Planting 72x30x30"

[markreefer]

Planning the planting on a 72"x30"x30" tank. Ideally I dont want to create something which will become a nightmare to control but will I need substantial planting to avoid algae growth?

I really want to create soemthing with minimum maintenance and dont want to be forever pruning plants, and fast growing plants in a 30" deep tank wont be easy to control as I can hardly reach the bottom.

My LFS suggested Plastic plants but I am not too sure about that?

Input welcome.

 

[cheesy feet]

Nahh don't go for the plastics.Aim for lights between 5000-7500k, being 30" deep you might have to place mosses and java fern higher up on wood/ornaments with only having anubias right at the bottom
You will be looking at low light plants, and to prevent algae I would go with normal or corkscrew vallis.
Low light plants which I would recommend from trial and error are
anubias, java fern, java moss (flame moss, no way as favourable of low light as java moss), crypt wendtii and becketii, water lettuce.

Other mosses could include christmas, willow etc but I have not tried these.

 

[markreefer]

Thanks Mr. What density of planting would I need in respect of Vallis to control algae? What are the favoured lighting units for a tank this size? Are there any formulas to calculate lighting in terms of wattage for freshwater plants?

 

[aaronnorth]

cover at least 75% of the substrate with any plants. what are you using for lighting? you may need metal halides or mecury vapour to penetrate to the bottom.

 

[RadaR]

cover at least 75% of the substrate with any plants. what are you using for lighting? you may need metal halides or mecury vapour to penetrate to the bottom.

I second that.

 

[cheesy feet]

Yea, fill ALL the substrate with plants, by doing this they get the essential food for algae before the algae can.
Oh and also onion plants are great low light plants ideal for the size od your tank.

Wisteria, hygrophila polysperma, ludwigia, combomba are all great fast growers useful to prevent algae, but all require atleast 1.5 or 2watts per gallon.

Whats the budget for your lighting?