Low Tech W/ Surface Agitation?

[gourami_fan]

So I am planning on creating my first planted tank and I want to start off easy with low tech and no CO2. The thing I'm not sure about is that I have surface agitation due to the HOB filter. Is it okay for a low tech aquarium to have surface agitation or will that deplete the only small amount of CO2 in the tank.

Also, my tank is already established w/ fish. Do I need to start from scratch or can I add the substrate and plants in like it is?

 

[Themuleous]

The surface agitation wont be an issue, its not really an issue in high light tanks, its just that you have to compensate by having a higher co2 rate into the tank, so its not 'bad' per se.

If you get a pre-cured substrate like eco-complete then you could add it to a mature tank with no problems. Avoid ADA aquasoil as it creates a massive NH3 spike for the first few weeks, which your fish wont like! Any of the base layer substrates (i.e. the ones you cap with gravel) should also be ok. The tropica one it very good.

Sam

 

[Colin_T]

just leave the tank the way it is and add some plants and liquid iron base fertilisers. Then see how things go.
I use Sera Florena for plants and have a couple of fluoro lights on the tanks. I have nothing in the gravel and use undergravel filters that get gravel cleaned each week. The filters are run with airstones and there is heaps of surface turbulence. The plants do pretty well as long as they get the Florena and light.

Good plants to try include Narrow Vallis, Ambulia, Elodia, Hygrophilla sp, common Amazon Swordplants & Ludwigia.

 

[gourami_fan]

Thanks, I'm going to do just that.

One more thing though, I usually hear people use 2 or more light bulbs for their lighting. Is it okay just to use one light bulb and make it 1.9wpg? So that would be a 55watt on a 29 gallon US.

 

[Colin_T]

you can use 1 light on a tank. The plants won't grow as quickly but you also won't get as much algae.
If you find the plants don't do as well with only one light try increasing the lighting period. You can have the light on for up to 16hours per day.
The plants I listed above should be fine under 1 light.

 

[gourami_fan]

So I checked my LFS today and the highest watt they have that would fit my light fixture is 15W. All the higher watts are the really long tubes. Is there such a thing as a 40W-60W tube that would be around 15-20 inches maximum?

I need atleast 55W on my setup and i can only fit 2 tubes on my hood.

 

[Themuleous]

Nope, the tube size and wattage are fixed, i.e. a tube of a given length will always have a set wattage. You could try power compact lighting, check this out.

[URL="http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/catalogue...ct-lighting.asp"]http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/catalogue...ct-lighting.asp[/URL]

FYI please dont run your light for 16hrs, 12 is the absolute max, unless you've got very very low lighting levels. More and the plants wont appreciate it and will burn themselves out due to having to work for such a long period of time. People forget the plants need the dark period just as much as they need the light period. The fish I wouldn't think would enjoy 16hrs either.

Sam