Tons Of Questions!

[eaglesaquarium]

If possible get T5s instead of T8s. T5s throw more light (greater lumens per watt) than T8s. What wattage do you plan to use?

 

[Tstone]

For lights? My tank came with lights when I bought it and I didn't plan on doing anything eith it unless I needed too.. if you look back a page, threes a picture of my lights. Should I get t5's for it?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I thought you were talking about buying lights specific for it. No, don't buy new lights just because. The lights you have will work for the plants, just be sure to identify the proper ones. What are the specifics about the light bulbs that came with the tank?

 

[Tstone]

No idea. Any way I can find out?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

It should be written on the end of the bulb (tube). Just include anything it says and we can sort through it.

 

[Tstone]

48" 40 watt t8.. and there's 2 of them

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Do you know the Kelvin rating of the tubes?


80W on the 50+ gallon tank means that you have moderate lighting, not low. The only reason it might be considered "low" would be because of the depth.

If I were you, I'd head over to the planted section and see what the folks over there suggest you go with regarding plants with your lighting set-up. Ultimately though, it won't matter until you have gotten your cycle well under way. You don't want to add the plants until you are done the cycle and ready to start with fish.

 

[Tstone]

No I do not.. Once I get everything set up, and start cycling, I'll start looking into what i'll have to do next

 

[Tstone]

Would this be good for siphoning water, annd cleaning my sand and getting all the waste/uneaten food out of my sand?

http/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147172

 

[eaglesaquarium]

It will work. I wouldn't go that route though. It's more expensive than you need. First, you won't want the gravel vac attachment. That is designed to be lowered into the gravel to pull all the muck and mire out of the substrate. If you do that with sand, you'll be sucking it up. Instead you want to leave the tube end small, and use swirling motion about an inch or two above the sand to move the stuff up a little and then the siphon will grab it.

Secondly, I don't know how much suction power you get from using the sink to start your syphon. I just use a 5 foot piece of hose full of water and let that start my syphon, and I syphon it into my garden. I don't have to waste water to do it that way. I'm not sure if you have to leave the water on or not. I assume you shouldn't have to, but I'm not sure it works as well as what I would prefer.

 

[Tstone]

Well as far as syphoning.. My plan was to syphon water OUT of my window into my mom's garden (she ok'ed it ).. and syphon water into my tank from my bathtub.. just fill my bathtub up with water and start syphoning from the tub to the tank

Would something like this work better?
http/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752298&lmdn=Product+Type

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Syphoning only works if you are going from a level of high water to a lower level. I don't think syphoning from your tub to your tank will work, unless you have a very different looking tub than I am used to, or your tank is on the floor.


If you are going with a sand substrate, then just go with a plain old hose. Something like this.

 

[Tstone]

How would you recommend getting water into my tank then? Other then bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket...


& that link is not working

 

[Aqua Tom]

Syphoning only works if you are going from a level of high water to a lower level. I don't think syphoning from your tub to your tank will work, unless you have a very different looking tub than I am used to, or your tank is on the floor.


If you are going with a sand substrate, then just go with a plain old hose. Something like this.

That tube is perfect, also to refill the tank, simply remove the showerhead from your shower, attach the tube to the shower hose with duck tape wrapped around it & fill the tank from the shower, with this method you can easily do 50% + water changes with temprature matched water.

Tom

 

[Tstone]

So you guys are recommended I just get a basic garden hose, hook it up to my showerhead and siphon water INTO my tank that way.....


Now what would you recommend for getting water out of my tank and out of my window?