Good point...makes me want to rethink getting large tanks in the future...well, not really
planning 6x2x2 aquarium
- Thread starter fishkid951
- Start date
those are mostly low light to med light plants. right now i run 2x55w and 2x96w ahsupply set up... if your going to go with cf i would try 4x96w ahsupply set up with co2. another option would be T5.... once you hit 3wpg and your having trouble growing something in 100gal plus tanks you should look to other problems first. there are some great deals out there. its not going to be to cheap to plant. my 120 i did 20 crypt pots plus anubias plus other plants.
i can get you lots of high quality plants so if your having troubles finding the amounts you need send me a pm.
i can get you lots of high quality plants so if your having troubles finding the amounts you need send me a pm.
tiger lotus plants and riccia are moderate light plants right? i dont know the full list of plants but they will prob be medium(tiger lotus) to low light(crypts). there will be many other species of plant too, just need to find what i like.
so goin by this...what light setup should i get. mh or cf? and amount of each?
i thank you on all your help
so goin by this...what light setup should i get. mh or cf? and amount of each?
i thank you on all your help
Well, I'd say at least consider MH, CF, and T5. I know that makes the choice harder, but still.
The difference between MH and fluorescent(CF or T5) is really a matter of personal preference. IMO, I wouldn't go with only MH. I don't really like the way it grows plants.
As far as CF or T5, the main difference is that T5 will be much more efficient, so you'll be able to get the same amount of useable light out of nearly 60% of the wattage. 160w to 180w T5 would be like ~275w CF. So if energy is a concern, T5 is the way to go.
All that being said, I'm planning a similar tank, and I'm looking at MH/CF combo, with about 370 watts total. I'm looking at 3x65w CF and 3x175w MH. Seems like a crazy amount of light, but you have to keep in mind that MH reflectors only reflect the light over a 2'x2' area, so 3x175w MH just puts a spread of 175 over the entire tank. I decided on CF over T5 for my fluorescent element because I want to use the GE 9325k bulb.
For any of these lights, I recommend retrokits from either AHSupply or Catalina Aquarium.
Those are my ramblings, hope they help.
That's crappy. I don't think I've ever paid over 10c per kwh(not including the debt reassignment fee and the delivery charge or whatever, but they aren't dependent on my monthly usage). I pay 5ish for the first 780kwh or something, then a little more than 7 for everything over that.
Right, but that's why I'm saying that estimating someone else's cost is not the best way to go about it. Give him the total power usage, and let him look at his bill. I'd pay about $7 per month to run a 400w light. At 28 cents per kwh(highway robbery!!!) it would cost almost $30 a month. Some people might not think $13 is a lot, but IMO a 300% increase is a lot.
Right but still all the person would have to do is just plug in a different # for Z and in the end its a good estimate.
28 cents was highway robbery, my jaw dropped when i saw an almost 100% rise in the bill. At first i thought it was an ESCO company that was screwing me (they had been known to scam) but after talking with my previous company I actually found out i saved about 2-3cents per kwh for that month. When the Economy is in the sh....er(toilet) the prices really seem to jump.
Let us get one thing striaght here, more light is not better, certainly not for your goal.
4 x 96 PC light can grow anything you might have planned.
Look nice etc.
T5's would be a nicer option.
6 x 39W 90 cm lights would be ideal at 5cm, 30cm and 55cm across the top:
Top view:
___________ ___________
___________ ___________
___________ ___________
The wide spread will give good coverage, even low light across the entire tank and also highlight the Discus much better(higher light washes colors out more).
Run the out 2 banks for say 10 hours and the middle for 6 hours in the middle.
This will give you 234 watt and plenty of light for most of the things you might wanna grow. Lower light at 156 watt for 10 hors will keep things growing well etc.
You will also have more wiggle room with CO2 and not need as much as you do with higher light.
Nor do you need as much nutrients with reduced light.
This means it's much more manageable!
Easier dosing, less stress for you, the fish etc.
But just a little more paitence and keeping your hand out of the cookie jar
It's really worth it.
I'm not sure if you have access to ADA aqua soil, but if so, it will cost, but will make the tank very easy to grow most things also.
Sand will work also obviously. Also, consider aesthetic white sand foregrounds(easy to keep, no pruning etc).
I'd work out the hard scape and spend a lot of time thinking about what you want there, spend some $ and time getting the materials you really want.
It's a big tank and lots of $, time etc and it will be right in the middle of your home. So take the time to do that right. Chose the fish very carefully etc also.
I've seen folks spend a lot of the tank, then toss in a few rocks and blocks of wood.
Sort of a waste..........
Regards,
Tom Barr
4 x 96 PC light can grow anything you might have planned.
Look nice etc.
T5's would be a nicer option.
6 x 39W 90 cm lights would be ideal at 5cm, 30cm and 55cm across the top:
Top view:
___________ ___________
___________ ___________
___________ ___________
The wide spread will give good coverage, even low light across the entire tank and also highlight the Discus much better(higher light washes colors out more).
Run the out 2 banks for say 10 hours and the middle for 6 hours in the middle.
This will give you 234 watt and plenty of light for most of the things you might wanna grow. Lower light at 156 watt for 10 hors will keep things growing well etc.
You will also have more wiggle room with CO2 and not need as much as you do with higher light.
Nor do you need as much nutrients with reduced light.
This means it's much more manageable!
Easier dosing, less stress for you, the fish etc.
But just a little more paitence and keeping your hand out of the cookie jar
It's really worth it.
I'm not sure if you have access to ADA aqua soil, but if so, it will cost, but will make the tank very easy to grow most things also.
Sand will work also obviously. Also, consider aesthetic white sand foregrounds(easy to keep, no pruning etc).
I'd work out the hard scape and spend a lot of time thinking about what you want there, spend some $ and time getting the materials you really want.
It's a big tank and lots of $, time etc and it will be right in the middle of your home. So take the time to do that right. Chose the fish very carefully etc also.
I've seen folks spend a lot of the tank, then toss in a few rocks and blocks of wood.
Sort of a waste..........
Regards,
Tom Barr
