My Setup... and Questions...

[Nap1611]

I have a 4' x 1' x 20" tank which I am about to setup for discus.

I am running a aquaclear 70 filter with 1 sponge and 2 biomedia. I also have a aquaone 1200 canister which I was going to put sponge in the bottom and the rest with biomedia. I am happy with the aquaclear filter it quiet and reliable, but the canister I am not so sure about... I think I will keep it but change as soon as I can afford it...

The biggest problem that I see with my setup is the lighting as I have a single 4' fluro which is 40w which will give me just under 1 watt per gallon.

I currently run the lights from 11:30 to 21:30, and I have been thinking that I should maybe add some moonlights or a blue cold cathode fluro to extend the viewing hours of the tank...

I am planning on planting the tank mainly with amazon swords and thin val.
With that planting what sort of lighting should I upgrade to? I have to keep the cost as low as possible though...

[Mr Discus]

One single conventional T8 flouro will not be sufficient enough to promote healthy growth in swords, even if it is a Growlux bulb.

If I were you I would maybe get some anubias while you save for a better lighting system. Anubias are very hardy, slow growing and require minimal lighting.

You can pick up a good quality quad T5 flouro housing for a little over $200 nowadays, a twin unit being cheaper still. Sylvania bulbs are about $20-$30 depending on where you go. T5 bulbs are higher intensity output than T8's. You can tell the difference as T8's are about 25mm in diameter and T5's are about 12mm.

If you got a 4 x T5 unit you could run 1 x Aquastar, 1 x Growlux, and 2 x Daylights and it would be more than sufficient for most plants, and the swords would go nuts and love you for it. Just remember swords need a nutrient rich substrate as they take in just as much from the roots as they do from the water they are in.

If you went a twin unit (2 x T5), and got 1 x Growlox and 1 x Aquastar it should still be good enough, and may suit your situation better as your tank is only 1" wide which is a pretty narrow tank.

So I think if you went a twin T5 unit with those 2 bulbs you would be fine - and you should get change out of $200 with bulbs included if you shop around.

Good luck!

[Nap1611]

Thanks for the advice Mr Discus! I have had a look at the T5 systems before in shops but i wasn't sure if you can get full length 4' bulbs for them...

Not that it will be a purchase in the near future as the budget doesnt stretch that far yet....

As an interim though I have placed an 18' T8 above the side of the tank that is more heavily planted just to boost the light above the sword and anubis that I have... adding that light will bring me up to 55W total... I have another light lying around which i could convert to fit under the hood which will take a another 15W bulb. Would it be worth my while to do this as an interim solution?

The other question (probably in the wrong topic area) with the substrate I just have regular aquarium gravel and use API leaf zone for the fertilisation of the plants (25mL weekly). Is there a good solid fertiliser that I could put around the base of the sword?

Your help is greatly appreciated!!!!


Thanks.

[Nap1611]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/4FT-Double-T5-54W-High-Output-Aquarium-Aluminum-Light_W0QQitemZ150213237531QQihZ005QQcategoryZ2075 4QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Just had a look at this on eBay.... is it worth it or should i set my money on fire???

[Scotty Bils]

That is cheap as!! You will have to let us know how you go, even if you have to buy new tubes for it I am sure you will be ahead..

The price being so cheap does make you think though.......

[Mr Discus]

Hi Nap,

Firstly, your question about what to put at the roots of the Amazon Swords, a very good product that I use and highly recommend is Dupla Root. They come in a small silver box with green writing on them. Inside are about 9 or 10 gumball sized hard balls of fertiliser, which break down quite quickly once they have come into contact with water.

What you do is take your Sword out, place a ball directly under the roots and then replant it holding the ball under the roots as you work it into the gravel. This way the roots will be in direct contact with the ball and the Sword will absorb the nutrients more directly. You could also just push a ball right next to the stalk of the Sword to get it next to the roots if you don't want to uproot your plant.

As for the lighting....good idea putting a T8 over the heavy planted side for now, put it this way it can't hurt. Just keep an eye for algae blooms around that area with the increased light. I wouldn't bother putting another one there. That extra one should do for now, just concentrate on saving for a good T5 unit.

With that said, the one in the Ebay link you posted is not too bad, but you get what you pay for. But on a limited budget its not a bad option. At the end of the day a light is a light. They are all wired up the same, and they all run bulbs the same way. Brand names add big $$$ to a unit, which in my opinion is doing just the same job as a decent quality no name brand.

In actual fact, the one you linked to is of quite good build quality. I know this because I own exactly the same brand of light unit, but in the 4 x T5 spec. Here is a link to the one I have (I didn't buy mine through Ebay though, and mine is a 3ft unit not 4ft)...

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/AQUARIUM-OVERHEAD-LIGHTING-4x-39W-T5-1200-LONG-4ft_W0QQitemZ150213240483QQihZ005QQcategoryZ20754Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

The thing you have to remember is that it is the bulbs that you need to spend the money on, and getting a good brand of bulb is far more important than the unit (when it comes to flouro's anyway). Sylvania is the only brand I will use with my unit.

If you have the physical space above your tank, get the 4 x T5 unit. You can at the very least run 2 x bulbs as there are 2 switches, so you can have one pair of bulbs on and the others off. At the very least if for the extra $30 or so, you have the ability to double your wattage at the flick of a switch. If you only buy the 2 x T5 unit you will be stuck with it, and if you need more wattage you will have to fork out for another unit.

Hope that info helps mate. My motto with aquariums is 'if you have the space, get bigger than what you need'. It is a good rule for filters, lights, heaters, etc.