sharing some pix (lighting & plants)

[nvision]

hi there,

i had a 20g tank running for a few months with an open top and a halogen lamp. got tired of the yellowish hue from the bulb and decided to replace it with a cf hood. so far i'm diggin' the improved spectrum. great intensity and color (10,000k).

here's a look.

in case you're wondering about the rack holding up the hood, it's made from pvc tubes from home depot.

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20g long
65w cf tube at 10,000k
no CO2 (maybe i should)

pair of angels
dozen glowlights
4 shrimps
2 ottos

anubia nanas
java ferns
java moss
some emerged houseplant

 

[Fishiebusiness]

very nice

 

[Faramir]

Nice. I totally approve of the plants growing out the top.

I have a neat paludarium in the pipeline - similar setup, with the lights some distance above an uncovered tank. The idea is that in the shallow water I will grow some Hygrophila difformis - this grows emersed. Acorus at the water's edge and on the dry land. Any plants in the main deep water section will be of the type that have their leaves above the water - might even try to get a small water lily, and some floaters. Nitrate comes from the fish; CO2 from the atmosphere. The leaves of the planbs will shade the water. I can therefore put a lot of light in for the plants on the land and growing out of the water, but the underwater lighting will be subdued, which will be appreciated by the killis who will be the piscine inhabitants.

 

[EagerAqua]

Nice tank...my next tank will definately have real plants. It makes the tank look soooo good. I am jealous

Eager

 

[nvision]

hey thanks everyone.

yeah, i'm planning to add some surface growers to give the tank some additional shade. think the current lighting may be a bit too bright without co2 injection, and i don't feel like pulling my cylinder from the storage closet right now. i would prefer to get about 1w/g with the kind of plants i'm growing--at least for now.

an interesting thing is that now the glowlights are acting a bit shy around the bright areas of the tank, while my pair of angelfish have become much more active. it used to be reversed with the halogen light, when the angelfish were more subdued. in any case, i think everything is working out as planned.

i'm really itching to revive my co2 gadgets again, but don't really like that raw metal cylinder within view in the room.

 

[Rometiklan]

How do you keep your lights secure?

nvision:
That's a nice looking set-up. How do you manage to keep that canopy secure on your tank? Despite the attractiveness, the PVC pipes look kind of bulky and everything looks pretty precarious, like everything might topple over.

 

[Botch]

Great effect, particularly if you keep in mind that you achieved that with what is considered low light plants. Lovely flower on that anubias, it is always a pleasure to see them flower!

 

[nvision]

actually, the pvcs don't bother me too much, they were the most narrow pipes available at the store. what bothers me more is the frontal visor that i was force to install because the light was glaring into the room and floor due to the extended height of the installation. i guess i gave it away when i said they were made of pvc, because everyone who has seen it thought the rack was part of the "package".

about tumbling over, the rack is actually a pretty sturdy piece, not light on weight either. at about 2-3lbs, and in addition to the fixture's 8lbs, they sit pretty comfortably and snuggly above the top frame. shaking wouldn't be able to move them. i've also measured the pipes so they are long enough to not fall through the opening, and they are wedged lightly against the sides of the frame.

and oh, the flowering anubia is a welcome sight. i usually snap them off when i learned that it actually weakens the plant when it blooms submersed, but this lucky guy makes such a nice centerpiece in the tank that i decided to keep it in. hehe.

 

[NJ Devils Fan]

nice. have any fish ever jumped out?

 

[nvision]

nope, no suicides yet.

although i would love to have a gang of hatchet fish in there. oh well, you can't win them all. but i do like the humidity in the room now, as i lose about 1cm of water PER DAY. amazing.