Will this work?

[Diogenes]

I recently got a 29g tank and stand for free. I've been thinking of different things I can do with it, and I think i have an idea.

Here's what I'm thinking:



1. 29lbs. eco complete substrate

2. Current Sundial Quad T-5 lighting/hood --> this one

3. Eheim classic canister filter 2213-37 (116gph rated for 66g aquarium)

4. various SA plants, (swords, vallisneria, etc)

5. Fish:

1 breeding pair Apistogramma (not sure what species. recommendations?)

8 cardinal tetras

6 panda cory cats

What do you think? I've never had a planted tank before. Will this work? Any thing else I haven't thought of?

 

[Diogenes]

should I add a UV sterilizer?

 

[Diogenes]

nobody huh?

 

[sostoudt]

yes it will work for a planted tank. with that high lighting you want to put alot of plants in there to avoid algae.
i would skip the sterilizer.
i dont know if the cichlid is compatable with the tetras

 

[ryeguy28]

do it also you need microglanis on that list

 

[Diogenes]

actually I already ordered the light bar, and eco-complete. I went with a 30" dual tube T5 HO from coralife. Somebody mentioned that with that much light I'd need de-ionized H20, and CO2. I thought about it, but I just want to keep some plants. I don't want to buy my RO water for partial changes, and CO2 can get expensive.

will the coralife offer enough light?

 

[sostoudt]

actually I already ordered the light bar, and eco-complete. I went with a 30" dual tube T5 HO from coralife. Somebody mentioned that with that much light I'd need de-ionized H20, and CO2. I thought about it, but I just want to keep some plants. I don't want to buy my RO water for partial changes, and CO2 can get expensive.

will the coralife offer enough light?

i dont think youd need ro water ever for a planted tanks, your pouring fertilizer in it.

no link to the fixture?

 

[Diogenes]

i dont think youd need ro water ever for a planted tanks, your pouring fertilizer in it.

no link to the fixture?

I ordered it through the LFS so I don't have one right off hand. I think it's the same as this one:

http://www.marineandreef.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=RES08601

he said it had something to do with over lighting the tank. When the plants get hit with that much light, they suck all the CO2 out of the water, when the CO2 runs out, they suck the carbon out of the calcium carbonate in the water. That leaves calcium build ups, and you need to use the deionized hard RO water to replace the buffers.

 

[sostoudt]

yes i think it will work. nice that it has bigger bulbs then typical