Hello, I've got a 55 gal corner bowfront tank that's been running since December. I would really like to set it up as a low-tech planted tank, partly for looks and partly because I would love to give the rampant algae some competition. My house gets a LOT of natural light (windows everywhere), so even though the lights on the tank are only on from noon till 9pm, it gets quite a bit of indirect sunlight throughout the day, which makes the algae go wild. I've got quite a few clumps of little java ferns growing in the sand substrate, which I've kept in several tanks for many years without any special care whatsoever. The lights I have say: Coralife 6,700K 31W T5 HO, and Coralife 10,000K 31W T5 HO. I'm trying to understand exactly what all the numbers mean, but in all honesty I'm confused. I can't figure out if these are ok, good, or bad for growing plants.
What I'm hoping to achieve in the future is a well-balanced tank with lots of plants. The algae I've got isn't horrible, but it would be nice if some plants could kick its butt a little. I'd like to keep it as low-tech as possible, so no CO2 or complicated fert schedules (this tank is in my parents' house, so as a college student, it's really only "my" house for summers and breaks, and I'm looking at another year for undergrad plus 3 years of law school so It'll be awhile before I can have a full-time tank to do fun, more complex stuff). I'm thinking root tabs and maybe some easy add-in ferts that they can't mess up while I'm in school. They love the tank, and are more than happy keeping it up, but I'd like to avoid anything complicated. I've been hanging around this area of the forum and on The Planted Tank trying to soak up information, but mostly I've just confused myself regarding the hardware I have or should get. Are my current lights even remotely ok, or do I need to get new ones? I'm aiming for a low to mid-light setup in the long-run. I'm a huge gardener (out of water, lol) so I'm very excited to try tank plants!
Anyway, sorry for the long story there, but really I just would love any and all advice on how to set this up! Even links to old threads that contain relevent info would be appreciated. I've searched the old threads and found some good help, but I am very open to suggestions from those who have real experience!
What I'm hoping to achieve in the future is a well-balanced tank with lots of plants. The algae I've got isn't horrible, but it would be nice if some plants could kick its butt a little. I'd like to keep it as low-tech as possible, so no CO2 or complicated fert schedules (this tank is in my parents' house, so as a college student, it's really only "my" house for summers and breaks, and I'm looking at another year for undergrad plus 3 years of law school so It'll be awhile before I can have a full-time tank to do fun, more complex stuff). I'm thinking root tabs and maybe some easy add-in ferts that they can't mess up while I'm in school. They love the tank, and are more than happy keeping it up, but I'd like to avoid anything complicated. I've been hanging around this area of the forum and on The Planted Tank trying to soak up information, but mostly I've just confused myself regarding the hardware I have or should get. Are my current lights even remotely ok, or do I need to get new ones? I'm aiming for a low to mid-light setup in the long-run. I'm a huge gardener (out of water, lol) so I'm very excited to try tank plants!
Anyway, sorry for the long story there, but really I just would love any and all advice on how to set this up! Even links to old threads that contain relevent info would be appreciated. I've searched the old threads and found some good help, but I am very open to suggestions from those who have real experience!