Bunch Of Questions! Any Input Would Be Appreciated!

[Shovelman]

Im currently redoing my 20 gallon tall aquarium and am planning on making it a planted tank as i have done with some of my other tanks! I have a couple questions however!

I wish to do some sort of carpeting plant, preferably dwarf hairgrass or so, but i know they require more nutrients and light and co2!
Would a two bulb t5 lighting fixture work? im pretty sure it was about 2.4 watts per gallon for my tanks volume (too much light?). As i have researched, with more light, more fertalizers are required and with more of both of those, CO2 is also essential.
Could hairgrass or other carpeting plants survive/and thrive in such a tank i described with about 2-2.4 watts per gallon, Fertalizer tablets inserted into the forground and LIQUID CO2, such as flourish? I know a full CO2 injection system would most likely be preffered but alas i dont have 500+ dollars for such a system, and with my schedule busy a homemade CO2 system would not be very easily preppared as well...

Any suggestions as to if this would work would be greatly appreciated as well as some other plant ideas! Thanks!

 

[Biulu]

If you dose enough liquid carbon you should be fine, although in the long run pressurised CO2 would be cheaper.

 

[Shovelman]

If you dose enough liquid carbon you should be fine, although in the long run pressurised CO2 would be cheaper.

Thanks Biulu, i hope that next year ill have saved up for a CO2 injection system.. but to start ill use flourish.

 

[Biulu]

I like lilaeopsis as a carpeting plant. I am currently trying it in a small 20 litre tank with an 11W filter and an inert substrate (sand). I am dosing 1 ml TPN 2x a week. Until now it holds on me (only 1 week after setup).

 

[Shovelman]

I like lilaeopsis as a carpeting plant. I am currently trying it in a small 20 litre tank with an 11W filter and an inert substrate (sand). I am dosing 1 ml TPN 2x a week. Until now it holds on me (only 1 week after setup).

Nice! Got another question for you. I just visited my LFS and i asked what kind of Co2 systems thy have or can order in and this is what he said i could order in http/www.theaquaticdepot.com/haplnaco2syf.html
it looks like the yeast fermentation method and was wondering if this would also work instead of the more expensive pressurized CO2 canister setup.

 

[Biulu]

If you do the yeast fermentation method you might as well do DIY CO2 as it is basically the same. And as you are saying that you don't have time for that, I would continue what you are doing and save up for a pressurised system.

 

[Andy_G]

i don't have a CO2 system myself so take this with a pinch of salt, but i know with that system you can buy the diffuser on it's own, in the uk at least, if your lookin for a cheaper way of getting extra CO2 while your saving to buy a pressurised setup. I'd only say that for a 20G tank it might be a bit large, as i know the bigger the tank the less effective homemade CO2 setups are.

Andy

 

[stevereade]

If you do weekly water changes I'd go with Andy's DIY CO2 set up as I change both bottles once a week and growth in my tank is mental, I don't have Hair Grass tho I use Riccia for my foreground carpet.

 

[Shovelman]

allright well thanks for all the recommendations everyone. I recently called a different pet store and they said they have a whole co2 injection system with the regulater, diffuser and everything else except for the co2 canister for $127, so i may be looking into that option.