What Do I Need To Add To This Tank To Make It Grow?

[Katch]

I have a 90 litre Cube tank (surface area about 13" x 20" / 35cm x 50cm)

2 x T5 36 watt 50:50 bulbs - 10k daylight 7100 actinic blue (currently on 5 off 19)
Soft water but I do my best to keep the pH up with water changes


Currently cycling with a few small amazon swords; they initially died back but new leaves have appeared on all of them.

I will be adding Java moss, christmas moss, java ferns and some crypts. I'm only adding a few micros at the moment.

What should I be looking at long term to keep them growing and healthy. Any other good plants you think I should add? I'd like a lawn effect of some kind... maybe chain swords...

The tank will house a pair of rams, 6 corys and some tetras and guppies.

 

[RadaR]

On at 5am, off at 7pm? If so, that's on for too long. You're only going to need 7hours or so.
You've got a lot of light there. In order to keep the plants happy and algae at bay, I'd expect there to be pressurized CO2 and good nutrient dosing. Not to mention good circulation (minimum of 900litres per hour).


For now, just keep one of the 36W lights on. That will make things easier. You shouldnt need to inject CO2 then, and you wont have to dose much. You can still keep any plants alive with that.

 

[Verminator89]

No i think they meant on for 5 hours, off for 19 hours. 19+5=24 hours

The WPG rule should be used roughly, because alot of people say its scrap nowadays. I personally use it roughly, with a pinch of salt to say. So for your running 74W on 90L. Convert 90L to imp gallons its 19 (i think)

74W / 19imp gallons = 3.8WPG

If this is correct, which i'm sure it is, means your running very high light technically. Even if you use US gallons your still on 3.2WPG which is still high. In short your plants are going to be trying to work fast to convert nutrients into energy to grow. Without CO2 and ferts at this light level your going to be running the risk of algae. Even with having CO2 and ferts your going to be playing the risk of having too little and too much of them, and only algae will benefit if the balance isnt right.

I think your playing with fire personally. Unless you know what your doing. The plants you've mentioned arent particularly demanding, you could run half the light you are and still have great growth of these plants.

 

[Katch]

i was thinking it was maybe too much light - it is designed to be a reef tank. I'll take one of the tubes out and half the wattage.

I have about 1000 lph circulation and I'm thinking about a CO2 system but I'm a little lost when it comes to the technicallities of it. I'm tempted to try either a DIY reactor or set something up using CO2 cartridges....

 

[Verminator89]

If you delve into CO2 there is one thing you must adhere to, and take my word for it i speak from epxerience. If you have CO2 make sure it is a stable supply that remains at a constant norm. On during the day, and off during the night.

Algae simply thrives, and i mean thrives on fluctuating CO2 levels. I had BBA in my tnak for about 2 years before i got it under control, i couldnt work out what it was until i read an article on it and checked for myself.

"Java moss, christmas moss, java ferns and some crypts" <-- The plants you mentioned here in your first post really don't 'require' CO2 to do well. Low to mid light and ferts to give them a little something and you should be fine. Personally i'd see how you go without CO2 before you do. If you take one of your tubes out you'll effectively be halving your light, which as an estimate would put you at 1.5WPG which is aqequate to grow these plants without CO2.

 

[Katch]

Do you think it would be worth playing with a DIY yeast CO2 factory? I quite fancy playing with one and you can't argue at the price (pence as opposed to the £100 or so outlay for a pressurised CO2 system)

 

[Verminator89]

Certainly have a play, you only learn by trying. If you didnt play and learn we'd never try new things and wouldnt progress. Just be aware of the consequences and learn to read your set up.

 

[RadaR]

I wouldnt try DIY CO2 on 90litres. It's too large. You'll most likely end up with unstable/low amounts of CO2.
Instead, if you halved the lighting, then try liquid carbon (Seachem Excel, Easlife Easycarbo).

 

[stevereade]

I use yeast CO2 in my 80litre, its the Nutrafin kit. I don't use the sachets that it comes with but instead use 1/2 level tsp of yeast, sugar and water and my plants are doing awesome and the tank is pretty full too and I have to trim them every week lol. Seeing as you only have 10 more litres I'd say give it a go. Oh and I use TPN+ with it too (4ml daily) and the only bit of algae I get is on the CO2 tube lol.