Planted Tanks - Advice and Comments Needed

Hi everyone,

I have recently decided to reboot one of my fishtanks and I am considering going the down the path of a planted tank. I have always attempted to have plants but save for some hardy java fern, I have not had much success. I have done some reading and I have already got a 40l Jebo with some extra lights and Seachem comprehensive which is going nicely. However, I am looking to start a much bigger project and I need some help. First I'll give some stats and goals and see what pearls of wisdom are cast before me.

The Tank:
300l (1.2m x 0.5 x 0.5m)
Large gravel substrate
Large cannister filter
2 x 30w T8 flourescent globes (not sure the exact stats but should be for plants)
Current occupants consist of guppies and 3 x large angels - I will be able to give these guys a home while the tank is rescaped,

The goal:
A low tech planted tank with lush plants without breaking the bank on expensive equipment.

Advice Needed:

1) Substrates:

I am currently toying with the idea of utilising some of my existing gravel as it is already seeded and has some mulm which has accumulated at the bottom. Now I have read a fair bit about substrates and the more I read, the more confused I am. I can appreciate that using a flourite substrate would be ideal but at R450 for a 7kg bag (I think), you can imagine that I will be spending a fair bit of coin to get to the proverbial 3 inches in a 300l tank. So I am looking for a more natural (and cheaper) alternative.

It seems that there are some people on this forum who love using potting soil and mineralised soil. Mineralised soil comes across as a real process to prepare. I was thinking of using an organic potting soil (after soaking it for a good month) with vermiculite (for absorbing plant goodness), with some of my existing gravel/mulm and some potting clay (for iron?). All of which would be capped off with about 2 inches of pool sand (small gravel). However, I have personally seen how potting soil can lead to an algae explosion in a pond and I am a bit reluctant to use it.

The other option seems to be the chemicult and plant fibre peat mix. This seems interesting but once again there seems to be concerns that this will leech into the water and cause a great big algae party.

Now I am prepared to buy a bag or two of the good stuff as well. Would it be good enough to perhaps mix some flourite into a smaller gravel which will cap my existing dirty gravel?

2) Lighting

I am pretty sure that 2 x 60w flourescents are insufficient. I am thinking of some other ways to get more light into the tank without spending R1800 on a panel of ten LEDs. The problem is space to mount more flourescents without changing the ballasts and bulbs to T5s. Any thoughts here? Any links to DIY LED panels? I don't really want to go the halide route as it will be a mission to mount it and they will inevitably use a lot of electricity.

3) CO2

I am planning on a DIY job here and have a few ideas. Will CO2 be necessary if I use a decent substrate?

Anyway, I know I have asked some very broad questions here but some information on personal experience will go a long way to point me in the right direction and begin developing a plan of action. I understand that everyone has their preferences and any advice will be appreciated. I hope to detail my progress on this forum once I have decided which path to take.

Fire away guys!
:idea:

 

Ok dude. Alot to consider here. First you said "low tec" planted. Taking into consideration all that you said. I think you are on the High tec path here. Low tec is normally plants with normal substrate and light with some fertz. Medium tec is plants coupled with a descent substrate and high light levels with Fertz. High tec is decent lights coupled to decent substrate, fertz and CO2.

This is what I would do. Try the PFP and chemicult route. It works and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. You can cap that with PFS and put your gravel over if you would like to.

For the lighting. You can get T5 tubes with starter and connectors that can fit wherever your current T8 bulbs are. You can get two 39w T5 bulbs. Should be sufficient for that size tank.

Fertz. Get some Excel coupled with the Comprehensive. It works!

HTH

 

I would say try the new tropica range of substrate. you need to cap it so you can use PFS or any gravel as long as its capped. Ferts you can go Tropica / E.I
maybe @ Sean J could give some info on this.
Lights i would go for 2 x 54w lights a bit higher from the water surface.

