NEW planted tank planning

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keydiver

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 15, 2010
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miami.fl
Alright, so i'm in the process of designing my new tank, and scouting around looking for good deals on equipment and what not.

I'm getting a custom rimless polished glass tank built, with dimensions being 32"L, 24"W, and either 16" or 14" depth. Also considering expanding length to 36". I have quite a few questions, so any help is appreciated. I'm trying to keep the rimless look by using a canister, a light hanging kit, and hopefully an inline heater.

1. This will be a discus setup, is 14" too shallow for discus?

2. i want to keep the rimless look, so i'm planning on using a canister filter. Which canister would you recommend for this tank? (total volume around 52 gal.)

3. I'm planning on going with the 36" 6 bulb TEK fixture for a high light system, can anybody vouch for this fixture? Which bulbs would you recommend?

4. I'm planning on using eco-complete. Can anybody share their experience with this substrate? I want something that will last. Should I be using any other substrate additives? If not eco-complete, which substrate would you recommend?

5. For C02, I have a ADA 30mm beetle pollen diffuser, a milwaukee reg w/ bubble counter and solenoid, and a 20lb C02 tank.

6. Would you recommend a 32" by 24" by 16", or a 36" by 24" by 14"?

7. What media would you recommend using in the canister filter for a discus setup?

8. I'm planning on planting pretty heavily, using valls, crypts, swords, sagg, stargrass, and various other stem plants/mosses. I also want to have a low foreground plant.

Thanks in Advanced for any advice
 
keydiver;4937150; said:
3. I'm planning on going with the 36" 6 bulb TEK fixture for a high light system, can anybody vouch for this fixture? Which bulbs would you recommend?
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Woooooaaahhh!!!! 6 bulbs of T5HO? Blow the whistle, flag on the play! That is serious overkill on the lighting. 2 bulbs will be high light. On a tank as shallow as 14", even 1 bulb will give you high light.
 
Lol planning it to be pretty high. I want to be able to switch it over to a SW fixture in the future, so that's another reason why i'm highly considering it.

I will also be hanging it, so that will reduce light a bit.

Do you really think that is overkill? I'm using pressurized C02. Right now I have a 2 bulb T5 on my 40g and it doesn't seem intense at all, but I guess it depends on the bulbs as well.
 
Yes, extreme and utter overkill. I can guarantee you your plants will be infested with algae in no time. It is NOT possible to make a tank with that much lighting work. Check out the sticky on lighting, read my posts on PAR. Go to plantedtank.net, tons of info on lighting and PAR data. 2 T5HO bulbs 24-48" from the substrate will give you all the light you need.

You can keep the fixture, but use only 1-2 bulbs, depending on the height at which you keep the light at. You falling for one of the biggest myths in the planted tank hobby: "Plants need A LOT of light to grow". This is false, and will lead to more problems than you can imagine. Plants and corals are totally different animals. Those fixtures are made for SW, not FW. You can't assume they use the same amount of light and everything will be peachy.
 
ok, well I haven't bought the fixture yet, I just found a rather good deal on some forums. I will probably just end up buying it and using 2 bulbs. What other fixture would you suggest for a tank this size though? I just want a good quality fixture that is hangable, and would look good over a rimless. btw jcardona, your tank looks awesome, it has lots of the same stuff that i'm planning.

Also, do you guys have any suggestions on any of the other things that I need help with? J, I noticed that you're using a sump, I thought that a canister works better for planted tanks, is this true?
 
keydiver;4937320;4937320 said:
ok, well I haven't bought the fixture yet, I just found a rather good deal on some forums. I will probably just end up buying it and using 2 bulbs. What other fixture would you suggest for a tank this size though? I just want a good quality fixture that is hangable, and would look good over a rimless. btw jcardona, your tank looks awesome, it has lots of the same stuff that i'm planning.

Also, do you guys have any suggestions on any of the other things that I need help with? J, I noticed that you're using a sump, I thought that a canister works better for planted tanks, is this true?
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Yeah lots of options for lights. Check out catalinaaquarium.com or fishneedit.com

As for sumps, funny you ask. I just posted this today. That's another myth ;)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/130344-sumps-bad-co2-myth.html
 
I have the 2bulb FNI over my 40g right now, and it doesn't seem like nearly enough light. Plus they aren't great quality, and mine shocks me.

As far as a canister goes, do you think it would be suitable for a discus planted tank? What are the pros of having a sump? I'd like to avoid an overflow box, and i' afraid to drill because the tank is polished glass, can you drill that? Maybe I could just get them to drill it :nilly:
 
The pros are in that thread I linked, read further down :)

Polished is not a problem. You can't drilled tempered glass though. I wouldn't skip out on the overflow box, you lose the surface skimming. Don't need a tall vertical box, build a small horizontal one.

For the lights, 40-50 micromols of PAR at the substrate is more than enough. My Catalina fixture with 2 bulbs gives me 42 micromols at 28". But I'm using Giesemann bulbs. I heard the FNI bulbs are pretty crappy. I've seen the fixture, and it seems well made. I'd try switching out the bulbs first.
 
Yeah I will actually try switching out the bulbs, because I have read that as well. A sump does seem great now that you mention it, but i'm pretty bad at planning things like that, and I can't build all the baffles and stuff for my life. I could probably just have the people who are building the tank drill it. Did your old planted setup have a sump as well?

What substrate are you using? I was thinking about going w/ eco-complete.
 
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