I am in the beginning stages of setting up a freshwater planted tank. I have experience in setting up and keeping several kinds of tanks including salt water fish, salt water reef, freshwater fish, and terrariums...but this is my first attempt at a planted tank.
I am using a 40 gallon glass aquarium (36"x 18"x 16") with a 36" Power Compact light fixture (2 x 96 watts, 10,000K & Actinic....the fixture also has a moonlight feature that looks really cool at night.) I have 45 lbs. of Flourite topped with 15 lbs. of Onyx sand for my substrate. I rinsed all substrate material as best I could before using it, but the water was still a bit cloudy when I filled the tank. Letting the filter run for a few hours cleared the tank up nicely.

**TIP** - I read somewhere that if you place a plate on top of your substrate and pour the water on it when filling the tank, you will not disturb the substrate. This is a great tip and it saved me the frustration of having to re-level the sand in the tank.

Be sure to check out the pics I have posted in my part of the photo gallery.

Stay tuned to hear about my next steps which include cycling the tank, dissolving CO2, and the beginning of the planting process.