Another Newbie Trying A Planted Tank

[bosshogg2003]

Hi all, I am attempting to setup a 20 UK gallon planted tank for dwarf puffers, they need plenty of plants and decorations so I guess I will need to look at lighting in more detail than my normal combination of live and fake plants, with the standard T8 bulb.

The tank is 30 inch long so if I use T8 24 inch lamps at 18 watt each to get the 2 wpg quoted on the forums I think I would need three of them is this correct?

My alternative is to buy an Interpet compact T5 unit, I have been considering the 2 x 36 watt 16 inch lamps that I figured I could space out to fill the tank with light, or would I be better off with the 2 x 55 watt 21 inch lamps?

I assume you do need to space out these lamps.

Also what do you suggest as a fertilizer, from UK sources?

Would it be wise to buy a Co2 setup?

I would like to get a grass type plant for the bottom of the tank that only grows quite small, is there one and what is t called?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated as I am useless with plants.

Thanks

 

[Dave Spencer]

The tank is 30 inch long so if I use T8 24 inch lamps at 18 watt each to get the 2 wpg quoted on the forums I think I would need three of them is this correct?

Would it be wise to buy a Co2 setup?

Thanks

If you are going for 2WPG then CO2 is a must because that level of light will give you serious algae problems otherwise.

I use an Interpet T5 55W Daylight Plus and Triplus and am very happy with the look they give to the tank, plus plant growth of course.

 

[Themuleous]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Can I suggest you read the pinned articles, on EI (estimative Index), lighting, algae and CO2 they'll probably answer your questions, then you can ask more specific questions after? I'm certain there will be more after reading those! They might take a few reads but well worth it as they are full of very useful info.

As a brief rundown,

WPG is worked out using US gallons NOT UK gallons.

I would aim for 3-4 WPG over a 20g (which I also assume is tall? As I have a 20g thats only 30" long.) if you want to go high light.

I would add Co2 if you can, pressurised would be better on a tank that size but 2 or 3 yeast types would probably be as good, although that'll cost nearly as much as pressurised anyway!

Get a decent plant substrate, it'll help loads in the long run and its easier adding it when you first set the tank up rather than adding it to a mature tank, which isn't impossible, but is tricky and takes hours.

As for a grass type plant, hairgrass would probably fit the bill, but can be tricky, so perhaps a sagittaria species would be easier for a first time set up, far less demanding and will carpet quickly.

Hope that helps keep us posted re your progress.

Sam

 

[bosshogg2003]

I have gone through the pinned articles, but to be fair I am no chemist, and although they are simply written by clever people for morons like me I still need help

There are references to ADA, eco complete, laterite etc, I have found eco complete but ADA seems to be US only. Would Tetraplant be any good?

Calculating C02 from PH and KH from a table but where do I get the table?

Would I be better off with the lighting with low light and no C02 injection?

I have an unused Hydor Co2 injector (diy type) worth using?

Puffer fish are very messy eaters and over filtration is normal, for this I will start with a Fluval 4 plus but will need to go external in the future, what effect will the flow have on the chemistry/balance?

Simply, the puffers are my main concern, filtration and a well cycled tank are a must, but I would like a planted tank for them, if someone with more experience and knowledge would say use this, with that and this, fine that’s what I will buy (UK).

I am now thinking 20mm eco complete plus 25mm gravel as the substrate, 2 x 36w T5 compact lights with two triplus bulbs and my Hydor Co2

Any suggestions?

 

[Themuleous]

Right, it sounds like the puffers come first, plants second, therefore I would suggest you go down the lower light route, as you can still get lots of nice healthy plants but it wont be as time consuming or as costly as a high light tank, which in this instance sounds like overkill and will probably just distract you from the puffers anyway.

In that case, I suggest the following

Substrate - use a base layer, something like tetraplant, fluorite, tropica plant, or laterite with a layer of gravel over the top as recommended by the manufactures. Complete substrates like eco-complete and ADA aquasoil will be expensive and unnecessary IMHO. They also affect the water chemistry which is just another hassle you probably don't need.

Lighting - Aim for around 1.5WPG (Watts per gallon, worked out using US gallons, so you've got a 24US gallon tank) or a bit more up to 2WPG. 2x 18w Arcadia freshwater T8 tubes and a glomat twin starter would be ideal, then get a reflector for each, an added expense but very worth it.

Plants - this is really up to you, check the pinned plant list started by Rose, there is a recent post on there for low light plants, take your pick! I harp on about them a lot but sagittaira species would do well in those conditions, then add whatever takes your fancy around a foreground 'mat' of these.

Don't bother with CO2 at this stage, if you find you need to lower the pH of the tank and/or just want to see what its like get 1 or 2 nutrafin yeast units and run both into a single ladder, that would suffice.

Lastly, get a decent liquid fert and add it to the tank weekly, seachem flourish or tropica plant nutrition would be ideal. (BTW there is also a tropica plant nutrition 'plus' dont get this one, it contains N and P which you wont need)

Sam

 

[bosshogg2003]

Cheers exactly what I was after, can't thank you enough, off to LFS now!!