lighting and co2

[Paul_MTS]

Righty I have a 25 gallon with not fishy people at the moment just a couple plants.But on order i have 68plants coming so at the moment I have 1 30" tube thats a arcadio origianl tropical tube. It doesn't seem to give great light especially since my bog wood is still given out tannin after boiling.

With all this new plants which is a selection of fore, mid and background plants should I go about getting more lighting?

Also is a co2 kit worth it and will it mess u my chemistry as I don't want to have to mess aorund with that too much really.

 

[Silly me]

you'll need the light, and for 68 plants you might just aswell add the CO2..

Try and get more light .. like 3-4watts per gallon that 2 or 3 more tubes. you dont need the special plant grow light just 5500k - 6700K office lights. OSRAM make great 6100K light thats very cheap..

 

[Paul_MTS]

Ah ha I know the guy down the road where i did work experience stcks OSRAM.

I'll have to get another starting unit though.

Does co2 alter my chesmistry much as when reading PFK last night they had an artical eon it and daid you had to fiddle about with it...and i only have a UGF so I can't just add filter media to sort it out.

 

[sinistral]

Before you put fish in is a good time to tinker with your CO2 levels. In my 10g planted, my pH dropped from 7.6 pre-CO2 to 6.6-6.8 post CO2. I've since stopped the CO2 injection and added a fish. The water around here doesn't have much buffering capacity as it is though.

 

[Paul_MTS]

ah, thats not so good news!!

Oh just read the CO2 artical in PFK again and it seems your spot on and should expect PH levels of aorund 6.8, and KH range with it should be around 70 to 90 mg/l!

I think I'll go ahead with it, the one thats on offer at the moment is only £15 anyways.

I'm going to be starting fresh with my tank again basically anyways so I'll be waiting a while to stock mine

 

[sinistral]

Sounds good; like I said, now's the right time to mess around with adding CO2. It would be much more difficult if you added fish first and then added CO2 and then had that big swing in pH...

Have you considered making a DIY CO2? Very cheap.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I wouldn't have a clue where to start, and for £15 for the kit with free fermenting tablets it'll probable cost more to make it myself over here!!

Where do the bubbles come out?

 

[Paul_MTS]

ok my lfs has co2 kits but are powered by cannisters(pressureised bottles) and there called flouramats shoudl I get one of these or a nutrafin one that uses a black bottle which you put fermenting tablets in?