Tank Setup - 29G, Lighting/Plant Choice/Co2 - Utterly confused.

[Rescue Ranger]

First of all, I would like to say hi to everyone, and thank you all in advance for your help and advice.

After searching through several threads in this section, I have found lots of useful advice, though I am having trouble determining the best light choice for the plants I which to grow, and I seek your help in reveiwing my tank setup and what it may be lacking

I have a 29G tank using a basic single light strip with a 5700K Topic Sun bulb (I believe its only 18 watts). I also have a Nutrafin CO2 system that utilizes sugar and yeast, and I utilize a formula I found on fishforums.net that states to use 1 tsp yeast in the canister which provides a fast reaction that supplies lots of C02, but needs to be replenished every week. For filtration, I have an emporer 280.

I am also planning on following the fert schedule as listed here (a sticky):
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136668

For substrate, I ordered from aquariumplants.com and got their 'in house' brand. I haven't put it in the tank yet, nor have I put any ferts in the tank yet because I want to wait until I have all of the items required for a successful planted tank, though the tank is currently cycled and has 2 albino kribensis and 8 danios.


So, onto the plants I'm after. I have a vynyl gutter with cave holes trimmed down with nice landscape rock glued to it using aquarium silicone (got the idea from another fishtank setup I saw online, except mine rests on the tank bottom, not against the back wall). I really want to cover this in java moss, and I really want a lot of the bottom of the tank to have dwarf hairgrass.

Also, I have a couple new swords (i ordered fert tablets as well) and want to put a tiger lotus in the tank. As far as other plants I have some mystery ones that I can post a picture of (freebies), but I need some suggestions on other plants you may have had success with.

Link to the Lotus (http://www.aquariumplants.com/Tiger_Lotus_Red_Nymphaea_zenkeri_p/begin06.htm)

Therefore, to run the grass/moss/swords/lotus and other misc plants, what is the most cost effective light solution I can get? Also, is my nutrafin co2 adequate?

Sorry for the long post, but I immensely appreciate your input!!



-Jeff

[snoopy65]

:welcome:to AC. I am sure the plant gurus will come to your aid.

[phanmc]

You will need to upgrade your light to somewhere between a 50w-60w light fixture. Higher wattage means faster growth but also more work and less wiggle room for mistakes. If you go with a T5HO fixture, aim for no more than 50w.

Options:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+9871&pcatid=9871

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+16770&pcatid=16770

The Nutrafin CO2 system is borderline effective, keep the light in the above range and it may be ok but I'd double up on the unit to improve your chances of growing the dwarf hairgrass.

In good growing conditions the swords will be a tank buster, though there is a smaller version of amazon swords.

[Ozymandias]

also does not the Empiror 280 have a Bio-wheel if so then you are probably off gassing what CO2 you get from the yeast mixture relativly fast also what diffusing method are you using for your CO2? CO2 does not mater that much with lowlight tanks but can help

[Rescue Ranger]

If I use a 60w bulb, is that still considered 'low light' ?

I do have the bio-wheel setup, and I've learned that this can dissapate the Co2 that the nutrafin is putting into the water, but i've kept the water level very high so there isn't much surface agitation at all. Does it not matter and will the bio wheel dissapate the Co2 regardless?


Also, phanmc, you mention a 50-60watt fixture, not a bulb? Is this what is meant by wpg?

Thanks for your help thus far!

[BradH]

I have a 29 gallon with this light. http://www.webaquatics.com/30-Freshwater-T-5-Aqualight-2x18W-Double-p/cl58121.htm
I dose excel and ferts and everything grows fine.
If you add the light I have to what you already have, it should be enough to grow most anything I would think.

[Rescue Ranger]

What if I were to put a high-wattage bulb in my single-bulb hood? Will it not have the same effect? I understand that certain qualities of hoods can reflect light better. There is a local pet store (exotic superpet in east hartford, ct) that has a very nice lineup of lights.

[BradH]

If the light is only designed for 18 watt bulbs, then you can't put in a higher wattage bulb. I mean, maybe the bulb would fit in there, I don't know, but it's still only going to put out 18 watts.

[Rescue Ranger]

sorry for my ignorance, but the WPG rating is based on the light fixture? Not the actual bulb?

[BradH]

WPG is based on how many watts you have over your tank. So if you have a 30 watt light over a 30 gallon tank you would have 1wpg. What I was saying is that if you have a light that is made to be an 18 watt light, then if you put in a 25 watt bulb, you still only have 18 watts because the actual fixture is designed to only deliver 18 watts.

[Rescue Ranger]

THanks for the clarification.


So for Swords, Java Moss, and some low-light plants, would a 2 WPG be satisfactory?

