Hi guys,
Having kept a successful reef for the last few years I now feel like I need a new challenge and having had limited success in the past with a planted system I have decided that I'd like to try this option again. I would really appreciate any advice on this topic from people more experienced than I !
Once I have sold my reef stock and emptied and thoroughly cleaned the aquarium I will be left with a good sized system which is 48" long, 24" high and 26" deep and that contains a sump of 40" in length and with 5 separate sections. I think I'd prefer to retain the sump for filtration as I may wish to return to marine at some point in the future. My first question is what would be preferable in each compartment ? At present I have filter floss in the first (as a pre-filter), then in the second I house my skimmer and phosphate reactor which I assume will no longer be needed. In the third I have a DSB with miracle mud and caulerpa (which defo won't be needed) and then in the penultimate section I have my return pump. I have one final section that I currently have a Tunze auto top-up unit set up in, would this be at all useful in a planted freshwater system ?
My next question is in relation to the lighting. I currently have an Aqua One MG1200 metal halide unit that again I'd quite like to keep if it was able to be transformed into a suitable lighting system for a planted tank. My question here is what bulb could exchange the marine ones for in order for this plan to work ?
Any other general comments and advice would be much appreciated, especially on what additonal equipment would be considered a must-buy for this new project.
Thanks in advance.
Having kept a successful reef for the last few years I now feel like I need a new challenge and having had limited success in the past with a planted system I have decided that I'd like to try this option again. I would really appreciate any advice on this topic from people more experienced than I !
Once I have sold my reef stock and emptied and thoroughly cleaned the aquarium I will be left with a good sized system which is 48" long, 24" high and 26" deep and that contains a sump of 40" in length and with 5 separate sections. I think I'd prefer to retain the sump for filtration as I may wish to return to marine at some point in the future. My first question is what would be preferable in each compartment ? At present I have filter floss in the first (as a pre-filter), then in the second I house my skimmer and phosphate reactor which I assume will no longer be needed. In the third I have a DSB with miracle mud and caulerpa (which defo won't be needed) and then in the penultimate section I have my return pump. I have one final section that I currently have a Tunze auto top-up unit set up in, would this be at all useful in a planted freshwater system ?
My next question is in relation to the lighting. I currently have an Aqua One MG1200 metal halide unit that again I'd quite like to keep if it was able to be transformed into a suitable lighting system for a planted tank. My question here is what bulb could exchange the marine ones for in order for this plan to work ?
Any other general comments and advice would be much appreciated, especially on what additonal equipment would be considered a must-buy for this new project.
Thanks in advance.
