# Planning stages of 29g planted



## tnunderwater (Sep 1, 2010)

Hello all!  

I'm in the planning stages of a 29g tank. I can't post the specs of this tank yet, as I haven't actually purchased it. I will be purchasing it on Friday, and hope to have this set-up going by my target date which is the first week of October. I'm on a bit (ok, a LOTTA bit) of a budget so I have to space out buying my supplies weekly... like stand, filter, etc.

I already have two filter media from a cycled tank that I'll be transferring to the new tank once I break down my current tank.

Current inhabitants of this future tank will be: 5 neon tetra, 1 albino cory. Yes, I'm aware that they do well in groups but he is aggressive to other cory....long story that I'll cover in my introduction post on the other category. ;-) 

Planned inhabitants of this tank once I get it where I want it to be will be: 5 neon tetra, 5 harleqin rasbora, 1 albino cory.

I've read so much about lights and stuff that I'm hoping to get a customized answer because I feel kind of hopeless. :-(

I've decided to abandon the idea of CO2 because I don't have the money to go pressurized nor do I have the lighting, so that's going to have to be a future upgrade.

My substrate is going to be Eco-Complete.

I've decided that I want this tank to be LOW-TECH and not even mess with CO2, even DIY. So, I'll need low light plants and low-light lights.

Now, here are my questions coming in:

---- What kind of lighting do I use? Is there a way to set up a "night time" light so I can see my fish without disrupting their sleep cycle? I already have a built in aquarium timer in my power surge style apparatus.
---- I'm making a list of low lighting plants that I'll be bringing into my LFS that I'll be purchasing. Ideas, please?
---- Is it impossible to grow plants in this big of a tank without CO2? :-(

Edited to say: I've already got "mild" experience with planted tanks. I'm currently running a 5 gal planted with six very overcrowded residents just itching to get into their new home ASAP. In this tank I have three amazon swords who I'm struggling to keep alive and I'm sick of it. They were half dead coming home from PetSmart (manager's special, plus my employee discount), and it's been a constant struggle of ferts and pruning just to keep them from dying. I'm ready to throw them away.


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## Cam (Nov 9, 2009)

I would do about 10 Harlequins and 10 Neons with some Cories and a few Otto cats.


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## tnunderwater (Sep 1, 2010)

I can't keep other corydora, because my albino is aggressive to other cories both albino and others. When he was in another tank, he attacked and killed his other tankmates. (Cory only tank.) He is peaceful and a ton more active now being the only cory.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

tnunderwater said:


> I'm in the planning stages of a 29g tank.
> ---- What kind of lighting do I use? Is there a way to set up a "night time" light so I can see my fish without disrupting their sleep cycle? I already have a built in aquarium timer in my power surge style apparatus.


tn:

Power compact appears to be going away so IMHO your best choice is T5 at a minimum of 2 WPG for low light.



tnunderwater said:


> ---- I'm making a list of low lighting plants that I'll be bringing into my LFS that I'll be purchasing. Ideas, please?


Anubias



tnunderwater said:


> ---- Is it impossible to grow plants in this big of a tank without CO2? :-(


No and you do not want CO2 due to algae growth.

TR


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