thinking about getting back into the hobby

[JohnLin]

Hi everyone, let me introduce myself.

my name is John (kind of obvious with my screen name I suppose...), and I've always had a tank ever since I started high school. I am now 22. I've always been a saltwater guy though, I had a 55 gallon reef and a 7 1/2 nano reef (mostly LPSs). I have gone about a year or so without a tank due to my job and the stress of moving to a new condo.

I am thinking about getting a new aquarium, and due to the confinement of my condo (the living room is TINY!), I was hoping for a small-ish tank. And I wanted to try out freshwater, and since I'm used to low-maintence tank care with my saltwater setups, I was looking into a planted tank to elimate the need for constant water changes to keep down the Nitrate level in a non-planted community tank.

I know my share of knowledge with freshwater plants, although not an expert by any means. So these might not be the usual beginners' questions, but I'm sure there are countless board members here that can help me out. They're mainly regarding the equipments I'm planning to buy. And this project is not in a rush by any means, I might not even purchase anything for it for a while, I guess I'm just the kind of guy that would like to have everything planned out before jumping to it.

So what I'm gonna do is list the items I'm planning on purchasing, and if you guys have any comment regarding any of the item or have other suggestions, feel free to drop your 2 cents.

Coralife 24" Aqualight Power Compact Strip Light- 2X36 Watt
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...life24aqualightpowercompactstriplight2x36watt
even though not sure what the exact size tank I'm getting, but chances are, it'll only be 2 feet long. I'm probably leaning more towards a bowfront tank of some sort, so if it's a deep tank, I'd fit two of these strip lights.

Aquaclear Powerhead #201
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp19862/si1378643/cl0/aquaclearpowerhead201
I have read that a filter is uncessary since nitrification bacteria probably won't have sufficient food to survive in a heavily planted tank anyway, so this will give it about 1 X turnover rate per hour, hopefully enough for proper circulation but not too much to expell the valuable CO2.

Coralife Pure-Flo II R/O 24 GPD-2 Canister
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18565/si1378685/cl0/coralifepurefloiiro24gpd2canister
now this is a toss-up. Using RO water will be inevitable, as Madison, WI's tap water comes out at around 8.2 to 8.4 pH, inhabitable for most plants. But like I said, since I'm going for a small tank, I'm debating if I should just purchase RO water or make my own.

2 of the Jager Heater - 100 Watt
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18534/si1382760/cl0/jagerheater100watt
I keep my house fairly cool at 67 degrees, so I'm hoping for at least 10 watts per gallon for adequate heating without pushing the heaters' limits. Although I can always go for a more compact sized submersible heater, but I know the dependability of Ebo-Jager brand.

And finally, I was thinking about Aquarium Products Carbo-Plus Co2 System
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...501561/cl0/aquariumproductscarboplusco2system
I simply don't think I have the time (my schedule is pretty demanding) to keep up with DIY CO2 systems, nor do I want a compressed gas tank in the living room as that would be unsightly to the majority of my house guests who knows nothing about fish tanks. I've heard that the science behind a electrolysis CO2 system does work, but the replacement is pricey which I guess I really don't mind all that much. But if there is more cons that just that, please let me know.

Like I said, tank and stand (or maybe no stand) is the last thing I'm worried about, so please let me know if there's anything else I should be considering before I start my project. I really look forward to begin the experiment, and don't tell the saltwater folks, but I actually find looking at a nice planted tank is much more relaxing than a fully stocked reef tank :grinyes:

Thanks in advance for your comments and advices.

 

[Zik]

If your going for a small aquarium I'd get a Hagen Natural Plant system for co2. It's only like 30 bucks.

Oh and my tank's c02 system dropped my ph from 8.2 to 6.8 so I dunno if i'd bother with that expensive water system thingy.

 

[OldMan1947]

Be aware when looking at RO that it will take from 4 to 10 gallons of waste to make 1 gallon of RO. Its just the way they work. The ratio depends on the brand you choose. Also be aware that a 24 GPD will likely produce an actual flow of less than 10. The ratings are based on ideal inputs at summer time temperatures and perfect pressure with no pressure on the outlet. The real world does not work that way.
As someone said, the CO2 will lower your pH. If you have removed most of the buffering capability by using the RO, it will move it even more so you will want to balance the plus and minus of RO carefully. At the least, you will probably want to add some tap water back to the RO to get something that is stable. Its what I ended up doing and I'm using about 50/50 water on most of my tanks with straight tap on the ones where the fish prefer harder water.

 

[Penfan66]

[/QUOTE]Coralife 24" Aqualight Power Compact Strip Light- 2X36 Watt
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...life24aqualightpowercompactstriplight2x36watt
even though not sure what the exact size tank I'm getting, but chances are, it'll only be 2 feet long. I'm probably leaning more towards a bowfront tank of some sort, so if it's a deep tank, I'd fit two of these strip lights.

