Would This Set Up Work?

[blindcavefish]

Firstly I should say that I have only been on this forum for a short while and already I can see what a huge help it is going to be. The depth of knowledge and understanding on this forum is outstanding. Well done you lot!

I used to work in a LSF some years ago, but I only dealt with fish and knew nothing much of planted tanks. I currently have a small 70 l tank but I am weeks away from moving to my new house where I will have a lot more space. I was always going to upgrade and buy a much bigger tank, but now I feel ready and inspired to try for a modest planted tank.

This is what I want to achieve:

I want a large fish tank with A LOT of healthy plants inside so that it looks as natural as possible. I do not want to use a canister CO2 kit, nor do I want to make my own using a Fire Extinguisher. This is because I haven’t got the time to deal with plants growing like crazy and I doubt I would be able to keep up with the demands of the tank. Also, those canisters scare the hell out of me! Sorry to sound like a douche bag, I just don’t want to use canisters or fermentation come to think of it.

So basically I don’t want to become an award winning aquascapist over night. I just want a good healthy looking tank with lots of lush green plants that don’t die, but grow nice and strong.

This is the plan, will it work?

I am either going to buy a Juwel Vision 260 or a Juwel Vision 450.

Thankfully this isn’t down to space or money, I just haven’t decided if I will be taking on too much if I went with the 450 litre tank. However, if I went with the 260 litre tank, would I just regret not getting a larger tank when I had the chance?

I am going to use an 80/20 mix of eco-complete with very small gravel as a substrate. Will that work?

The Juwel tanks that I mentioned above have T5 lighting at 2 x 54w. Will that be enough light for what I want?

Instead of using a CO2 canister I would use a liquid carbon on a daily basis such as Easylife Easycarbo. As long as I stuck to the correct daily amount for a tank my size, would that be okay?

Could I then get away with using Easy Life Profito as my only fert or would I need to use root tabs and other individual chemical additives?

Will that work for me, or am I missing something?

As you can probably tell, I want a set up that will leave me with a good looking tank, but I’m not trying to be the new Mr Amano. My set up needs to be relatively easy and not too time demanding (although I know looking after a large fish tank, planted or not, takes up a lot of time).

When I read the threads and blogs of the planted set ups that some of you guys have done, I have nothing but admiration for you. However, I know that I don’t have the time or inclination to go through with something like that properly. Maybe if I start off like this, I will eventually be able to move on and take the hobby more seriously.

Also it is worth mentioning that I have read with great interest the Why We Should Not Fishless Cycle Planted Tanks thread. That is the way I will be going. I am in no great rush to introduce fish and I want to get the planting correct before I move on to the fish, a subject I more familiar with!

Thanks for any replies in advance!

 

[blindcavefish]

bump

 

[Gav935]

2x54w will require co2, liquid carbon will cost a fortune on a tank that size.

 

[RadaR]

2x54W is plenty to grow anything.
As mentioned, you will need CO2 with this lighting level and Easycarbo is going to cost you a lot of money.
You will also have to be dosing all the nutrients (nitrates, phosphates), not just Easy Life Profito.
Having lights on for 6 hours a day will help you avoid unwanted algae problems.

 

[Truck]

also adding floating plants such as duck weed and frogbit will block some of the light out...thus limiting the need for so much CO2/ferts

 

[blindcavefish]

Okay, so let me get this straight...

Because the lights in my set up will be very powerful the plants will require a lot more CO2 to grow properly.

If I were to use easycarbo, I would need to use more than the recommended dosage, thus costing me a lot of money.

So, if I want my plants to grow in a Juwel 260 or 450 with T5 lighting, I have to use a CO2 canister.

If I went for a canister set up I really wouldn't want a FE set up, it scares the hell out of me and I'd rather just by a modest kit. Would either of these do for a 260 or 450l tank with T5's?

http/www.swelluk.com/aquarium/aquarium-c...ml?ref=shopping

http/www.swelluk.com/aquarium/aquarium-c...y-2--6558.html#

There is £65 difference, is it worth the extra £65 for the more expensive one?

In all honesty using this type of equipment baffles me and it is really what I wanted to try and avoid. But from reading a lot of what you have written, maybe I could give it a good go, as long as I put a bit of time and effort in.

What would happen to the plants (and my tank in general) if I added no CO2, did very few water changes, just added off the shelf ferts but stuck to low maintenance easy growing plants?

Thanks again, I’m sure you get newbies like me asking all the same questions. I am reading as much as I can in between posting.

 

[RadaR]

If I went for a canister set up I really wouldn't want a FE set up, it scares the hell out of me and I'd rather just by a modest kit.

FE is just as safe as an "off the shelf pressurized CO2 system". The cylinders are both pressurized carbon dioxide gas. There is no difference apart from cost.

What would happen to the plants (and my tank in general) if I added no CO2, did very few water changes, just added off the shelf ferts but stuck to low maintenance easy growing plants?

The light would be the driving force for the plant growth however because there would be no appropriate CO2 levels, the plants wouldn't grow and could even begin to break down. All that light which the plants aren't using combined with the undetectable ammonia being released would result you in numerous amounts of algae.

As truck has mentioned, the only way you could get past using CO2 would be to use loads of floating plants and having the light son for 6-7hours a day.

 

[baron von bubba]

i pretty much agree with the other guys.

the fire extinguishers are really no different to using the "off the shelf" kits, you still have to change the bottles over and the process is the same.

if you are going to go pressurised definitely avoid the disposable bottles like in the links, i started with one of those in a 240litre tank, the bottles lasted 2 weeks each @ £20+ a time!!


if you used easy carbo you would just dose the recommended amounts
(copied from AE's site)
Tanks with minimal plants - 1ml per 100 litres
Tanks with fair amount of plants - 1ml per 50 litres
Tanks with large amount of plants - 1ml per 25 litres

which by my reckoning could cost you around £60 a year if you bought the large bottles.
this dosen't seem that much tbh.

i use pressurised co2 and get thro' 2kg every 2 months @ £10 each time.

 

[MrPurplePickle]

450 Litres roughly equals 119 US Gallons
Therefore just under 1Watt per gallon, I wouldn't have thought you need C02 at that level?

 

[blindcavefish]

Thank you for all the replies. You have been very helpful and I really appreciate all the time you have given to me some so that I have some insight into this great hobby.

It would seem that there are some differing opinions on what I need and should do. However, there does seem do bit a bit of a consensus that if I went for the 450 litre tank, as opposed to the 260 litre tank, things might be a little easier.

From what I have read I may not even need additional CO2 in a 450 litre tank with 2 x 54 watt lighting. I guess I could use the easycarbo if things weren’t going so well?

I will use the eco-complete substrate and the high lighting in the big tank and hopefully things will work out. I will also use some floating plants and only put the lights on for 7 hours a day to moderate the light output.

I am actually really looking forward to seeing what works and what doesn’t. I know it could end up costing me a pretty penny, but half the fun is having a try and finding out what works for yourself.

As I said before, I’m not looking to become an award winning aquascapist, I just want a tank with lots of lush green plants that don’t die on me.

As soon as I’m up and running I’ll post some pics. In the meantime I’ve got a lot of reading to do!

Thanks again so much.

P.S.

I’ve decided to have a mini go at my 70 litre tank. I’ve just ordered some java moss, a brighter 24 watt tube (the current one is 15 watt) and a small bottle of easycarbo. Hopefully this give me some useful experience.

What other less demanding plants could I order for the 70 litre tank bearing in mind I will only have a 24 watt light, normal natural gravel that’s been in there for years and will only be adding CO2 by means of the easycarbo?