[BradH]

Yes. I only have 36 watts of T5 lighting over a 29 gallon and I can grow lots of low light and even medium light plants. If you do go with 2wpg then you are going to want to add co2 and ferts also. If you don't then you'll probably have alot of algae issues with that much light.

[fabsroman]

If you have a hood designed for an 18w bulb, you could put a 25w bulb in and it would give you 25w. It doesn't matter what the hood is designed for as far as how much power a bulb will put out. Use a lamp in your house as an example. If you put a 50 watt bulb in there, and then replace it with a 150 watt bulb, you will get 3 times the light.

Now, the problem with putting a 25w bulb into a hood/light designed for an 18w bulb is that you might start a fire if the hood does not have the capability to handle 25w bulbs. Kind of like lamps in your house. They usually have a warning on them not to exceed a certain watt bulb in the fixture. Same goes for aquarium lights/hoods.

Generally, the more light the better. I am using 3.5w per gallon and plants grow rather quickly. Start with what you have, and then change it if it doesn't work. I started with some plants and a fluorescent hood that had a plant light in it. That didn't work for me, so I upgraded the lighting to compact fluorescent at 3.5w per gallon. That caused a ton of algae so I started injecting CO2 and using ferts. Now, life is good. Life was good. Then, after a year an and a half, the plants weren't growing quite as well, and that is when I found out you need to regularly replace light bulbs because they lose strength over time. You will learn as you go, and these forums and books are the best places.

[ghinksmon]

If you have a hood designed for an 18w bulb, you could put a 25w bulb in and it would give you 25w. It doesn't matter what the hood is designed for as far as how much power a bulb will put out. Use a lamp in your house as an example. If you put a 50 watt bulb in there, and then replace it with a 150 watt bulb, you will get 3 times the light.


A little over-simplified but correct in that you should only use the lamps recommended for the fixture. With incandescents it's easy to install too large of a lamp, but with fluorescents there are other limiting factors (size, pin types, ballasts etc). From the original post I'm assuming RR is using a simple fluorescent strip with a T8, 24" lamp typical on 29gal tanks. In that case the lamp style, length, and ballast prevent installing any other wattage of lamps.

If it's a full hood assembly a retrofit kit may be feasible, if not simply replace the fixture. Also on the full hoods be aware that the glass below the strip light must be cleaned regularly or deposits will quickly block much of the light.

[Rescue Ranger]

THanks for the advice.

Seems like I need to invest some $ into a good hood and ask 'Santa' for a CO2 injection kit :D

[fabsroman]

I was going under the assumption that he was using an incandescent. It was probably my mistake to assume that. I should have asked if it was an incandescent, T-8, T-5, compact fluorescent, or metal halide.

RR, some of those lighting fixtures can be pretty expensive. I'm using a Coralife fixture that has four 65 watt compact fluorescents in it. That ran me $230. You probably don't need anything that expensive because I am using those lights on 75 and 55 gallon tanks. It is probably too much for the 55 gallon tank, but what the hay.

Me, I didn't have to ask Santa for the lights and CO2 injection, I had to ask my wife. LOL

[Rescue Ranger]

I guess for a lighting solution, I want to stick to a T8 (cheaper), and still try and achieve a 3WPG rating. I'm going to search around, and BradH on this thread gave me a link to a site to check out that seems to have good prices.

Not sure if anyone has a T8 3+WPG recommendation for a 30g?

you guys rock, thanks for the help.

[BradH]

Here are some options, but you would have to change out the actinic bulbs and it would have you at over 4 wpg.
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1381733/cl0/currentusasatellitedual302x65wattpowercompactstrip lightwlunarlight
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1381733/cl0/currentusasatellitedual302x65wattpowercompactstrip lightwlunarlight
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1383025/cl0/coralifelunaraqualightdeluxedoublelinearstrip30
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1383023/cl0/coralifefreshwateraqualight30doublestrip

The other option would be a single 65 and a 36 like I have and that would have you in the 3wpg range.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18369/si1379067/cl0/coralife30aqualightdeluxesinglelinearstriplightsw
I'll sell you my strip to go along with the 65, if you want to go this route. It's only about 3 months old. I'm getting another light to increase my wpg, but still be in under 2.


I'm sure there are other options... that was just a quick search I came up with.

[Leolion66]

BradH is totally right on the wattage .....the ballast controls the wattage and for an 18 watt light well that is all your gonna get....I have seen DIY articles on jeez what's the word...overvamping....overwatting...something like that....basically utilizes a secondary ballast to increase light output.....Me I think I would just go with a manufactured unit...as for the biowheel....I think the main thing with CO2 dissapation is surface agitation so with your high water level I would think all is well...