# Soooo



## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

From what I've been reading and advisement from another forum specific for aquatic plants. Between reading and the other forum, consensus is that the 80 watts I have probably won't be enough for what I want to do. Wanted to ask some more opinions here.

Problem there is everything is going to be really expensive lighting wise because what works best for convenience overall considering I don't have a canopy is about $400 for lights and it'll have to be a 72" light. Getting that much lighting in the tank means that algae will probably overtake my tank, and then I'll have to get co2 to try and feed all the growth in the tank just to keep the plants alive. Even with the algae eaters I'd guess.

Refresher

Equipment - 125g tank, Fluval FX5 canister filter, 170g capable aerator, UV sterilizer ( just bought new ), 300w heater, current two T8 40w lights.

Stocking - 6 denisoni barbs, 4 giant danios, 2 bala sharks (i know they get big), 3 siamese algae eaters, 2 bn pleco's.

Planting - 3 anacharis, 2 java ferns, and found my short plant of narrow leaf java fern for the middle/front of the tank (2-3 depending)


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## chronoboy (Jan 17, 2011)

ya thats my problem i dont even have a watt per gallon so im not sure what plants i can keep and my LFS dont know nothing about the plants they sell they just say im sure it will be fine so im at a loss on what to get and what kinda wattage they need to thrive or what kinda nutrients i need to maintane them, plants are harder to keep in a tank then i thought.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Agreed. I want to like no other as far as putting plants into the tank. 

Thing is, I had a discussion here and from what I've read it looked to be low light only plants and I wouldn't need to dose fertz or inject co2. Which is fine and dandy with me. I go to an aquarium planting specific forums and they tell me it wont be enough. A LFS told me it would be fine for low light plants as well with two T8's at 40w a piece. Giving me about .667 watts per gallon. From everything I've heard and read up until that specific forum, your basic java ferns, anacharis should be fine in there without massive dosing.

At the rate I'm going with the size of my tank, to get the appropriate lighting that's easy and effective puts me at a higher wattage range that I'll need to inject co2. I'm about to the point of giving up and doing it solely with fake plants. Or atleast until my old boat sells then I'll have 2,000 to play with and see if I want to go through the hassle.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Your plants are low-light plants, but even they will need more light than that. You don't have to go crazy with it, though. You'll only need CO2 if you make it very bright, so just ADDING a couple more shop-lights with plant bulbs in them should help a surprising amount. You'd be stuck with low-light plants, but they'd survive.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

Thanks TOS. I think what I'm going to do is hold off for a bit, buy a 72" T5HO with 8 lights on it. Only run 4 total giving me about 140watts and a full set of spare lights. If I happen to find one that comes with Actinic bulbs ( which most do ) I can easily go to my LFS and they will probably swap me out bulbs for the ones I need with receipt that it's brand new. Some distributors I'd imagine might help me out too.

The only thing I worry about is the time that the tank is going to be down. I know the bacteria will survive in water, but without a tank circulating about how much time do I have until I'll be forced to recycle the tank entirely?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Months, no problem. It won't be fully cycled anymore, but it will be good enough.


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## blindkiller85 (Jan 8, 2011)

TheOldSalt said:


> Months, no problem. It won't be fully cycled anymore, but it will be good enough.


Good enough that generally speaking that I can let it cycle itself with some fish food for a day or two add a tiny bit of ammonia and I should be good to go with basically any fish at that rate?


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