Opinions: Small planted tank equipment

doreenjoy · Feb 21, 2014

I have been running a 10 gallon planted tank for about 5 years, and I'd like to upgrade from the equipment I have. My goal would be to plant some faster-growing plants to out-compete the diatoms and algae.

I haven't been able to find a light strip/hood that works on my current basic tank. I'm happy to buy an all-in-one setup, or buy tank & lights separately, but I have been having troubling identifying setups that are good for freshwater; when I look at Drs. F&S, I see lots of discussion about the reefkeeping properties of a particular setup, not the freshwater plant aspects.

My LFS is AquaForest in San Francisco -- a great place, but they don't sell tanks/hoods/lighting.

If you have recommendations to share, please do!

Current setup:
* basic 10 gallon glass tank from Petco
* basic cheap incandescent hood from Petco, with 2 screw-in CFLs instead of incandescents
* AquaClear HOB filter
* submersible aluminum heater -- I like this piece
* EcoComplete substrate, about 1.5" deep (I'm willing to add more)

Inhabitants:
6 cardinal tetras
1 honey dwarf gourami
2 otocinclus
bunch of red cherry shrimp

Plants:
* lots of anubias -- they grow great under my crappy light
* dwarf Sagitaria -- which because of my crappy light, grows long and tall and stringy. I'd prefer it to look like ground coveer

Neatfish · Feb 21, 2014

Your main problem is that hood light it's worthless. What are you trying to plant? You can get a finnex fugeray led light. Maybe get a nano co2 kit. Upgrade your light we be the first thing.

dougall · Feb 21, 2014

Neatfish said:
Your main problem is that hood light it's worthless. What are you trying to plant? You can get a finnex fugeray led light. Maybe get a nano co2 kit. Upgrade your light we be the first thing.

It should be fine lightwise to grow a lot of plants, using spiral CFL bulbs (depending on wattage and spectrum to an extent) in fact there might be too much light.

I would suggest a glass top (should be able to get a 20" versatop for $10 or so) to go underneath the current hoot, just to keep evaporation away from the bulbs. then a source of carbon and other plant nutrients.

or use smaller cfl bulbs (you don't say the wattage currently)

if you really do want to upgrade, pick a budget, then pick a tank and go from there. Algae is not likely to be from too little light, but from an imbalance in your tank, and may not be addressed with an upgrade.

Ultimately starting afresh will let you build from the ground up, but solving your current algae issues in your tank may give you a better understanding of the balance needed.

doreenjoy · Feb 21, 2014

Thanks for the replies!

Lighting: 2 60 watt CFLs. Dougall, it never occured to me that the problem might be too much light.

Water parameters:
pH 6.5
Ammo/nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 30

I do 30% water changes every 7 days w/ gravel vac. The shrimp generate quite a bit of organic waste.

I like the idea of a glass cover & will look into that.

I'd be happy to add a CO2 setup.

dougall · Feb 21, 2014

I hope they are 60w equivalent bulbs... not that they actually use 60w, otherwise that would really be a cause of algae.

and you can have a liquid carbon source, flourish excel would be the most common one.

as for the glass top.... http://www.amazon.com/All-Glass-Aquarium-AAG29020-20-Inch/dp/B0002AS7ZI/ is an example of what I'm talking about. I can get them a little cheaper at a pet store, and be sure to check the size against your tank.

maybe look into dosing ferts, wet or dry, and maybe see if you have better luck with other plants too if you're having trouble with sag.

and good luck

FreshyFresh · Feb 21, 2014

I would say the setup you have is far from worthless.

I run an incandescent Aqueon strip light on my 10g, fitted with two zoo med 6500K CFLs, 20watts total. It grows plants like crazy, with no algae problem at all. I do have floraMax substrate and run (pretty much) daily doses of a glutaral product.

The problem with Doreen's setup is probably the color/temp range of the CFLs being used.

Here's mine:

Neatfish · Feb 21, 2014

I'm just saying that stock bulb is worthless it's probably 10w very low light. I tried to grow plants like that didn't really work. You could get a better bulb that would help you out. Just get low light plants if you're keeping the stock hood.

FreshyFresh · Feb 21, 2014

I'm with ya NF. Seems like a CFL problem more than anything.

Byron Amazonas · Feb 21, 2014

I concur with Joel (and others previously who said this). Over both my 10g and 20g tanks I use two 10w GE Daylight 6500K CF bulbs, and the plants thrive and there is no algae in these tanks at all.

Byron.

Neatfish · Feb 21, 2014

FreshyFresh said:
I would say the setup you have is far from worthless.

I run an incandescent Aqueon strip light on my 10g, fitted with two zoo med 6500K CFLs, 20watts total. It grows plants like crazy, with no algae problem at all. I do have floraMax substrate and run (pretty much) daily doses of a glutaral product.

The problem with Doreen's setup is probably the color/temp range of the CFLs being used.

Here's mine:

What's that big plant in the middle?


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Opinions: Small planted tank equipment

doreenjoy

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