My planted tank SA style...

[craigthor]

Here is the begining with pictures of my old setup which consisted of a Coralife 220 watt PC fixture. My next post will have my new light setup that I finished yesterday and hung with the help of my brother and a friend.

Craig

 

[craigthor]

Here are pictures of my new setup. It consists of 4 Current 150 watt MH fixtures, 4 6500K bulbs, timers and all the good stuff. built a box to mount everything in above my tank to limit the cords coming down. The lights are setup to come on in series to somewhat replicate the sun up/ sun down motion. My substrate should be here later this week then I will remove the sand and put in EcoComplete mixed with Florite. As far as plants what would everyone recommend? I want to try and stay with the SA theme. I'm also going to play with the timers to get the best coverage and if they all need to be on at the same time that that is what I will do. Does anyone put peat moss under their substate, if so is it easy to do with water already in the tank.

Craig

 

[dragonfish]

Can't go wrong starting off with a big sword.

 

[craigthor]

Afer playing with these for abit I think I will run all 4 from 630 am till 8 pm. Then the moonlights will come on after that. Can't wait for my substrate to get here to remove the sand.

Craig

 

[Bderick67]

Impresive lighting setup, Go with a couple amazon swords they can and will get huge in the tank. Are you gonna run Co2?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

You are most definitely going to have to run Pressurized CO2 with that setup. With 600W total of MH, that's a lot of light. And I would definitely do a sword plant in there, an Ozelot Sword.

 

[WyldFya]

Personally a sword would look bad IMO, and it many swords melt under intense lighting like that. Pressurized CO2 will be 100% necessary. Very nice lighting though.

 

[craigthor]

Yeah CO2 is on my next to buy list, any good places to get it? I prefer to have something hooked up to a controller and that I can use a paintball bottle as those are easier for me to hide. Also with my Wet/ Dry I will have to plan for this also.

Wyld- Let me know once that filter arrives.

Thanks and can't wait to get some plants in.

Craig

 

[craigthor]

I see people keeping snails with plants any certain reasons? Wyld you probably have an answer.

Here are some pictures with all 4 lights on I love the color this much light brings to the tank.

Craig

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Personally a sword would look bad IMO, and it many swords melt under intense lighting like that. Pressurized CO2 will be 100% necessary. Very nice lighting though.

Never seen a sword melt, not even in my 75G when it's on steroids,lol. When full lighting, I'm running 520W CF, and the swords just get bigger and bigger,lol. They only seem to have problems if I don't put enough root tabs around the swords root system. And with that much lighting, my ozelot kept sending several shoots out of the tank, which flowered, and then I got more swords when I placed the shoots back into the tank.

The key, root tabs and lots of CO2.