Aquaclear Powerhead #201
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp19862/si1378643/cl0/aquaclearpowerhead201
I have read that a filter is uncessary since nitrification bacteria probably won't have sufficient food to survive in a heavily planted tank anyway, so this will give it about 1 X turnover rate per hour, hopefully enough for proper circulation but not too much to expell the valuable CO2



Coralife Pure-Flo II R/O 24 GPD-2 Canister
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18565/si1378685/cl0/coralifepurefloiiro24gpd2canister
now this is a toss-up. Using RO water will be inevitable, as Madison, WI's tap water comes out at around 8.2 to 8.4 pH, inhabitable for most plants. But like I said, since I'm going for a small tank, I'm debating if I should just purchase RO water or make my own.

2 of the Jager Heater - 100 Watt
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18534/si1382760/cl0/jagerheater100watt
I keep my house fairly cool at 67 degrees, so I'm hoping for at least 10 watts per gallon for adequate heating without pushing the heaters' limits. Although I can always go for a more compact sized submersible heater, but I know the dependability of Ebo-Jager brand.

And finally, I was thinking about Aquarium Products Carbo-Plus Co2 System
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...501561/cl0/aquariumproductscarboplusco2system
I simply don't think I have the time (my schedule is pretty demanding) to keep up with DIY CO2 systems, nor do I want a compressed gas tank in the living room as that would be unsightly to the majority of my house guests who knows nothing about fish tanks. I've heard that the science behind a electrolysis CO2 system does work, but the replacement is pricey which I guess I really don't mind all that much. But if there is more cons that just that, please let me know.

Like I said, tank and stand (or maybe no stand) is the last thing I'm worried about, so please let me know if there's anything else I should be considering before I start my project. I really look forward to begin the experiment, and don't tell the saltwater folks, but I actually find looking at a nice planted tank is much more relaxing than a fully stocked reef tank :grinyes:

Thanks in advance for your comments and advices.[/QUOTE]

My .02

Seems to me RO is a waste since you are removing valuable minerals from the water that plants need. It's already been noted that CO2 will drive the ph down anyway.

If you are going to get a stand, why not get one with a cabinet so you can hide your CO2 tank which I believe is a better set up than the carbo system. It is expensive to continue to buy the new blocks (and a lot more hassle to change out) than just setting up the pressurized system and letting it go for 6 months or so.

I have a heavily planted tank and I like having filtration over a powerhead only system. Whether or not nitrifing bacteria are growing in there or not, I find the value to be in clearing the water of contaminates that the plants may or may not absorb.

Whatever you decide, good luck with it. Don't forget to get your ferts!!

Oh yeah, Welcome to AC. :welcome:

 

[mellowvision]

I'd definately go with a filter. even on my 10 gallon, which is heavily planted, my filter clogs up every 5 weeks or so... I think the tank would be filthy without it. it's true though, I frequently need to add nitrates. there are never any present in the water.

how big of a "small" tank are you talking about... 2 100w heaters seems like a lot... for plants, you're better off with a shallower tank than a deeper one... but if you like the idea of a paludarium, a tall tank would be fun.

I don't have that actual model, but I really like the coralife lights. but for freshwater plants, that's not the bulb set you want... I swapped the actnic bulb out of my Current USA fixture for a dual daylight. my advice on lighting: GO LOW LIGHT. my higher light tanks have been a pain, but my low light tank is practically care free, a lot more enjoyment for the work, and also costs much less in terms of ferts.

I also like the hagen co2 system, although the ladder is the real useful part... you can get that alone for as low as 7 bucks online... and make the rest yourself with soda bottles and hose. a 1.5 liter set up with a 16oz gas seperator works great. if your tank is bigger than 20 gallons, you might be better off with 2 1.5liters running at the same time, or getting a real co2 tank setup.

 

[jflng]

Be careful when considering lights with regards to tank size and plant stocking. Too much and you will have a much higher maintenance tank than you had planned. You may wind up with a "high tech" planted tank that could require certain fertilization regimens, frequent water changes, and close monitoring of Co2 levels amongst other things. Algae is also a factor you might not want to deal with.

I have never heard of the Co2 system you linked. It looks interesting.

As Penfan66 stated, RO water will probably be a waste. The plants will use the nutrients from your tap.

It is possible to have a very low tech planted tank without filters, ferts, Co2, etc. You might want to look up Diana Walstad's book "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium". It has received very good reviews from planted tank enthusiasts.

There are also several very good forums you might find help from.
http://www.plantedtank.net
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com
Are two of my favorites.

Good luck with your endeavors. Post your tank when it's up and running.

 

[mellowvision]

yeah, I should have mentioned algae in my post... my 10 gallon with 40 watts of light is out of control with the hair algae. I remove about as much as would make a veggie burger patty every week... and my 20 gallon tank has hair an bba with 56watts (I think)... but I've sort of given up on that tank and am planning a larger low light tank to replace it, hopefully after christmas. my 15 gallon with low light... not a spec of algae.