CO2 and gravel???

[mtdewlover]

I want to make my 29 gallon cichlid tank into a planted tank. First off I'm having trouble finding lights that fit my tank. I'm looking at AH Supply at their 2x36 lighting but will that fit anyone know?

Also as for CO2. What will I need here as far as nutrients and CO2 go. I have five cichlids and a large sucker fish. I have an over that back filter. I do not want to get fancy and get a CO2 tank. I'm a simple person. Can I just use excel or what? Is the filter ok or do I need a canister?

As far as gravel. I have plain old blue gravel from Walmart. The gravel is big, as in big pieces instead of the finer gravel. So do I need special gravel or sand or is what I have ok? Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your help :)

[Bruddah Chrispy]

Aloha e Mt. Dew,

I've got a 29g planted tank, so here's my $0.02:

- Finding lights is a bit of a pain. All-Glass makes a 30" 55w strip, which runs about $90. Custom Sealife also has a 30" that I think is 65w. You can find both of these at Big Als (http://www.bigalsonline.com). If you're handy with tools you can go the retrofit route, such as ahsupply. I'm on the verge of ordering a 2x55w kit from them and building a full hood to house it.

In the meantime, I'm running a low-light plant environment with watersprites, java fern, and crypts.

- I'm doing DIY CO2, mostly for kicks, but it does help even in a low-light tank.

- You shouldn't have to change your filter and personally I wouldn't change my substrate until I found that I had real problems with the existing gravel.

- As to the cichlid issue, you'll need to get advice from those folks. I run a nice friendly tank, and we don't welcome their kind here. (Just kidding, I'm considering cichlids for my next tank ;) )

HTH

[carpguy]

Hi Mt Dew,

Lights can be a bit of a pain on 30" tanks. The 65w lamp BruddahChrispy mentioned sounds like a good lamp at about 2.25 wpg. Each of AH Supply's 36w kits is 18" long, so they won't fit end to end. If you have a canopy you could mount them offset and use a pair of 13 watt kits to fill in the corners, which would give you 3.4 wpg.

I put a 2x36 kit over my 30g (2.4 wpg) and while I was very happy with AH Supply, I sort of wish I had gone with the 96w kit. Would've put me at 3.2 wpg.

At either light level most folks are going to say CO2 is important for good growth and keeping algae at bay. I'm currently dosing Excel and Flourish and am struggling, but I don't have the macros sorted out yet either (having trouble finding stump-remover). With everything else taken care of, the Excel may be a viable option. DIY CO2 is also an option, and one I'm in the process of setting up now. I've read a lot of posts where folks have said its a pain to keep up with and that the simpler path is biting the bullet and dropping the bucks on the pressurized.

I used laterite mixed with a large-grain sand for my substrate. I added a bag of natural gravel/small pebbles over top. I've sometimes had trouble getting stems to stay in place, even with that. I can't do it at all with my fingers -- I've had much better luck with tweezers. I think you'll have trouble with a large grain gravel. Personally I also think plants look better with natural colors, but personal preferences are just that.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by carpguy
Hi Mt Dew,..........I used laterite mixed with a large-grain sand for my substrate. I added a bag of natural gravel/small pebbles over top. I've sometimes had trouble getting stems to stay in place, even with that. I can't do it at all with my fingers -- I've had much better luck with tweezers. I think you'll have trouble with a large grain gravel. Personally I also think plants look better with natural colors, but personal preferences are just that. I agree here on the gravel part... Finer gravel seems to look better and it will hold the plants down. I have a 10 gallon tank with larger gravel and it looks crappy. I need to re-do it...

[ransome22]

I'm kinda thinkin' colored gravel should be illegal.

[djlen]

What kind of Cichlids do you have? Two things.....first some large ciclids do not mix well with plants as they tend to disturb the susbstrate and uproot....second CO2 will, depending on your kH, lower your pH to some degree. Some Cichlids are happier in higher pH water. Just a couple of things to think about.
Len

[Aries]

Mtdew has 3 cichlids. One red zebra and two yellow tailed violet cichlids (acei family...) Mtdew also has one pl*co in the 29 gallon tank.

I post for MTdew because Mtdew is out of town taking care of things.

I personally have not had problems with zebras or yellow tailed violet cichlids in planted tanks, but that is not always the case.

Carpguy, did you find the stump remover (green light or sprecticide?). I told Mtdew lover where to get it so I think Mtdew told you.

Have fun. :)

[Mr.Jingles]

you could use a shoplight...7.99 at home depot for 80 watt capacity. thats what I use. it is a bit unsightly, but then again, the tank is in my room and I can't drop the bucls for a $100 system. I also use DIY CO2. I figure that using flourish excel wont last you as long as a tank of CO2 for the same amount of money you'll be spending. a tank is more economical.

[carpguy]

Originally posted by Aries
Carpguy, did you find the stump remover (green light or sprecticide?). I told Mtdew lover where to get it so I think Mtdew told you.

Have fun. :)

MtDew did forward your advice, unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a real booming market for it here in sunny NYC :rolleyes:. Two local HDs kept trying to sell me something that would kill the roots that were clogging my drains. Very helpful, but I didn't think it was what I was looking for.

I'm going upstate to watch the game this weekend (go Bucs :D ) and I'm going to try looking around up there. Found a couple of hydroponic stores along the way, planning on checking them out.

But thanks :cool: .