Please forgive my ignorance

vtx-coley

vtx-coley

I like waffles
Jul 15, 2007
292
0
0
Hopatcong, NJ USA
www.vtxcafe.com
Hello all,
I'm new to the hobby and I currently have a 20 gallon high tank containing 3 Platys, 5 Julli Cory cats, 2 green corys, 6 Zebra Danios and a Golden mystery snail. I have a Penguin 150 Bio-Wheel, a Rena 100w heater, and a Whisper 20 air pump pumping an 8 inch bubble wand. I have 3 Plastic plants, but I'm interested in introducing some live plants.... Can someone sum up in simple terms what's involved with care and equipment. The tank is about 6 weeks old, cycled and doing well, and I'm using Algone for bacteria control. I do 25% water changes at least once a week with Tetra AquaSafe for conditioner. My tap pH is high, around 7.8-8 and I'm using gravel substrate (sp?) I have a 18,000K 15w, 18" Aqua-Glo aquarium bulb.

I would like to use some natural cover that doesn't require too much work. I know work is going to be involved....and that's okay. I'm looking for hearty plants because I'm new and really don't know what I'm doing. I'd hate to mess up what I've already established.

If you need more info....please ask,
Thanks,
Coley
 
Usually the limiting factor in a planted tank is light. Most standard lights that come with tanks don't support plant life very well. Are you looking to upgrade your lighting? With more light, you're able to keep more of a variety of plants. However if I remember correctly, while in college I was able to keep watersprite, java fern, and banana plants alive with just the reg lighting. Some other low light plants you could try are anubias, java moss, and float some hornwort. Good Luck.

This is one of my favorite sites for plants: http://plantgeek.net/plantguide_cat.php?category=1
 
Yeah...I would have to upgrade my lighting. Could I get a twin light set-up to fit my current hood?
 
Changing gears.....

If I was to get a second tank to play around with plants and a few fish, say around 10 to 20 gallons what setup would be good. Are the Eclipse system any good? If not what would be recommend? My brain is starting to hurt. I'd like to get a complete system, but I bought a "package deal" on my current tank and replaced most of the stuff already. I would like to do this once and now that I'm reading about it, I'm more confused now than before.
 
Well, sorry if I've confused you, but you can always just try the low light plants listed on the plantgeek site first to see if you have any luck. But if you want to do more to upgrade lighting there are alot of choices, even more than these I'm listing:

The twin strip lights is not a bad price but I think the lightbulbs are only about 15w each, giving you 1.5 watts per gallon, which isn't bad, but may limit the type of plants you can have. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AS7BC...e=380333&creativeASIN=B0002AS7BC&linkCode=asn

Some pple have had luck with retrofit kits from AH Supply.
http://www.ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm
I guess the 1X55 kit with a 55 w bulb 6700K would be good for 24"L tank. This will bring you close to 3wpg.

And I have one of these Current USA satellite strips. https://www.marineandreef.com/cgi-bin/bbpro3/basket.pl
This will however give you more than 3wpg and you would have to then worry about injecting CO2 and adding fertilizers.

The Eclipse systems I'm not too familiar with, but I think that I've heard others say the lighting isn't sufficient for keeping plants. Anyone else?
 
That retro fit might be the ticket. I have an extra strip light that I can use. Thanks for your help. Now I have somewhere to start.
 
Both my tanks are 1.75 wpg each. Take a look and see how limited you might be. They are in my signature. Just go to the last pages to see what it looks like right now or you can browse through and see where it started and came to what it is now.

Anything over 2 wpg and you're looking at doing CO2 injection,once you get near 3 wpg you'll want to do pressurized CO2 or you're just going to quit because of all the algae.

You'll definitely want to use Dry ferts with anything over 2 wpg. I use them in my 75 but because they are mostly stem plants that prefer higher light then I give them.
 
I have two eclipse systems and the 5 I was able to put a 15w bulb in, but the 37 there is no real way to upgrade the lights that I have found. I grow low light plants in it and they do quite well.

My 20 was a topfin "kit" and I have upgraded everything but the tank itself. I added a new light fixture and have 3 wpg in it now. It is growing like crazy
 
IceH2O said:
Both my tanks are 1.75 wpg each. Take a look and see how limited you might be. They are in my signature. Just go to the last pages to see what it looks like right now or you can browse through and see where it started and came to what it is now.

Anything over 2 wpg and you're looking at doing CO2 injection,once you get near 3 wpg you'll want to do pressurized CO2 or you're just going to quit because of all the algae.

You'll definitely want to use Dry ferts with anything over 2 wpg. I use them in my 75 but because they are mostly stem plants that prefer higher light then I give them.
Click to expand...

So, you think 1.5 might be enough. I don't want to go crazy with the plants. I just would like to add a few. Nice tanks by the way. I don't want that many, like I said just a few.I have to find out what kind of substrate I have....this planting thing is an after thought.
 
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