Beginner To All Plants Of The Live Nature

[Euston]

HI,

I would love to get into the world of live planting as I find some of the planted tanks around amazing to look at. I am unsure of where to go first though so will start by giving you some details and hopes and hopefully you can guide me from there.

The tank I wish to set up with plants is a Juwel Vision 180 which has 2 54watt highlite bulbs. As to wether they are T5 or 8 which I fear you may ask, I don't know as every other detail seems to have rubbed off the bulbs.

This I take to be pretty bright lighting which I imagine may make things technical, however it is my hope that I can have something set up which is pretty simple and low maintenance as job and children take up most of my time.

Oh the substrate is 2" of fine smooth sand

So please can someone advise me on this to help me get up and running.

Thankyou

 

[Biulu]

The type of bulb is less important than the wattage. If you want to get a low maintenance tank, I would start off with removing 1 of the 2 tubes. 54W in total will be enough to grew several plants that don't require daily work.

Have a look at echinodorus, cryptocoryne, fern, sagittario, vallisneria and anubia species for your scape. These all grow under low light with relatively little requirements.

Tu spanglish requiere un poco de mejoramiento...

 

[Euston]

The type of bulb is less important than the wattage. If you want to get a low maintenance tank, I would start off with removing 1 of the 2 tubes. 54W in total will be enough to grew several plants that don't require daily work.

Have a look at echinodorus, cryptocoryne, fern, sagittario, vallisneria and anubia species for your scape. These all grow under low light with relatively little requirements.

Tu spanglish requiere un poco de mejoramiento...

Thanks, I do believe I would struggle in any spanish region

How would I go about removing one of the bulbs on my juwel unit? Typically they are set so that if one bulb goes then they both don't work

 

[Biulu]

Mmm, you can not simply screw it out and leave the other one? If that doesn't work, you say you have bulbs right, not tubes? Could you alternatively lower the wattage of the bulbs you put in?

 

[Euston]

Mmm, you can not simply screw it out and leave the other one? If that doesn't work, you say you have bulbs right, not tubes? Could you alternatively lower the wattage of the bulbs you put in?

Ok sorry yeah they are tubes, just to complicate things more

By simple set up I did expect to probably have to use feeds etc, just wanted to avoid co2 if possible.

 

[Biulu]

Normally the tubes are set in serie, right? Do you have 1 or 2 ballasts? Have you tried taking 1 light out and see if the other one still functions?

 

[Euston]

Normally the tubes are set in serie, right? Do you have 1 or 2 ballasts? Have you tried taking 1 light out and see if the other one still functions?

It does have the built into the lid ballast and taking a tube out makes both not function

 

[Biulu]

That is a pity... Are you a bit handy? Could you replace the built-in set-up for a single one? It would be a matter of connecting the wires at each end and screwing in the new structure.

 

[Euston]

That is a pity... Are you a bit handy? Could you replace the built-in set-up for a single one? It would be a matter of connecting the wires at each end and screwing in the new structure.

Are there no other options?

 

[ian]

are you sure they are 54 watt...as it has rubbed off? I'm sure they are not that high in a Rio? Do the tubes look really thin or like the ones that go under kitchen units?

 

[Euston]

are you sure they are 54 watt...as it has rubbed off? I'm sure they are not that high in a Rio? Do the tubes look really thin or like the ones that go under kitchen units?

Hi

They are definitely 54w, that's the only bit that hasn't rubbed off. They are really thin tubes yes.

 

[RadaR]

35W t5 bulbs are supplied with the high-lite version of the Juwel Vision 180. See here

The type of bulb is less important than the wattage.

They're both worth knowing. A 60litre tank with 35W of t5 will need more CO2 and nutrients than a 60litre tank with 35W of t8.

 

[Euston]

35W t5 bulbs are supplied with the high-lite version of the Juwel Vision 180

Do I have to take them out and take a photograph for you to believe that I aren't dyslexic/illiterate?

 

[ian]

did you buy it second hand? The 54w was sold on the Rio 240. RadaR is right, the 180 was sold with the 35watt.

 

[Biulu]

Mmm, why don't you take the measure of your lights and go to a shop to see if you can get T5s with less wattage but with the same length? If you could get down to 35W each, you would already be much better off, and don't have to bother any further.