Some advice from you guys please....

[zig]

Hiya

To calculate WPG you use US gallons, so in your case your tank is 30 UK gallons which would equal 36 US gallons, so you have about 1.1 WPG with a 40 watt lamp, you wont be able to grow much with this, i would suggest you add another 40 watt tube and this would give you 2.2 WPG a pretty decent level of light and you wouldnt need co2, co2 would help but its not a must at this level of light.

There are lots of tubes to choose from

Hagen life Glo 6700k
Zoo Med Ultra Sun 6500k
Interpet Daylight 6500k
Interpet Triplus 8300k
Arcadia Freshwater 7500k

Any of these would be suitable for growing plants, or you could use a combination of 2 different tubes.

Hope this helps..........good luck with it.

 

[George Farmer]

This may sound a little controversial but I think you could actually have fairly good results with your 1 x 42" 40W tube. Sure it's only just over 1 WPG but your tank is relatively shallow - thus needing less penetration. Buying another 40W tube would definitely give you better results but if you're on a budget.....

Buy a good tube or tubes. Personally if I had to get just the one it would be the Interpet Daylight Plus. This is actually a 4-band light (4 spectral peaks rather than the normal 3) so will give the best chance of reaching the photosynthesing requirements of your chosen plants. It's probably the best choice of tube if you are limited to only the one. Buy a good reflector too - the Arcadia type is ideal. If you two tubes then mixing is a good idea.

CO2 - I would recommend this in any planted tank, no matter the lighting levels. Sure it's only "necessary" with over 2 WPG but it will help all plants at all lighting levels. As mentioned the Nutrafin units are great - two would be ideal in your size.

Plants - If you stick to the one tube then you will be limited to a few easy species. Obvious choices are the low-light classics; Anubias, Crypts, Java fern/moss. You may have success with a few others; Hygrophila, Ludwigia, Limnophila sessiflora, Egeria densa, Water sprites, Hornwort, Vallis. If you go the CO2 route then you will stand a much better chance of success. Get a collection from Greenline - see what does well then concentrate on those species.

Good luck.

 

[keane]

zig and gf225..thanks to you both.

Money isn't really an issue so I think I will go for the extra tube as suggested (thanks for the advice on which tubes to go for).

I have taken this decision mostly because I would like some floating plants as well and I understand from reading this board that lighting must be more powerful to actually penetrate through the floaters and down to the lower echilons of the tank.

I will also get a reflector as I haven't got one at the moment.

I have been on the Greenline website and now ordered the 30"/75cm Tropical collection 4481, like houndour bought. (hopefully he will be able to tell me in advance what plants the bundle contains! )

I will do as you suggest though...plant them and see how they go without a CO2 unit initially and then let you know the results I have.

Will I have to add fertiliser to the tank and, if so, what sort and how do I actually do this?? (Place underneath each plant when planting or is there another way?)

thanks everyone for all your help.

steve.

(Apologies for my ignorance but I am new to this side of fishkeeping ) )

 

[George Farmer]

plant them and see how they go without a CO2 unit initially and then let you know the results I have.

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If you get the extra tube then you will need CO2 IMO if you wish to avoid an inevitable algae problem.

zig - do you mind answering the fertilising question? I'm a bit busy at the mo!

 

[nodding_dino]

I'm a bit busy at the mo!

what you really mean is you can't stop looking at digweed

 

[zig]

Ok presuming you go with diy co2 (which isnt that difficult, loads of us do it) and you use 2.2 watts per gallon or there abouts and reflectors off course, you will have to fertilise on a regular basis, plants need both macro and micro nutrients.

Micronutrients can be supplied easily by most liquid fertilisers, Kent Botanica micro would be a very good example, this would be a general purpose fertiliser that you would add to your water column.

Macronutrients would also need to be added these would include, Nitrate, phosphorus and Pottassium.

These are also available in the Kent range of fertilisers, these would be dosed seperatly as per the instructions.

Some people find they also have to dose FE or iron as a supplement this is also available as a liquid.

The macronutrients can also be bought in a pure chemical form, but i think at the level where you are at the moment you may be better off sticking to the liquid fertilisers.

I hope i havent made this to complicated, but if you wanted a stable, algae free tank and happy plants this is what you would need to provide the plants with the corect nutrients.

All of the above are available through this link

Aquatics Online

Jimbooo is probably better able to answer this question as i think these are the ferts he mainly uses with great success, i stick with the chemical form and make up my own.

Im not sure if ive covered everything somebody else will jump in if i forgot anything...........cheers

 

[George Farmer]

I'm a bit busy at the mo!

what you really mean is you can't stop looking at digweed

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[houndour]

I have been on the Greenline website and now ordered the 30"/75cm Tropical collection 4481, like houndour bought. (hopefully he will be able to tell me in advance what plants the bundle contains! )

I'm a girl...I really should think of a better username. Anyways, I think the collection varies, cos I've seen people get them and they've had different plants to me.

If you go here: http/houndour.freestarthost.com/aquarium_setting_up.php
the 3rd pic is all the plants I got from greenline and the last pic is the first time I planted! There are a couple of non-aquatic plants and I found the red ones died off quickly but I think they require lots of light. I soon chucked the ones with really small leaves cos I hate the dead leaves that float about!!! Just make sure you give the plants a go. And if you have the one thats a bulb (or a looks like a conker lol as nodding dino said) then be really patient with that. Mine took ages to start growing and I think I read somewhere that they go dormant too....is this true or did i make that up?!

Samantha

 

[keane]

this would be a general purpose fertiliser that you would add to your water column.

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This was the only part that confuzzled me!! What water column? Is it part of the CO2 unit I will be needing?

I'm a girl...I really should think of a better username.

Samantha

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Aaahh. Sam....antha!! Sorry ) .


Thanks again guys and gals (!) for all your help. All really helpful and making my new project a little less daunting than I has envisioned!

steve

BTW - Top forum section. Much quicker responses than in Trop Chit Chat!!

 

[nodding_dino]

I think for 'water column' read 'water'


(I do hope I have that right or I'm gonna look like a right numpty )

 

[keane]

I think for 'water column' read 'water'


(I do hope I have that right or I'm gonna look like a right numpty )

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lol

 

[zig]

Yeah the column of water that surrounds your plants.......ie. The water in your tank.......sorry i just use these terms, they become natural after a while, i suppose it is a bit confusing if you have never heard of it before

 

[nodding_dino]

phew...! All that beginning to pay off

 

[keane]

Okey dokey,

I have ordered my plants and they should be delivered on Thursday. Problem though.....I am in Blackpool all day and night Thursday and won't get home until mid afternoon on Friday.

Is it ok if I get my better half to open the packets when they arrive and plop the plants in the tank to float until I get home? Or does something else need to be done?

(Gonna have to get her to attach the packets too otherwise I will have no idea whatsoever what plants I have!! )

thanks

steve

 

[jimbooo]

up to you bit i'd leave it in the box and "fly home like the wind". you'll have a bit of fiddling to do when it all arrives and your better half may welcome you home with rather a stern look on her face.. theyre packaged rather well and should keep fresh enough. you could always ring andy to see what he thinks, he's quite helpfull.

as to the ferts (just found this thread or i would have replied earlier) i use kent botanic "Grow" for micro's and the same brand "FE" to up the iron. thats it apart from the obvious co2. my nitrate is always at 12.5 so dont bother with macro ferts (although i'm toying with the idea at present)

good luck with the project