Plants:
Crypts
Ferns
Anubias

 

@SloMo.00. Has got it pretty much spot on with everything. What i would add is that you invest in the ada aqua soil that requires no capping. It costs a bit, but you are gonna save in the longer term on buying liquid ferts. And yes do try the diy c02. Lots of people have very good success with it. @ivan, this is a 1,2m tank so 54w tubes wouldnt work as I'm under the impression that 54w tubes are 1,5m long. I believe 2 x 36w tubes or similar would be sufficient for low tech, even with this slightly deeper tank.

 

I use 2x39w tubes on my 3ft

 

Oh yes, your guppys will shortly become angel food so be careful.

 

1.2m t5 tubes are 54w
1.5m t5 tubes are 80W

 

hmm. my tubes in my 1,5m light fitting are 54w, but those are t8's.. is that the differentiating factor?

 

Hey @mydummyname, The wattage is normally the length. Does not matter if it's T8 or T5. If you have 54w your's should be 1.2m. I have them in my 5 foot aswell.

 

T8's and T5's wattage's are different guys.

a 0.9m T8 is 30W and a 0.9m T5 is 39w.

If the angels grew up with the guppies, they generally should be ok.


Now, to get back to topic.


Planted tanks is made up of a triangle of three things... Light, Fertilizer and CO2. If one is increased, you need to increase the other 2 proportionately. You can look at it this was... CO2 is the oil in the engine, Fertilizer is the fuel, and the lights is the accelerator. You need them all to run the engine... but if you push the accelerator, the engine will go, on condition there is fuel and oil. (And obviously a well maintained enginer--- i.e a well maintained tank!)

Deciding on substrates is always a foundation decision, because ultimately this isn't easy to change... and is usually expensive. But I would suggest you first decide how far you want to go with the lights. There is absolutely no point in using any type of nutritional added substrate if you haven't got the lighting to back it up. Your current lighting will more than likely suffice for a low tech... meaning inert substrate, very easy to grow plants, and a simple fertilizer like DSD, Seachem comp or Tropica. However, if you are willing to spend a little on the lights, replace them with T5's. Your tank is 1.2m... so a 1.2m tube won't fit. So get yourself a T5 Dual 39w electronic ballast (From ACDC electrical- they about R160.00), some wiring and then 2 39w globes from a lighting wholesaler. Ask for 39w tubes that have a rating of 6,500kelvin on them.

Now you have an option of looking at better substrates.

My opinion... unless you want to upgrade the lights... don't waste your money on substrates.

And unless you know exactly what went into the potting soil... please don't make your own mineralized soil, use potting soil, or anything that was originally intended for your garden...

 

i definitelly have 2X 54w t8 lamps in a 1,5m long open channel light fitting with bat wings... so i dont know how that works.

 

thanks @Zoom, that clears up the confusion!

 

He He @mydummyname, @Zoom just explained that the Wattage of the T8's are different.

@Zoom. I must agree that for a low tec setup T8's are probably sufficient. In the long run I would go T5. They just last longer. And the plants love them. Ferns obviuosly object with them with long lit periods...

 

er.. ya, think that bits sorted lol

 

I would also recommend T5's... BUT... if the intention is an easy tank, low maintenance, and completely low tech plants etc.... then why waste the time, effort and money on changing the lights? You then also don't need to change the substrate.
Also keep in mind that it is recommended to change T8 tubes once every 6-8 months. T5's only need replacement when they blow. (And do youself a favour, change the starter at the same time...)

 

+1

 

Im setting up a 4 foot, using 4 x 54w t5's. @slomo.00 you said that ferns won't like the bight light, will mine be suffering when I introduce them into my tank?

 

@LunaTic, They don't like strong light for long periods. You can add floating plants on top of them or place them in a dark spot in a tank. This works better for them. I have Ferns that get no Light at all in a Styrofoam box and they are much greener then the ones in my tank. You just need to get the correct ratio with light and fertz with ferns to grow.


But I would suggest you start a thread for this. We straying off topic a bit. :tongue:

 

it all depends if your going to add Co2 and ferts with 4x54w t5's.
My java fern is right underneath my lights and growing like its on steriods.

 

that really IS impressive!!