Newb...75g Ok With 6 48" No T12's ?

[SingMeat]

Hey all....

I'm new here for one, but I have a welcome thread already...

Edit: Well since I accidentally posted this in the journals section, I'm gonna go snap some pics and make it a journal to save face! Everyone loves pics....

I'm in the process of trying to do a budget planted tank. I had an empty 75g and wanted to set one up in my spare time, slowly even because I have my hands full with school/my 125g. Right now my 125 is a mbuna setup and will remain so...and most of my experience is with Africans so you'll have to forgive my newness to this...seems to be the "opposite world" for me. I have successfully kept nano reefs before so I have a little experience with more advanced tanks, albeit it was a simple tank by reef standards.


Anyways, my current equipment:
75g Perfecto (US gallons)

2 powerheads
Penguin 350
2 2x48" shoplights with 48" 6500k NO t12's ...assuming I need another.

1 turqouoise Rainbow
2 flying foxes
3 Brilliant Rasboras
2 rosy tetras
2 blue flame tetras

I realize most of these will need some companions and they will be added later

also..
a friends tank exploded tonight so I also ended up with an angel.
1 angel (might be temporary...friends tank exploded)


my plan is not to pack this thing full, the tank is going to be a dual view, with a little wood, and some plants that stay mostly low with a few taller ones on the side. I dont mind putting a ton of gavel in their either.

concerns:
a) is my lighting (assuming i need another fixture with 2 more of the same bulbs) adequate?
b) will I be ok without fluorite or other substrate?
c) I'm planning on doing co2 if necessary a bit later when money is free.

As of right now, i've got dwarf baby tears and some other random plant in my 10g that i'll prolly move over. I don't really even need a carpet for this plant (although I'm sure some would work) and none of my plants are going to be super high light or anything. The baby tears is the most I really wanna keep in the short plants side of things, maybe some kinda moss for a carpet.


Anyways, thanks in advance!

 

[aaronnorth]

If you ever post in wrong section, then ask in boards, announcements & suggestions and title question 'can a mod please move my post' then give them a link and they will do it you can ask a mod that is online.

1) If you meant 48watts then another 2 48watts will be needed to grow most plants but it depends on what you want to grow, for now, you could get away with anubias, vallis, elodea...

2) You will be ok but for species like echindorous or cryptocorynes you will need to give them root tabs/ sticks. If you don't want a layer of flourite then a layer of gravel for example then buy an all in one like eco-complete or Aqua soil.

3) For co2, you could do a DIY setup (£5) which is a lot of messing, then there are kits like the nutrafin (£20), both of these require you to mix up yeast salt and water up to every 2 weeks. There is also a cheaper option of pressurized by using a fire extinghuisher (FE) (£75). You will need to buy FE, double Gauge, needle valve, bubble counter, check valve, co2 tubing, diffuser, solenoid(if you want to automaically turn it off at night). After that it is the pressurized kits which a good quality one will cost you around £100.

 

[SingMeat]

If you ever post in wrong section, then ask in boards, announcements & suggestions and title question 'can a mod please move my post' then give them a link and they will do it you can ask a mod that is online.

1) If you meant 48watts then another 2 48watts will be needed to grow most plants but it depends on what you want to grow, for now, you could get away with anubias, vallis, elodea...

2) You will be ok but for species like echindorous or cryptocorynes you will need to give them root tabs/ sticks. If you don't want a layer of flourite then a layer of gravel for example then buy an all in one like eco-complete or Aqua soil.

3) For co2, you could do a DIY setup (£5) which is a lot of messing, then there are kits like the nutrafin (£20), both of these require you to mix up yeast salt and water up to every 2 weeks. There is also a cheaper option of pressurized by using a fire extinghuisher (FE) (£75). You will need to buy FE, double Gauge, needle valve, bubble counter, check valve, co2 tubing, diffuser, solenoid(if you want to automaically turn it off at night). After that it is the pressurized kits which a good quality one will cost you around £100.

Ahh I knew there was something I could do, I figured I might as well make it a journal though....

1) sorry, I meant 40 watt bulbs, 48", and i'm planning on running 6x40 watt bulbs IF i can grow what I need to. total wattage here (240) is fine, but i'm just concerned about the intensity of the light being too low?
2) I don't mind to put some sticks in there, I'm not densely planting this thing, but I do want some plants!
3) Would I need 2 Nutrafin kits for a US 75G?


Thanks for the reply!

 

[aaronnorth]

Plants photsynthesize between 5500k - 11 000k but as long as there id enough light then dont worry to much about the spectrum. 1 nutrafin will run 75l so you will need 4 which is £80! and for the amount of trouble there is no point unless you can get some cheap ones, they go on here most of the time for about £10 but they go fast so look out for them on buy, sell, swap section.

 

[SingMeat]

Here's some pics. Got the last bulbs today...

6x40 watt bulbs (48inches each) 6500k and like 3600 lumens each.


gotta build some kinda canopy with a hinge soon that will keep the lights right over the tank unless i open it.

 

[Themuleous]

Love the lighting system!!!!

Sam

 

[SingMeat]

Love the lighting system!!!!

Sam

Thanks! I just hope it is enough.

Plans: More Gravel, root tabs until I can afford substrate, and build a canopy that allows me to lift the lights up and back on a hinge to work on the tank, but leaves them close to the glass otherwise. CO2 also.

I need a good driftwood centerpiece as well.


This tank is going to be scaped stragely because I'm planning on using it as a peninsula, but right now it is against a wall. So, it is going to look horrible until I have it in dual-view mode unfortunately.

 

[Themuleous]

U using any CO2? You have a hell of a lot of light, I make it around 3WPG, with for a tank that size is loads! You'll need lots of plants and co2 to spot is becoming an algae mess. 4x40w would probably more than enough light.

What fertilisation method you going to use?

Sam

 

[SingMeat]

As of right now, I'm not running any. I'm planning on running it later on once money frees up - think I'll be ok cutting down on light until then? 4x40 for how many hours?

I've only got 8 plants in there for now so i'm just gonna throw some root tabs under them this week until I decide if i want to drop the $$ on fluorite and spectra stone.

 

[Themuleous]

Until you get CO2, more plants and some ferts (including NKP), I would run two bulbs for 8 to 10 hours. The plants you have aren't too demanding so they should be OK.

Once you get everything else up it to four tubes, then eventually all 6 if you want.

Sam