What plants could work with this lighting?

[SilverDollar_03]

Hey, Im thinking of getting a 12 Gallon Eclipse tank in about 2 months. I want it to be planted also, so I could use some suggestions. Also, which is better to use, laterite or flourite? And the big question now, what plants could I grow with 13 Watts for 12 Gallon of water (the tank is also 1 foot high), it also has a biowheel filter providing lots of oxygen. I dont want to get into the whole injecting carbon stuff. This is my plan, tell me my flaws please! Thanks.

1. Buy Eclipse 12 Gallon tank, with flourite gravel, and any plants that thrive in low-light conditions

2. Plant everything

3. Wait for tank to cycle

4. Buy 3 dwarf puffers!

 

[luxum]

Hmm, you may want to reconsider your stocking plans, i don't think puffers and otos are good together, and i have no idea how much water volume is needed per puffer. I also don't know if puffers do well in planted tanks, but maybe. Do a little more research before you set your heart on that stocking.

Regarding your plant questions, that is really pretty low lighting. You could get anubias species, java fern, java moss, possibly some of the tougher crypt species, and maybe marimo balls could survive. I love pure flourite as a substrate, the plants grow well in it, and if you rinse it well first it won't cloud your tank. If you use laterite you have to very sure it can't leach into the water or you could have a nasty algae bloom.

If you want to be able to grow more demanding plants, consider retrofitting the Eclipse hood with a couple 13" compact fluorescents such as one of the kits available at AH Supply. That would give you a lot more choice in your plantings, and i think there is enough room in the hood to fit 2 13Ws with little modification required.

 

[SilverDollar_03]

hmmm...well i know now that ill use flourite substrate. and ill jsut use a species only tank with the dwarfs....

but im just not sure how to retrofit the hood, do you just take the old lights out and put new ones in....? because i know they have high wattage aquarium lights at canadian tire......

 

[luxum]

Make sure that you can keep that many dwarf puffers in such a small space also, and that they won't tear up your plants, and that you have the resources to feed them, i don't think they'll take dry fish foods. The people in the oddball forum are probably just dying to tell you about them.

If you get the kit from AH Supply it has instructions, you'll have to be somewhat handy with the tools to pull it off. Someone had a website up at one point showing how they did it, but i can't find it with a quick search, sorry. You'd essentially remove the plastic cover over the lights, remove the stock lighting and ballast, and install the kit per AH Supply's instruction. I've heard it will fit under the plastic housing, but that the reflector would need to be trimmed. If you can't fit it under the housing, then you'd have to use a glass top between the tank and hood to keep water out of the lights.