New To This, Please Help :d

[CutieWitBooty]

Ok well I currently have a 10 gal reef tank, but i'm buying a bigger one (25 gal) and trasfuring everything from the 10 gal to the bigger tank. Now i'll have an empty 10 gal with a HOB filter and lights. I'm buying new $400 280watt metal halides for the new bigger tank (hahaha over 11 watts per gal ), so the lights that are on the 10 gal get to stay. I was thinking since the lights are good one the 10gal that i shouldn't let them go to waste, so i decided to could make a 10 gal planted freshwater tank. The lights on the 10 gal make it only 4 watts per gal, is that ok? I was going to go with ecocomplete for substrate and i wouldn't need any o2 stuff for such a small tank right? The lights on the tank are 50/50, 50% 10000k and 50% actinic 03 blue, would that be ok? There are 2, 20 watt bulbs giveing me 4 watts per gal. Any info would be great, thanks!!

 

[zig]

With 4 WPG over a 10 gallon you would need CO2 or at least a source of carbon, so if you dont want to use CO2 you could try Seachem flourish Excel as an alternative this is an organic source of carbon.

The WPG guideline breaks down for small and very large tanks but notwithstanding that 4 WPG will enable you to grow most plant species IMO.

The ideal spectrum for freshwater planted tanks is 6500k, but pretty much any lamp between 3000k and 10000k will do fine it really comes down to personal viewing preference, i usually stick with tubes between 6000 and 7500k for viewing purposes, lamps around 6500k are probably the most realistic in terms of daylight, some people get good results with the 10000k lamps but i wouldnt go any higher than this as its at the blue end of the spectrum and will enduce algae in a planted tank.

 

[CutieWitBooty]

Well since my bulbs are half 10k and half actinic blue would that cause alot of algae then? And you said i would need co2 because of the 4wpg, is that because 4wpg isn't enough?

 

[zig]

Well since my bulbs are half 10k and half actinic blue would that cause alot of algae then? And you said i would need co2 because of the 4wpg, is that because 4wpg isn't enough?

Generally tanks with low levels of light do not require CO2, basically the more light you put over a planted tank the plants will grow quicker and therefore require more nutrients and after light CO2 would be one of the main requirements, so if the plants need CO2 or carbon and it is not available to them then you will get algae, and this is the reason why if you use more light you must provide CO2 or a source of carbon, at certain higher light thresholds it becomes a nescessity,

2x20 watts over a 10 gallon would be considered medium lighting but in my experience if you dont provide a source of carbon you will more than likely get algae quite quickly, i have a 15 gallon tank with 2x15 watts over it and if i dont provide carbon i get algae.

You cannot use atinic lamps over a planted tank, you can, but the results will be the same as if you dont use the carbon.......algae.

Swap out the tubes for something in the 6500k range.

 

[CutieWitBooty]

do you have a link or anyhting to 65k PC bulbs. I have looked for them a lowes, but haven't been able to find any. When you say use carbon, do you mean the normal carbon that's in a filter?

 

[zig]

do you have a link or anyhting to 65k PC bulbs. I have looked for them a lowes, but haven't been able to find any. When you say use carbon, do you mean the normal carbon that's in a filter?

Im sorry im not in the USA i dont know where you would find them local, any of the large online aquatic retailers will sell them.

No i dont mean carbon from the filter, i mean carbon dioxide (CO2) or the alternative you can use is Seachem Excel which you will also find online from any large aquatic retailer.