Sat Jun 07, 2008 4:29 pm GMT   Reply      

I just recently acquired a 30 gallon hexagonal aquarium. I am experienced with planted tanks and am planning on planting this one. I am having trouble deciding on a light fixture that would properly suit this this tank. It is 24 inches deep and could handle a 20 inch fixture. What best suits me so far is this I am on a 200 dollar budget
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://site.birdguys.com/bb/fishtankforums/03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.aquariumguys.com/aquarium-forums.html&h=341&w=512&sz=35&hl=en&start=8&um=1&tbnid=bnaBBMe0StNjFM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=131&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtank%2Bsetups%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

So any recomendations?

Thanks
-Taylor

Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:40 pm GMT   Reply      

although its not ideal I'm currently lighting mine open-top, with an adjustable height lamp (set to the side) on a post that hangs over the center, in it is an 85w SHO bulb, giving me almost 3wpg (2.8) You'll see ther'es also an available 105w which would give you 3.5wpg.

This tank is not yet in my profile, as its still new and under construction. ;)

http://americanaquariumproducts.com/PowerCompact.html

Edit: Thanks go to Peter Karig for the idea.

Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:31 am GMT   Reply      

So-you-got-it!.....Right-on.....I-almost-never-buy-where-something-has-to-be-shipped-and-the-aquarium-stores-in-my-area-don't-have-them,-but-I-hear-they're-very-good-lights-for-plants.

Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:52 am GMT   Reply      

Yeah, thanks again PK. :)

I got some (what I think to be anyway) Dwarf baby tears several days ago.. My local Petsmart actually had some in ''assorted potted plants''. They might be the larger version but we'll see.

I had to plant these suckers with a pair of tweezers (my first time tweeze planting!) I haven't really seen any growth evidence yet...all the plants in my tank are seeming to have a rough time establishing themselves, but the vals new growth looks very healthy and is taking place of the old dead rotting stuff, so that's a good sign.

I think all the plants in my tank actually off-set the cycle..either that or I got a couple bad nitrite readings cause I lost both gourami's several days after I thought the cycle was established, quickly took a reading and saw nitrite at 3ppm. Gah. I went out and got some Seachem Stability. I'm really skeptical about this stuff...in second day of treatment. I know there's plenty of ammo and nitrite in there for the supposed dormant bac to feed on, I'll be sure and share my results here cause the author of this thread seems to have disappeared. =P

Hopefully this crushed flourite "sand" was worth the $$. Maybe I'll have to start re-researching CO2 and ferts again, as I've yet to use either. -.- If I do start to use CO2 I'm probably gonna do DIY..but with this 30gal tall I want as little equip in the tank as possible...so pretty much water intake/return and a heater. lol

Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:12 pm GMT   Reply      

Unless-the-plants-are-dieing,-and-from-your-post-I-guess-you-have-a-few,-they-should-be-really-good-at-both-harboring-benneficial-bacteria-and-using-up-nitrates.....Many-plant-growers-don't-even-use-filters-for-cycling-the-tank-as-the-plants-provide-enough-surface-area,-but-that-requires-a-lot-of-plants.

That-flourite-sand-looks-like-good-stuff-to-me.......and-my-DIY-co2-is-working-pretty-good.....Just-can't-put-too-much-yeast-in-because-it-eats-up-the-sugar-too-fast.

Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:04 am GMT   Reply      

Since the other post is on its way to neverland, let me tie it in here:

Original Post:
[Topic: Substrate Weeds? Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:34 pm GMT]

"Anyone ever purchased substrate and noticed several weeks later it seems to have been seeded with something?

I put black flourite sand in my 30 gallon roughly 3 weeks ago when I started it, and now after a friend kindly pointed out the thousands of seedlings pouring out of it -- barely a millimeter tall -- I'm wondering exactly where this stuff comes from...lol

My very first impulse was thousands of tiny dwarf baby tears since I just added some 5 days ago...however I noticed that this plant doesn't propogate by spores (only thing I could fathom for such mass reproduction).

Now my biggest fear is what do I do if ALL these plants survive. lol Am I going to have to weed this thing like a freaking garden? Ack." ///

It seems the SHO was more than enough to bring the life out of my substrate...lol I still haven't identified the plants but am anxious to do so.