Planted tank?

[matt.radich]

So in my wave of trying new things this summer, I am thinking about doing a planted tank. I have been doing freshwater for years, and this year took the plunge to a reef, but i still want a freshwater tank. I have never done a planted tank before, so that's what's I'm going to do. What I am thinking is a 10 gallon tank, with a 2 bulb t5 setup. But I don't know what sort of substrate to use. Anyone have experience in these tanks and have tips?

 

[tlsrcs]

I love the look of planted tanks a lot. I l.ow nothing Abouy them though lol. I do have 6500k 150w metal halide that could go into the odyessa fixture just needs a ballast. Also if you want to I have a 15g and stand one of the iron ones.

 

[jahmic]

Substrate and lighting will both depend upon what types of plants you intend to grow, and the type of system you want to run. I've ran both "high tech" systems that require higher lighting, daily dosing of nutrients, and CO2 injection...and "low tech" systems with about 2wpg of lighting and none of the hassle of daily dosing. Certain plants will only thrive in a high tech system...others are better suited for low tech systems. As a general rule of thumb, root feeding plants are a better option for low tech systems as they grow slower and thus have lower nutrient demands. You can use a nutrient rich substrate or even amend the substrate with top soil underneath to support growth.

I've always used seachem flourite for substrate....but there are other options, like ada aquasoil, that would be better for holding certain plants in place as the flourite is a bit coarse. Also, a dual bulb T5HO fixture over a 10 gal tank will be too much light without CO2 injection. I believe those bulbs are 24w a piece...which is almost 5 watts per gallon...which is pushing it even with CO2. A single bulb fixture would be a better option...and I would recommend sticking with a low tech tank for your first attempt. Though CO2 is tempting when you see what it can do.

 

[jahmic]

Here are a couple pics of my CO2 injected system...a 6gal fluval edge. Sadly it eventually crashed...it was a delicate balance in that tank.

Here are a couple pics of my current low tech system. First pic is over a year ago. Second pic shows its current state...you can see how much growth I got with no CO2 and "slow growers" by adding top soil under the substrate.

View attachment 7382

Check out plantedtank.net as an excellent resource...once you figure out which direction you wanna go I'd be more than happy to help you get things sorted. I can also give you some plants to get you started.

 

[matt.radich]

Tyson do you not have any plans for that tank anymore? And if I did a 2-bulb t5 on a 15 gallon and did co2, would that be ok? Or just do less light?

 

[jahmic]

A 2-bulb T5 w/ CO2 would be great over a 15 gallon tank...you could run more manageable levels of CO2 and not have to worry too much about high nutrient demands and possibly "gassing" your livestock. Just make sure you research it ahead of time so you know what you are getting into. You will most likely need to dose around 5 days a week and perform large weekly water changes (30-50%) to keep the system healthy if you go with CO2 injection and EI (estimative index) dosing...which is the most popular approach.

The more light you put over the tank, the higher levels of CO2 and nutrients you will need to maintain...just keep that rule in mind. If you don't have enough CO2 in the system, you will have an algae farm with the high levels of nutrients. My target levels were 40-70ppm Nitrates and 5.0 ppm phosphates in my high-light CO2 tank...things can quickly get out of hand if you neglect the tank for a couple weeks. To go along with that, too much CO2 injection and you reduce oxygen saturation and stress your fish.

With your CO2 system, don't skimp out...you will be happier in the long run. Get a good regulator (scour ebay and find a good deal) then build your own system and make sure you incorporate a solenoid valve. Doing so will allow you to put the CO2 on a timer so it is not being pumped into the tank after lights out. If you look on plantedtank.net, there are people running "paintball CO2 systems"...I recommend against them as I had one and it was extremely unreliable. I eventually built a proper system and was much happier with the results.

 

[matt.radich]

so then would a pc bulb work? Just one pc bulb over a 10 gallon? I am kind of weighing all the options here. Either a 2x24w over a 15 gallon, or something else over a 10 gallon. I am sort of leaning towards the 10 gallon because I know that I can put on of those on table next to my bed(I have done a tank of that max size before). But on an off topic, do you think, because I have stood on this table before (I weigh 180lbs) that I could put a 15 gallon tank on there with no worries? The table doesn't shake or sway with me on it, so I am thinking that it may work, but I am not to sure.

But back on topic haha, would one pc light work for a 10 gallon, because I know that those aren't overly powerful. I really want to do this tank right becuase I know that if i don't do it right the first time I will be spending more money on it, and I always want to put more money into my reef haha

 

[jahmic]

I've tried PC bulbs and didn't like them much. Although you can get them in a "daylight spectrum" for plant growth, I never had much luck getting anything to grow under them. I prefer the versatility of a dual bulb fixture...I'm getting great growth with a dual T5 fixture with a 6700K and 8000K bulb; I've also had luck with a 6700K bulb and a "Colormax" bulb combo to run lower light and get more color out of my reds.

