# My Set-Up



## InuGirlTeen (Oct 26, 2008)

60-Gallon Aquarium
.5wpg lighting

Plants:
Kyoto Grass
Corkscrew Vallisneria
Amazon Sword
African Lily
Water Sprite
Ludwidia Broad Leaf

Ferts:
Flourite Substrate
Leaf Zone [Liquid Plant Food]



Okay, I know my lighting sucks but it is going to cost me a hefty sum of cash to solve that problem. I've looked into it extensively and my only option is to buy a whole new hood for my aquarium, which is costly. Without the perfect lighting, if I set up a DIY co2 system, will that help my plants out or will I be wasting my time? 

I was going to set up one 2-liter bottle size system for my tank and move to two bottles if I don't notice a change. Good idea or not?


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

InuGirlTeen said:


> .5wpg lighting
> 
> Ferts:
> Flourite Substrate
> ...


Brooke:

IMHO you would be spinning your wheels here. I tried this at 1.3WPG with no observable joy.

I really do not know of anything such as "perfect lighting*".

I do believe that with lighting above 2WPG and a CO2 concentration of 5PPM (which you would attain with your two liter coke bottle) you would have some joy.

*I have two PC fixtures in addition to one MH fixture and am still experimenting with lamp K value locations and lighting durations in the pursuit of this "perfect lighting".




InuGirlTeen said:


> Okay, I know my lighting sucks but it is going to cost me a hefty sum of cash to solve that problem. I've looked into it extensively and my only option is to buy a whole new hood for my aquarium, which is costly.


Brooke:

I am decent as design but significantly lacking in fabrication skills.

You might find that retrofitting your existing hood may be affordable.

*AH Supply* or *Marine Depot* (scroll to the bottom of the page for T5 and PC for retrofitting) may have affordable options for you.




InuGirlTeen said:


> I was going to set up one 2-liter bottle size system for my tank and move to two bottles if I don't notice a change. Good idea or not?


Per my previous comments: no.

An analogy would be placing four times as much potassium in the tank as your plants can utilize. The excess potassium would be a waste.


Brooke: Getting back to the basics (although the following is very, very qualitative).

You have approximately 2PPM CO2 concentration in your tank now due to CO2 production by the plants and atmospheric interchange.

2 liter DIY will produce 5PPM and 4 liter DIY 9PPM but at your lighting level your plants are only utilizing 0.8PPM CO2.

TR


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