Frenchie'S 29 Gallon(Updated 11-09-09)

[frenchie]

Here is the start of my new 29 gallon tank. It is going to replace my two ten gallons.

I found the tank, hood, light, filter, heater, and stand on craigslist for $75.

The light is no where near strong enough for plants so if anyone has any good, cheaper suggestions, it would be apreciated.

here is the new tank next to the two it is replacing:

With eco-complete and driftwood(still kinda cloudy):

I took down the bottom ten gallon already and used filter media from that, so hopfully it cycles quick and I can get to planting.

Also any suggestions for commonly available plants? I currently have java moss, an amazon sword, and two different types of anubias. I would like to do no co2 but it is not out of the question.

 

[Amunet]

Crypts are usually pretty easy to get ahold of. Be warned though, they often lose their leaves when disturbed, so don't be surprised if you see that the leaves are melting. It should grow new ones though so don't throw it out
Your tank looks great so far. Really like that piece of wood!
Can't wait to see more

 

[jacko9901]

some sort of vallis are usually easy to get hold of, also cabomba.

looking foward to the tanks progress

 

[Amunet]

Yeah Cabomba is good... but might not do well if your lighting is too weak.
Have you tryed ebay for lighting?
We recently bought 2 36" t5 78W lighting for our 125gal tank. Each one was $40 (plus shipping which was about $18). A LOT cheaper than anything we could've gotten in a petstore.

 

[bagu]

looks fantastic

 

[frenchie]

thanks everyone, unfortunately it will probably be about two weeks(paycheck) before I add anything, but it should be nice and cycled by then

 

[lljdma06]

thanks everyone, unfortunately it will probably be about two weeks(paycheck) before I add anything, but it should be nice and cycled by then

Where in IL are you? I went to school in Champaign-Urbana.

Do I see blue gravel in your other tanks? The eco-complete is an improvement.

It'll be great seeing a 29g, not many are out there and planted well. I always thought they had potential because of their height. Same reason why I like a 20g high rather than a long.

llj

 

[frenchie]

Where in IL are you? I went to school in Champaign-Urbana.

Do I see blue gravel in your other tanks? The eco-complete is an improvement.

It'll be great seeing a 29g, not many are out there and planted well. I always thought they had potential because of their height. Same reason why I like a 20g high rather than a long.

llj

Yup, I go to school at UIUC. I had a hard time finding plants that would grow well in the blue gravel, I'm hoping for good things out of the 29g. However, my plant knowledge is still very limited so wish me luck.

 

[lljdma06]

Where in IL are you? I went to school in Champaign-Urbana.

Do I see blue gravel in your other tanks? The eco-complete is an improvement.

It'll be great seeing a 29g, not many are out there and planted well. I always thought they had potential because of their height. Same reason why I like a 20g high rather than a long.

llj

Yup, I go to school at UIUC. I had a hard time finding plants that would grow well in the blue gravel, I'm hoping for good things out of the 29g. However, my plant knowledge is still very limited so wish me luck.

Have you discovered Sailfin, if it's still open? It's on Green street, I think, if I'm remembering correctly. Take the Green route right until you enter campus town, if you're taking the bus.

llj

 

[frenchie]

yup, it's pretty much the only place I go. Fantastic shop, it's too bad more people don't know about it.

 

[lljdma06]

yup, it's pretty much the only place I go. Fantastic shop, it's too bad more people don't know about it.

You can special order with them, by the way. Just tell them what you want and if it's on their list, they'll get it. I've not used it, but have seen others use it.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

llj

 

[frenchie]

You can special order with them, by the way.

I never thought about that for plants. Maybe I'll look into that, their current plant stock doesn't look super healthy and it has a lot of algae.

 

[frenchie]

this is the light I am looking at for the tank: 1x65w that puts me at 2.24wpg.

Does that lok like a good choice? Anyone know of any other good lights for my tank in the $60-$80 range?\

My other option is 2 2x18w T-5. Those each have a ColorMax full-spectrum bulb and a 6700K plant bulb, but would cost around $80 total.

 

[lljdma06]

If you get a glass cover, you can rest the 24" Coralife 55W fixture on the tank. That'll knock the WPG down a bit. How much light do you want? What are the tank dimensions. It's like 30" wide, right?

The other option seems a might high. You don't want too much light that you'll be a slave to the tank, especially since you're at school.

 

[frenchie]

the tank is 30" wide. I still have the original light which is up to 20watts if I got a new bulb for it. So I could just add the 2x18 which would put me at 56 total and 1.93wpg. I thought 2+ is recommended for most planted setups?

I plan on liquid ferts but would like to avoid co2, what lighting range should I be looking for? I currently have 1.5wpg on my planted 10gallon, some plants grow slowly in it and others do not grow at all. Co2 is not totally out of the question but a pressurized system is out of my budget.