general rule for watts-per-gallon

The brazilian sword is above the water already and reproducing new runners. The hedge is also above the water. I am thinking that the 4.4 watts per gallon (and my DIY co2 system) I have is enough then.

Anyone want to reccomend good plants to add? (acidic/neutral water)
 
Well you're not limited by light intensity so it's a case of looking and deciding. Everyone on the forum will have different tastes and could probably give you a hundred different suggestions.

At the moment I'm liking my rotala macaranda, ludwigia glandulosa and ammania gracilis but only because they are fairly new to my tank and still a big novelty. My tank doesn't stay static for too long.

I'll refer you to plantgeek.
 
reiverix,

What do they consider a regular plastic tank cover? Mine has a glass piece for the light, but I consider it a regular plastic tank cover.

Do I have to buy a whole new glass top to use PC lights?
 
I've never done a retrofit before but do use PC lights. A glass top on your tank is perfect. PC bulbs can get a bit on the hot side so make sure they have some ventilation and aren't airtight or anything like that. Water should not be allowed to splash onto the bulb.
 
Roan Art said:
Just a note that your green hedge won't grow at all regardless of the light you give it. It's not an aquatic plant at all. You might want to consider replacing it as it will die submerged in water.
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This is unbelieveably frustrating. I'm just glad I'm finding this out as I'm starting to add fish. I just redid my entire aquarium and I've finding out that every plant from Petland Discounts and Petco are not really "aquarium" plants but are more "terrarium" plants yet they sell them as aquatic plants. Perhaps that is because they will work in the salamander/frog environment but not with fish. It's just incredible.
 
your 4.4 watts per gallon on 29 gallons is more than enough. watts per gallon is just a general rule of thumb [designed to get you in the ballpark].
 
what lighting are you using to get your 4.4 wpg caus ewpg rule applies to t12 lighting so you might have more than you think over it. I have 137 watts pc lighting over my 29 and am well over the very high light bar.
 
You can do some nice things on the cheap with a 10g with the incandescent hood. I replaced the bulbs with 2 15w CF bulbs. I also painted the inside of the hood gloss white with Krylon fusion. I made sure to tape off the area around the metal heat shields so the paint wouldn't get hot. If you do this (add the cf bulbs that is) you must have a glass top under it as the condensation and evaporation will build up on the hood and might cause a fire/electrical hazard. I also polished the heatshields with fine grade auto sandpaper so they would be more reflective. Below is a picture of the hood and the tank. I used Soilmaster Select as a substrate. (11 bucks for a huge bage) DIY co2 using the hagen bottles that I bought from my LFS for 5 bucks (used in the dump bin) I haven't found heat to be an issue as the top stays cooler than with the incandescent bulbs but use at your own risk.

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A cheap alternative is simply using those 15W under the cabinet lights for 6$ ea, and 2x 15 W on 10 gal will grow any plant you desire(that will fit inside a 10 Gal).

Regards,
Tom Barr
 
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