High Tech Planted Tank

[aquaticclarity]

I'm setting up a high tech planted tank again. My living room tank (Oceanic 37 gallon special 24"x18"x21 footprint) used to be a high tech tank and the equipment is still all in use but the majority of the plants in there are slower growing because the last time I had a tank full of fast growing plants I just couldn't keep up with the trimming.

My new high tech tank will feature a few slower growing plants but mainly high light harder to keep stem plants. It is located in the basement just outside of the fishroom so I'll have easier access to R.O. water and tanks to move the trimmings into. The layout is a modified river bank with a nice piece of Malaysian driftwood creating the bank. I'm also breaking away from my more recent habit (past 6-7 years) of regional/geographic biotope tanks including fish and plants from the same area and I'll be planting this tank strictly for aesthetics. Details as follow:

Oceanic 58 gallon reef ready aquarium (36"x18"x21")
2x36" Coralife HO T5 two bulb light fixtures totaling 156 watts (4 36" 6700k 39 watt bulbs)
Eheim 2126 canister filter with built in heater
Dupla fully automated CO2 system
Sera Floredepot substrate fertilizer
Silica and fine red flint gravel mix

A few pictures will follow but I'm working on turning the whole set-up process of this tank into a talk so I won't post details of every aspect in this thread.

I'd really like to hear your questions, comments, suggestions, etc. so please post away!

 

[Hmoobthor]

very nice setup.... post some pic when you can

 

[nkambae]

Hullo Jeff! How goes the planted tank project? I would enjoy an update with some pics too. Are you planning to dose ferts in the water column in addition to the substrate ferts? 156 watts of T5 HO over that tank seems like a lot of light to me. I think you could have fantastic results just using one fixture. I have a 50 gallon 'breeder' tank with 75 watts of T8 NO, pressurized CO2, and EI ferts and I can grow just about anything in that tank. The watts per gallon formula doesn't really apply to T5 HO because the lights and better reflectors make for a much more intense light source than T8' and T12's. Here is a photo of the 50 gallon breeder I mentioned. 75 watts of T8 NO daylight bulbs, pressurized CO2, EI ferts, substrate is black dirt mixed with worm castings and capped with Red Sea Flora base..

And for something different here is a photo of our 72 gallon: 108 watts T5 HO, no CO2, light ferts, substrate is black dirt mixed with worm castings and capped with Estes black color quartz. This is just after a trim so it isn't quite as verdant as it usually is.

[/IMG]

I am not a good photographer so I do apologize for the poor quality of the pics. Good luck with your project and I do hope to see some updates as you progress.

stu

 

[aquaticclarity]

Pics to come soon. I'm hacking plants today that I need for a photo shoot. The CO2 isn't on yet...I need to get my cylinders filled. So far other then a light outbreak of string/hair algae things are going very well. A few leaves have been pleco nipped-they are coming out soon! 2 types of Cabamba (red and aquatica) are both growing like weeds and have great color. Glosso is taking off. Hell EVERYTHING is taking off!

 

[nkambae]

taking off...

Hell EVERYTHING is taking off!

Cool! I am looking forward to seeing some pics.

 

[veyndy]

@nkambae - a very impressing setup. The tank is incredibly beautiful and the plants are wonderfully applied. I am thinking about setting up my first High Tech Planted Tank and I have absolutely no clue where to start... either I buy the tank or I care about the plant delivery first or about the space of the tank or about the costs or the material I will be in need of for finishing the tank. I am really quite new to this and I sort of have no plan how to start so I guess I might take a lot of advices and wise words here.

 

[Shanster]

Hullo Jeff! How goes the planted tank project? I would enjoy an update with some pics too. Are you planning to dose ferts in the water column in addition to the substrate ferts? 156 watts of T5 HO over that tank seems like a lot of light to me. I think you could have fantastic results just using one fixture. I have a 50 gallon 'breeder' tank with 75 watts of T8 NO, pressurized CO2, and EI ferts and I can grow just about anything in that tank. The watts per gallon formula doesn't really apply to T5 HO because the lights and better reflectors make for a much more intense light source than T8' and T12's. Here is a photo of the 50 gallon breeder I mentioned. 75 watts of T8 NO daylight bulbs, pressurized CO2, EI ferts, substrate is black dirt mixed with worm castings and capped with Red Sea Flora base..

And for something different here is a photo of our 72 gallon: 108 watts T5 HO, no CO2, light ferts, substrate is black dirt mixed with worm castings and capped with Estes black color quartz. This is just after a trim so it isn't quite as verdant as it usually is.

[/IMG]

I am not a good photographer so I do apologize for the poor quality of the pics. Good luck with your project and I do hope to see some updates as you progress.

stu

Hello There -- what is the plant in the back right corner that's creeping over the surface? I want to have a plant that creeps over the surface, but the jungle val seems like it grows really fast. Thanks!