I'd trust your table to support a 15 gal. I have my 35 tall on a stand that I wouldn't dare try to put my weight on, lol.

 

[matt.radich]

Haha we all do things that we aren't supposed to put our tanks on right? So I think I will do that. I will probably get the aquatraders 2 bulb setup. For $40, you can't really beat it, unless I can find a good deal on craigslist or on here.

And the colormax bulb is the pink one right? Because I have heard pretty good things about doing a 6700k and a colormax (or pink) bulb, so i will probably try to do that if I can find a good enough deal. I don't want to spend to much money, because I am still getting fish into my 40 breeder.

 

[jahmic]

Yea, colormax is the pink bulb. I really like the colormax combo for slightly lower PAR and better coloration. It works really well in combination with an 8000 Kelvin temp bulb. With the 6700K and colormax combo things looked a bit too yellow for my taste.

 

[matt.radich]

Hmm I will look into the 8000k color max combo. At first I was just considering this but I think I am going to try to get it setup by next week of possible

 

[matt.radich]

Haha so we wake up with the intention of doing a planted tank, I come home with an eclipse system for free! I drove to boulder and got an eclipse system 12. The only problem was that the light didn't work, but I ordered an eBay led flexible light that should work perfect.

Now I am not going to do a planted tank but a community tank, but I need a heater. Anyone have one on the cheap?

Here's a pic of the new tank
View attachment 7398

 

[lpsouth1978@msn.com]

Good luck with the community build, it should be a cakewalk after reef tanks. I am actually in the planning stage of a planted system of my own. I have tried one in the past, but it turned into a failed attempt. I have done a lot more research and am taking my time on this. I am hoping to have the CO2 system completed by the end of the week. I am planning a VERY high tech system with automatic CO2 injection, automatic nutrient dosing, ATO, and hopefully an auto water change system. I will also be utilizing a substrate heating cable and putting a down flow diffuser inline with a canister filter in order to get 100% dissolved CO2. I think that I will be getting a 40 breeder when the $1/gallon sale returns.

 

[matt.radich]

Haha I love my 40 breeder for my reef tank, but if i got another, my parents would disown me haha. I picked up one of those petco 6.6 gallon tanks, and for now I am going low light low tech, and if that works then I will go to a high tech 10-20 gallon tank. Right now the CO2 is a little over my head, I am still learning ATO lol. I hope to see pictures of this tank one some forum. Are you on Plantedtank? Or will you post it here?

 

[lpsouth1978@msn.com]

I will probably just post it here. I do not have an account on plantedtank, though I frequently visit and learn about the world of planted tanks there.

 

[scchase]

Just a note my planted high CO2 tank is 50 times the work of any of my reef tanks so be prepared.

 

[jahmic]

Just a note my planted high CO2 tank is 50 times the work of any of my reef tanks so be prepared.

+1 to this. I took down my high tech planted tank prior to setting up my reef. Whereas with the reef the same conditions keep everything happy...with a planted tank you are walking a thin balance between CO2 vs oxygenation and excess nutrients that can cause algae vs keeping your plants happy. Adjustments also need to be made and observed for about 2 weeks before determining their effectiveness on plant growth.

Sounds like you've definitely done your research...just know that it's barely set it and forget it even with all of that automation. Good luck! High tech setups are a lot of fun...but can be frustrating at times.

 

[MartinsReef]

Here are a couple pics of my CO2 injected system...a 6gal fluval edge. Sadly it eventually crashed...it was a delicate balance in that tank.

Here are a couple pics of my current low tech system. First pic is over a year ago. Second pic shows its current state...you can see how much growth I got with no CO2 and "slow growers" by adding top soil under the substrate.

View attachment 7382

Check out plantedtank.net as an excellent resource...once you figure out which direction you wanna go I'd be more than happy to help you get things sorted. I can also give you some plants to get you started.

Soory it chrashed! That tank is "sick"!!!!!!!!!!!! I should hit you up when I do a planted tank!

 

[MartinsReef]

I also here that they are just as time consuming as a reef tank.

 

[lpsouth1978@msn.com]

I am ok with it being a lot of work. I just want another tank to challenge me and this seems like the natural progression.

Funny... when I started reefing I thought that was as difficult as it got in the fish keeping world, then I tried my first planted tank thinking, "This will be a walk in the park compared to reefing." Now I am saying that the natural progression is freshwater community -> Saltwater FOWLR -> Reef -> Planted.

Hopefully my experience with reefing has prepared me for the fickle word of planted tanks.