'm thinking about the Moss and Bartari attached to the driftwood, and their nutrient needs.

2) Anything you'd change in my setup? Be honest.

3) Thinking of adding Cherry Shrimp - should I wait a few months or will they benefit the plants right now?

Thanks for checking out my tank.

I'm not a fan of Anubias, they're not true aquatics and they tend to shrink over time when submerged.

When it comes to Crypts, they can be quite finicky and may rot if their rhizome is damaged. Make sure to check for any soft spots or black bits on the roots and rhizome before adding them to your tank.

I've found Ambulia and Hygrophila polysperma to be pretty hardy plants, and they're great indicators of when they've had enough light - they close up their leaves when they're satisfied. They also turn yellow if they're not getting enough iron or trace elements, which is helpful to know since your Zorchzon Swords take longer to show deficiencies.

As for fertilizers, I've only ever used Sera Florena, a liquid iron-based fertilizer that you add as needed. It comes with an iron test kit, and you aim to keep the levels around 1ppm. Some other brands can be useful, but I've heard mixed reviews - I'll let others share their experiences.

You can also make terrac balls to place under your plants' roots when planting. Use a red or orange terrac and create balls about 10mm in diameter. Then, just push one into the substrate under the plant. You can even dry them out at room temperature and store them for later use. These terrac balls can be used in conjunction with other fertilizers.

I wouldn't bother adjusting your pH, 7.5 is perfectly fine for most plants and fish. However, given the height of your tank, you might find that the plants near the bottom don't get enough light. If that's the case, increasing the photoperiod should help.

As for adding shrimp, I'd say go for it - they can establish themselves and even breed before you introduce fish.

Thanks so much for the detailed response, coltin. I really appreciate the time you took to share your experience and knowledge. I found your advice to be extremely helpful and I'll definitely take it all into consideration as I move forward with my tank. I think I'll end up leaving the pH at 7.5, as you suggested, and I'm also going to look into using Sera Florena as my fertilizer.