Planted planning...

So, after being off the fresh water tanks for over a year, I've decided to give it another bash and see if I can get a tank to look like something Algae Wizard and Sir Wearsbunnyslippers could be proud of...

Here's my thoughts...

3ft tank with sump. Hopefully around 200 liters total. hoping for 10 - 15 times tank volume turnover per hour.
4 x 39watt T5's
Compressed Co2 setup (Only a week after I sold my reg and bottle:amazed
Sump filtartion
Deltec Carbon Reactor for water polishing
Purigen in sump
Substrate (My little secret for now:blink1

Plants:
HC - for foreground
Crypt for the sides
Ludwigia inclanata Var Verticilata Cuba for the back right
Rotala Macrandra Red for back left
Rotala wallichi
Ammania gracillis
Barclaya Longifolia

Fish:
Apistogramma agassizi tefe blue trio (1 male 2 females)
2 x Keyhole Cichlids
5 x Corydoras Julii
15 x Galaxy Rasboras


Lets see what happens...

I'm going to build the tank myself. Get my boet to make me a stand and most of the gear I already own. I will use Geissmann Globes as well. Going to go for 2 x 6500K and 2 x 10K tubes.

The substrate is something I am currently working on, so please be patient with me... I'll reveal all soon.


OH YEAH!! I'm back baby!!!!!!!:amazed:

 

This sounds very interesting, will be following this one.

 

You go dude! Look forward to seeing the progress!

 

About flipping time. I knew you couldnt stay away from the light!

Sent from my Tablet using Tapatalk

 

Will keep a eye out.

The aptassia killing you so now turning to apistos.

 

LOL! You guys crack me up!

But I've changed my mind again... I will be setting up a nano cube tank rather than a 3ft tank. I will be running a few tests in this tank, and I'm very sure that most of this forum would be interested in it. I will reveal all in due time. I'm currently working on the nano, and I should have something to show you guys and girls in the next couple of weeks or so. It is going to be a very interesting experiment indeed!

@Vis - Aiptasia was taken care of by my LEGAL peppermint shrimp! That's I guess one advantage of marine. I can legally keep shrimp!!! LOL!

 

Ok, so the planning is continuing well... I have purchased a few items of equipment and I'm just waiting for them to arrive.

I have bought more than one of everything, except the Reg.

I have 1 x reg, solenoid and needle valve
2 x glass rhinox bubble counters
8 x BRASS rhinox one way check valves
2 x glass rhinox 3000 diffusers
20m of BLACK Co2 tubing. (if I have any left over, you guys are welcome to come get some)

All on their way via ebay.

I also have also decided on the dimensions of the tank. 60cmx60cmx60cm cube. I will be getting it built very soon. I may do this myself, but I'm not sure I want to chance it just yet.

Lighting will be 2 x 24watt T5 units. There will be 2 units, so 4 x 24 watt T5 tubes. This allows me to stagger the light cycle.

The matter of the substrate... You will find out shortly. It's going to be pretty cool, I assure you.

I love it when a plan comes together!!!

 

hey sean,

i have 2x24w over my 60x30x30 and the glosso is growing upwards

they are on legs which put them about 6cm above the water, but still, i can't say i am ecstatic with the growth..

 

What tubes you got in there?

I am looking at 4 of them. Surely that would work better than just the 2? I might make the tank 60 x 60 x 50, with a water height of just under 50cm... Damn. This poses new problems then... Maybe 3 of units then? Damn.

 

sorry man, i meant to say i have 2 of the 2x24w just like you are planning, two are the generic bulbs that came with the units, and the other two are a hagen life glo and another hagen tube. so 4 tubes...

i was getting much better growth with 2x24 hagen glo fitting, maybe not all ballasts are equal...

 

Maybe not all light tubes are equal either? I'm looking at adding the Geissman tubes into the units. They geissmans are awesome!

 

Hey Slagter,24w will struggle to penetrate 60cm.My 54w HO is just enough over 55 cm.I do have 4 tubes over the tank,but that only spreads the light over the width of the tank,it doesn't help with penetration.
Why don't you go for 45cm or 50 at the most?A shallower tank is much easier to 'light'.

Don't want to hijack your thread,just a example of a shallow tank.Tank dimensions:150(L) x 60(W) x 40(H).Lights 4x 80w t5 ho

 

I've just been looking at a fitting with a 150watt halide in it with 4 x 24 watt T5's... I think I might go with that one in the end... I need the proper light penetration for what I have in mind. I just need to know if I can find 6500 - 8000K 150watt halides!

 

yes you can get 6500 and 8000k bulbs, if not locally then you can get them on ebay..

why go to the expense of getting the fixture with 4 24's on a 150w mh, thats like strapping 4 tom thumbs on a stick of dynamite...

have you seen you can get 70w mh nano fixtures nowadays?

 

Yeah, I've seen the 70watt fixtures, but I have never seen the bulbs. Ever. I'll see if they have the units with 2 T5's and a 150watt MH. But I need one with feet.

The idea of the 4 T5's is to counter act the "yellow" light of the lower Kelvin MH bulb. Then I can add 10 000K and 14 000K tubes to blue the water out a little...

 

Hi slagter

Your project sounds very exiting and thought provoking!
Do you or anyone think or know if using a dark substrate would aid in getting light down to smaller plants in a deeper tank?

 

No it wouldn't aid much at all. If you're not getting the light to penetrate deep enough, then you wont get much help from the reflection of light off a lighter coloured substrate. I prefer the look of a dark substrate. It just looks more natural. The Pool Filter Sand looks rubbish, in my opinion. I have had loads of tanks with the silica sand and I hated every one of them.

 

Ok thanks for your time,another question,would wireing a 2x50 or whatever watt ballast to run 1x40w tube increase its output? Sorry if I am boreing you with dumb questions,but I can't seem to find any clairitu on this on the net.I have wired one up like this and all I picked up was that the tube ran hot and the ballast didn't last a week (it was old though)

 

No dude! You will more than likely either pop the tube or the ballast! You can get T5HO (High Output) Ballasts. Also, the type of tubes you use will make a big difference too.

Getting the right amount of lighting is crucial. What you could do is get reflectors for the light tubes. Good ones can increase the amount of light in your tank by up to 40%.