new mini tank for plants

[GraemeK]

Hey!

I bought a new mini tank at the weekend which has a filter, light and heater all included. Its quite smart actually. the light is an 8w tube. I instantly replaced it with a Hagen powerglo 8w to boost the light as much as posible!

The tank is only 4.4 gallons so thats 1.8w per gallon?

It doesnt appear as bright as my main tank which only has 40w of light over 30gallon? Anyway i wanted suggetsions on plants. its such a small tank that only foreground plants would be suited i guess. I got quite a bit of bogg wood in there which keeps leaking tanins!!! so i gotta keep changing the water at the mo.

G

 

[Lateral Line]

You could add some carbon to your filter, that will remove the colouration, for a while at least, maybe long enough until the wood stops producing. Persoanlly, I like the colouration, and if the wood stops leaching, I get more, or add extract!

1.8W per gallon is a little short of Medium light, but in such a small tank, probably not a worry as there is not much water between the lamp and the bottom of the tank to absorb the light. You may be able to squeeze more effect with a good reflector.

Have a browse through the plant list at Tropica for some plant ideas. Consider your water conditions, and choose things that want "Medium" light and are flagged as Easy or Very Easy.

 

[GraemeK]

alright...

well i the tannins are quite noticable! i.e the water is like tea! i replaced in on Monday and it was fine then Tuesday evening it was back to normal! now it need changing again zzzzz

i have carbon in there but that isnt making any differance. I have three plants in there so changing the water every other day might harm em? not sure but i gotta get rid of most of the colour...its annoying me! As for light well when the water isnt brown its quite bright now! brighter than my other tank i think. Adding a reflector could be hard as this is a pre built tank with the light built into the hood... i could try i guess.....but with about 10in of water dept its bright enough i think. I'm going to wait until the colour goes then strt maturing the tank...hopefully alage wont start growing with all the new phoshate in the water!! i got some Rowas or something which takes the phostphates out the water......works quite well on my main tank. I would use plants from that in the new mini tank but i got this black hair alage which is slowley going but i dont want to contaminate!

G

 

[Annastasia]

I boil my wood for an hour before I put it in the tank. That gets almost all the die out. It has always worked for me!

 

[akhtar]

i had the same problem... ull find after a while it will go... and i know how annoying it is although mine is only yellow not like urs

 

[GraemeK]

yup i'll bare this tips in mind next time!!! i also noticed a slime like mould growing on my gravel last night... strange.

Some leaves on my Crypts have turned yellow since being introduced to the new tank but i guess this is down to shock?

G