Equipment Check

[Sheridanp]

I've decided I will not grow plants with 0.69 wpg of lighting. I think I'd rather wait it out and get decent lighting and good plants. I am just posting for people to check out the hardware I want, and if it would work. I have a 29 gallon aquarium that is 30" in width and 16" in height.

CO2- Will this product just pump it right into my tank? Once this is purchased, all I have to do is refill the CO2?

Arcadia Overtank Luminaire 30"- I presume this will fit perfectly on my tank. I am still looking for places to bu this, but would this be alright? Also, I think I would go for the one with 130 watts. Then I would have 4.48 wpg, allowing me to grow just about any plant.

Root Tabs- I think I would rather use root tabs instead of taking out all of the sand in my aquarium and using laterite. Is this a good product?

Of course I will be using the products from Greg Watson.

Is there anything else I need? Thank you.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

One of my favoraite quotes from karen Randall:

I have yet to meet a “high intensity” plant that could not be grown well in a tank of normal depth at around 3 watts per gallon. If the plant is not growing at 3 watts per gallon, look to other causes for the failure first.

Laterite, fluorite etc are not fertilizers, what they basically do is bind certain elements which the plant roots can then extract.

If adding co2. you should use a filter that does not aggitate the surface and outgas your co2.

At the 3wpg level you will need more than root tabs as ferts and to be dosing virtually daily- NPK and trace elements.

A high light, co2 added planted tank is considered an expert level tank. if you have had no experience growing low or medium light plants, you may find it very daunting. I normally tell folks wanting to get into live plants that they should start simple and then work their way up the plant learning curve.

 

[Sheridanp]

Well right now I only have a 20 watt bulb, so I need a whole new lighting system. I want atleast 2wpg. I have an Aquaclear 200, so I'm not sure about it aggitating the surface. So, I was going to use root tabs and NPK and trace elements, that is enough right?

 

[lljdma06]

4.8WPG is too much for DIY CO2, I push DIY with 3.7, and it's hard. You have to be constantly maintaining a proper balance.

Let me see and do a google or big Al's search for you. Below is a good fixture. Easy to maintain, not too expensive and it'll give you 2.24WPG, which is pretty good for most of the easier plants and easier to manage DIY CO2. Most aqua clear filters have a turning knob to control flow. Adjust this to the lowest setting and you should be fine. I have no problems with my aquaclears. Root tabs are ok, I did this with my 15g and 10g in IL, and had good results, but I also dose using the EI method. It may be something to consider, just in case.

Link to light fixture at BigAls. I like Coralife. Pricey perhaps, but very good, I've never been disappointed with their fixtures. The heat produced is not bad and easily monitored.
http/www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/produc...id1=1843;pcid2=

Pinned article on EI
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=104737

I agree that you should start very simple and work you way up to more complicated setups. Have good substrate and buy good-quality plants. Get your CO2 to the level you want BEFORE you turn on your lights and plant the plants. It'll save you some algae problems later on and will give your plants the competitive edge to out compete algae. Initially, plant with a lot of FGSP (Fast-growing stem plants). This will help with balancing your system to prevent algae. It won't be the prettiest, but you can alwasy change your aquascape to slower growers once you've established a consistant fertilization and tank maintenance regimen. Have fun and I hope this helps a bit.

llj

 

[Sheridanp]

That lighting fixture is excellent and in my price range. Thank you. Also, no one has really answered my question. Will the Nutrafin CO2 system work?

 

[lljdma06]

That lighting fixture is excellent and in my price range. Thank you. Also, no one has really answered my question. Will the Nutrafin CO2 system work?

He he, I will. The Nutrafin CO2 system is what I use, except I toss the packets, which are garbage, and do the following (courtesy of Jimbooo):

1/2 cup sugar, pour into canister. This is usually to the first set of notches.
In a cup, mix 1/2 cup lukewarm tapwater with 1/2 tsp yeast and mix well. Add 1/2-1tsp of Sodium bicarbonate, if your tapwater kH is less than 3-4.
Pour the mixture into the canister with the sugar.
Add enough lukewarm tapwater to be 2cm below the top notch. Fill it too much, and you'll get yeasty yuckies in your tank.
Mix well and seal the container. Enjoy. You'll have enough fermenting yeast for about a week or so.

It's a nice system for simpler tanks. I get away with it in my high-light 15g, but I change the same mix 2x a week. You may or may not need two systems.

 

[phlawed]

eco-complete looks good on top of substrate already there and gives it a natural look when mixed over time. I will try to get a pic soon of what i mean.

 

[AnneRiceBowl]

In my planted 30 US gallon long, I have a 3" to 4" depth of Eco-Complete, I fertilize (when I remember to, which is not that often) with Seachem Flourish tabs, a 96W Oddysea Compact Flourescent light (which gives me 3.2 Wpg), an AquaClear 50 that has been modified with a filter sponge on the intake and a DIY water deflector (which gives me about 2% surface agitation; I need some for my Singapore shrimp, which are filter feeders), and I have two 2 liter bottles of DIY CO2 that I have the airline tubing wedged in the AC's intake. My plants are pearling beautifully and have tripled their height and fullness in the last 2 weeks.

 

[craynerd]

Twotankadmin wrote:

I normally tell folks wanting to get into live plants that they should start simple and then work their way up the plant learning curve.

Why? I started off with high light, Diy CO2 tones of plants i`d never heard of and no ferts!
Problems arose, i posted on here and worked through them. LEarning all the time but most importantly learning FROM the problems!

I am actually quite confused at how you would work up, as you say. In my opinion, its one of them "all or nothing" sort of things! Its not like you can start adding more light one month, CO2 the next and then ferts after a while. Its either all or nothing, since it all works together?!?
Just my opinion, i was just confused by you statement!

Chris

 

[MoreCoffee]

Just noting that for that size of tank you'll need 2 of the Nutrafin systems. Each one is good for upto 70Ltrs.
Using connectors you can run them into the same tubing and into a single bubble ladder.
Works fine on mine. If you use them, I would add a non-return check valve into the line, these are not standard with the Nutrafin setup, but worth having.

Mr G

 

[Sheridanp]

Can I do a 2" layer of Eco-Complete and then a 2" layer of sand? That would work much better because I really like the sand.

 

[Sheridanp]

Can anyone answer that?

 

[MoreCoffee]

As far as I know there is no reason at all why you cant cover Eco-complete with sand (although it doesnt need it) it is what I'm planning on doing in my 130L and 240L tanks. I'm also planning on putting a heating cable under it all.

I have seen it mentioned on a website somewhere .... but wouldnt be able to find the link if my life depended on it !

I like the Eco-complete for plants, but want the sand for my Panda and Juli Cory's.

Mr G

 

[Themuleous]

sand over eco-complete will work find, but you'll find the sand works its way into the eco-complete in time so it wont stay seperate for very long.

 

[MoreCoffee]

sand over eco-complete will work find, but you'll find the sand works its way into the eco-complete in time so it wont stay seperate for very long.

... having one tank with Eco-complete, I can see how the sand would work it's way in.
I'll still give it a try on at least 1 of my tanks next time I rework it.

I'm planning on using Tahitian Moon Sand, it's black so should match the eco-complete quite well.