Start up Questions

WRXminion

Sorry it took me so long to reply, I've been really busy.

So you think I should add more light. What kind of light do you recomend? Should i get a Haliod (sp?) or floressent? I'm wanting to go the whole way on this, so I figure buying better early is better then having to replace/upgrade later.

How much is testing equipment? any brand or website that you recomend? otherwise i'll just go to my LFS.

ahill3780

There are several good brands of testing kits on the market. Jay and I both use the Aquarium Pharmacueticals (API) brand Master Test Kit, but that doesn't mean they're the best on the market, just the one that we trust.

As I have come to understand with talking to Jay and reading around on the internet a 10,000K light is probably the best lamp as far as illumination for the plants and for your viewing pleasure so I would go with that.

As far as type goes, I currently use flourescent lighting and it is adequate but it is not as stimulating as my friends planted tank with Power Compact lights over it. I am planning on merging over to PC lighting myself shortly. Metal Halide lighting is not needed for most tanks and will not benefit your tank any more than the cheaper PC lights will. Those lamps become more necessary over SW Reef tanks.

I think that covers it. Did I miss anything?

Jay

Hey WRX

I am going to move some of this thread over to the Planted Tank Sub Forum so we can keep it focused.

If you have not already, read thru the threads there as they will answer a lot of your questions.

We can continue discussion there. OK with you

Regards,
Jay

WRXminion

Alright, so i'm waiting on my test kits to get here. It was like 80% cheaper to buy online and pay shipping then to buy at the store.

I'm now doing weekly 1/3-1/2 water changes with tap water with Declore.

I'm wanting to add more light and Co2 but i'm not sure which order to do it in.

I read the post that 650-700 hz is the best kind of bulb, can you guys link me to a good store online to get these, and are the special brands like, "plant grow" bulbs any better then the others?

I want to double my wattage to 300, i need another 150-200watts, is there a cheap fixture to achive this? or am i better off buying a $200coralfe?

If i'm going to do this in stages, (buy the light then a month later the co2) should i add nutrients to the water to match what i have or what i'm trying to achive?


What should my lvls be for a 2 w/g tank? a 4 w/g? and then 4w/g + co2

Jay

I would go with the light first.

All-glass makes a fairly inexpensive T- 8 strip fixture that I used for a few years before moving up to Coralife power compacts.

--> Fish : Fluorescent Fixtures

Jay

WRXminion

Okay I got my GH and KH test kit today. And they are off the chart, I droped in like 20 drops in each and they didn't change color. It has mostly cichlid in the tank so i'm not to suprised by this.

what dose the hardness do to plants?

it's been two weeks sense my last water change. I usualy do one every week to two weeks.

so i'm going to do a water change and see where the lvls are.00

Edit: Alright, so I did a 50% water change and it droped the KH to 89.5ppm and the GH to 250.6ppm

sorry for my spelling/grammer i've had a bad migrain all day.

Jay

Well not really off the charts a KH of 89.5 ppm or a dKH of 5 is great.
a GH of 250.6 ppm or a dGH of 14 indicates
water that is "fairly hard"

Fish are very adaptable and would be perfectly happy in "fairly hard" water, however they probably would not "spawn" if their preference is for less hard water.

Mineral uptake of calcium and magnesium by plants in a well planted tank will drop the GH some.

If you are uncomfortable with the water hardness, the best way to reduce it is to dilute the tap water with Bottled water or RO filtered water. This will also affect your KH and pH so some fiddling will be required.

I would be curious to know the basic set of Your tank parameter numbers.

Regards,
Jay

WRXminion

Well when ever I get the other test kit in, i'll let you know. The hardness in my main tank dose not bother me, but I do have a 50g tank with 4 red bellys in it. One of them has changed to a really dark black color, which aparently means it's a she and she is ready to breed. So any thing I can do to get little guys would be awsome. I'll have to see what else they need to breed. I'll check the GH and KH lvls on that tank next.

WRXminion

Alright,

Got my test kit today,

0 nitrite and nitrate,
0-.25 amonia
7-7.2ph

I've figured out my light. I'm going to build my own hood for a HQI system or buy one....


which leaves doseing and co2.

I have no idea when it comes to doseing... hopeing to get some help here


co2 I need three things right? tank, regulator (with a counter) and means of dispursion... like power head or diffuser?

which is the best brand? is power head or diffusing better? my LFS is wanting to charge me out the ars $140 for a regulator and $100 for a bottle and then a power head. Is water flow in a fresh water planted tank good?? should I use power heads?

WRXminion

::bump::

jay?