What's new
By:
Filters

Luke's Planted Tank Journal

Luke,

I haven`t been replying because i`m only a nooby myself and thought others with more knowledge than me could have been of better assistance.
However since you have been waiting a while, i will have a go:

All i can say is this is what -> I <- would do:

As we discussed, i think lighting issue can simply be resolved with some quick and easy DIY.

You would need to make better mesurements yourself, so dont hold me to this, but i think you could fit in, 2 X 15inch 14 W tubes just at the back where you have 16" of room! The tubes are 15" and then the end caps from the controller probably less than 1/2 inch either end. I think they will just fit in.

Buy two arcadia 15inch T8 tubes, one of each:

http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/Z046151.asp

Arcadia 15in. Freshwater Lamp 14w £8.99
Arcadia 15in. Original Tropical Lamp 14w £5.89

Then u need 2 reflectors:
http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/Z045149.asp
Arcadia 18in. Fluorescent Reflector £4.99 each

(i cant find any 15 inch ones, but these will be fine just cut them down.

The lamp clips are also included with the reflector!!

Just get some with the normal push on lamp connectors: look at this page and look where is says in a yellow box: IP64...u want that connection not Ip67!
I can`t find an arcadia 15W twin controller but i`m sure if u do a bigger search than me! This is the same thing / what you want: VisiLux Twin 18/20w T8 (1in.) Light Unit £19.99 on: http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/Z044151.asp BUT i`d go with arcadia if you can find one!!

THATS all the hardware for lighting. Then u just need 4 small nut and bolts from B&Q, and drill your hood in 2 places for each light unit and fix in the reflectors! REALLY SIMPLE! i didnt do a cowboy job with mine, but the hood was so soft, that i used a bradhall to mark where i wanted to drill and ended up pushing my way through with that! I didnt even need to drill. So just put 2 holes in the hood for each reflector and bolt it in. Then use £2.99 black model paint, just a dab on each bolt head so that it matches your hood! But tbh, they don`t look bad chrome/steel.
Once your reflectors are in you just clip in your lights, into the clips in the reflectors (that as i said, are supplied with the reflectors) then put your controller behind the tank or mine is in the cabinet underneath since there is a decent amount of wire!

That updates your lighting situation. The CO2 unit you got looks ok!

NOW AFTER ALL THAT: you have thrown what i think is a spanner in the works...i`ve just read u want a puffer, but dont puffers need brackish water????????....i.e crap for plants!!

Hope that helps

Chris

PS> Post away guys if i have said anything wrong!
 
That is VERY helpful, thanks for all the Craynerd, i know what i need now for lighting, i really appreciate that thankyou.
As for the puffer, dwarf puffers are freshwater so its fine, and i think i'll probably go with a species amano shrimp tank so i can have more with still a low bioload.
Thank you so much.. I'll get back to the lighting issue when i get paid :).
 
PS...if u set that light system up u`ll be well away, BUT then u need to add more plants or algea will take over. Personally i`d do it all together, upgrade the lights and add CO2 then add more plants asap.
Dose with fertz and see how it goes.

Of course...the cost is endless...if ur dosing CO2 u need to know CO2 levels so need a KH and pH test kit to work it out. Dosing ferts, u need to buy the ferts and buy phosphate and nitrate test kits...

enjoy

Chris

ewww...just noticed again its only 6g, may just need one tube!! 14 W tube = 2.2wpg

or u could put in a 15" 14 w at the back and a 10inch 10W at the front or similar...u see what i`m saying.

Chris
 
Yea i was thinking of setting it up in one go, rather than bit by bit, as its pointless me setting up my C02 at the moment, as i am not going to be using the plants i have in there now, as they are just to make it look slightly better than what its like bare.

I have all the basic test kits amm, nitra, nitri, ph. But i'll need to get my KH/GH one.
Are ferts necessary? In my last post on the first page, i put about the water changing reigeam to allow ferts to work, but would c02 and improved lighting be a good enough start point. As i could always start on ferts once i've settled in so to speak.

Does anyone have an ideas on substrate specifically for plants. Then i believe gravel is placed ontop? One thing i'm worried about it, before when i had gravel, when i did a gravel vac i stuck the vac all the way into the gravel, but if it has a plant substrate underneath, it would pic all that up whch would be bad..
 
RYO - So if i had a problem with space after getting true measurments, and i had to get one of the ones you've posted. Would i need the nterpet 18w T5 Power Compact Convertagear at £15.99, and then an 18w bulb (the lowest wattage they do, as any more and my wpg would be quite high)
EDIT: Actually, which would be best for plant growth out of those? Hopefully space wont be an issue, plus i'd rather the normal lighting systems as its easier to choose the bulbs etc. Thanks for the link though. If space was a problem, i'd prob cut bits out of the hood sides to fit it in.
 
just noticed again its only 6g, may just need one tube!! 14 W tube = 2.2wpg
Click to expand...

2.2wpg in a 6g will be low lighting. Smaller tanks need more light per volume. 2 x 14W with reflectors would work well especially with CO2 injection.
 
Never knew that, cheers for the info gf. I'll take some acurate measurments tomorrow to be 100% sure and i'll post them. Then i'll see if my Mom will lend me £50 or so until i get paid so i can buy the lighting and bulbs etc, but i'll need to make sure they fit, so i can email the sellers of the above website to measure the end caps for me.

Can anyone shed some 'light' on substrates please?

EDIT: Also found some arcadia light starter units.
 
Thanks for the recomendations.
If i opted for laterite and fine gravel, would i just have to be careful when vacing so the tube doesnt pic up the laterite?
If i opted for the laterite and sand, is it basically mixed up together, or is it laterite on the bottom, sand on the top?
Also, what dept of substrate is best (laterite on its own, gravel, laterite/sand combined) (all 3 would be helpful)
 
from what i gather both are mixes...i.e you mix the laterite with the gravel or sand. Its not like a compost which you place underneath the sand.

Also ""from what i have heard!!" laterite isn`t like a sand but more like a gravel 2mm ish, so i dont think u need to be extra careful when hoovering!

I have ordered laterite for my nano 6 g planted tank which i am currently setting up. Should be here tomorrow!!

I presume therefore gf225 that my ideas for his lighting are ok if he uses 2 x 14W tubes?

Chris
 
if ur serious about a planted tank, u wont be able to get near to it to vac it. In my tank i have to disturb the bottom and vac up the crud that way, there are too many plants to actually get the vac everyone on the bottom

I`ll let you know how it is!

Chris
 
I am serious about it yea.
Well, how can you get around fish/other waste? instead of physically hoovering the stuff off, can you just float it above?
Or do you have to keep up on water changes to combat it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Most reactions

Latest Discussions

F
Snail identification and are they eating my plants?
Replies
4
Views
29
fishtime!
F
C
Hot! Lost second fish
Replies
10
Views
106
Country joe
C
Sparx
Reed/Rope fish - eating the others??
Replies
5
Views
87
Sparx
Sparx
C
Zero nitrates
Replies
4
Views
44
Country joe
C
C
Gold rams fungal infection?
Replies
7
Views
82
Colin_T
Colin_T

Useful Links

Back
Top