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Converting a Reef Tank to planted

2K views 20 replies 6 participants last post by  DogFish 
#1 ·
Hello everyone,

Huge fan of this site. I have finally came to the conclusion to switch my 65 gallon reef tank over to planted. This will be my first planted tank so i would like to do everything right the first time. I have many questions so please bare with me. I became very intereted in planted aquarium after a visit to AFA in San Francisco, so I would like to setup a Nature aquarium. So here come the questions.

Tank specs-65 Gallon 36"x18"x25"

Lighting-36" 4 bulb ATI T5

What filtration system would you recommend?

What bulbs should I switch to?

What Soil?

Co2 system?

Heater?

Best plants for a beginner to start with.

I'm on somewhat of a budget so I would like to purchase the items with the best value. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Andrew
 
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#2 ·
I converted one of my reef tanks to planted tank as well. If your tank is reef ready with sump is probably not ideal because of Co2 dissipates at a faster rate with that much surface agitation, because of the sump. Although others use sump in a planted set up, but they compensate by injecting more Co2. If your tank doesn't have built in overflow, the recommended and most used filters are canisters which you can connect Co2 reactors for better diffusion and saturation, using of course a pressurized Co2 which a lot of them to choose from, anywhere from $100 aquatek to $200 GLA Co2 regulators, I like the GLA with 3 year warranty. For lighting, I used ATI bulbs as well which are not ideal for plants. I would say 6500 k to 10k, you probably have blue plus, coral plus, purple plus or aqualue special, unfortunately you need to replace them. For heater, whatever you have now is good enough. For substrate, I use Eco complete but a lot of substrate to choose from and type of set up, I'm sure someone will chime in on this part and for plants as well. Good luck with the project, you'll lve it.
 
#3 ·
I know you (ex) reefers love your tech gadgets. I feel the approach of starting with all the tech goodies then figuring out what to plant is an @$$-backward approach.

I feel it's better to get a vision of what you want in your tank in your mind before you spend a penny. Once you decide that, 1st figure out if it's a feasible combination, then figure out what it will take to make it happen. In that metal cocktail, mix in how much maintenance time you are willing to invest each day/week.

Planning should always come before shopping.
 
#5 ·
I completely agree with you. I would like to start off with hardy plants and fish. My main inspration comes from nature aquarium layouts and dutch style as well. I can afford to spend a couple hours time with maintenance as I did with my reef tank.

Thank you for your input.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the reply. My plan is to get rid of the sump and cap off the overflow plumbing. Any canister filters in particular? Do I need to double my water amount with a canister filter? I was eye balling eco-complete soil as well. I'm really confused with the ADA aquasoil and all the additional stuff you need with it. I think I will go with the eco-complete, how many bags would I need?

Thanks
 
#9 ·
I would keep your sump in place and not seal up your overflow. While it's true you may lose some CO2 the added O2 and the superior biological filtration is a huge benefit to any tank, even a planted tank. Not to mention the overflow helps remove any protein buildup on the surface which helps with gas exchange. Many people use an overflow and wet/dry or sump including myself. I wouldn't have a tank without one.

As for substrate that is a matter of goals, budget, and personal taste. While it's true that you can grow plants in any type of substrate there is pros and cons to them all. I have personally used a few different kinds including flourite, soil, and most recently Aquasoil. The flourite worked well but there is some things that I didn't care for about it. It has sharp edges and some plants were hard to get to stay planted especially finer stem plants and plants that have smaller root systems. The mineralized top soil is great for plants but not a good option if you will be moving and uprooting plants a lot. The Aquasoil has been nothing but good for me. The only con that I have to say about it is the initial cost but it has grown plants far better than previous tanks. There has been some people that have had their Aquasoil break down after some years of use but I haven't experienced that yet. The additives are a waste of money in my opinion. If you feel like spending a bunch of extra money on stuff that may or may not help that is a personal choice but myself have had great results without any of them. You can see some pictures of my tank in my journal that's linked in my signature. Some of the first few pages are my tank with Flourite and the last pages are new scape using Aquasoil. I have no experience with Eco Complete but assume it to be the same as Flourite meaning it has high CEC but lacks any beneficial nutrients in the substrate so you will have to provide some substrate ferts for the plants.
 
#11 ·
If you already have a tank with a built in overflow and a sump filter I would just use those. It's a good idea to seal up you sump to minimize co2 loss but that's an easy fix using duct tape, glass or acrylic top. There is no need to buy a canister filter if you already have a sump unless you feel like you need more filtration or additional mechanical filtration. Do you have any pictures of your tank and filter setup that you can share to see what your working with. If you plan on running all 4 of the bulbs on your ATI fixture I would look into a CO2 system or you will be inviting algae in. Is your ATI the dimmable fixture? Many people have different preferences with regards to bulb spectrum but just as an example I use a combination of Geismann midday and Aquaflora bulbs along with ATI blue special and purple plus and a UVL Red sun. I love the looks all the different spectrums give to the plants and fish. You may be able to use some of your existing bulbs depending on what you have.
 
#13 ·
Wow. Very beautiful reef and the the way you built it into the wall looks really nice. You definitely have the experience but there is a learning curve coming from the reef side to the planted tanks. I was in the same situation as you after coming from keeping a reef tank for many years and had a lot of new things to learn but it was enjoyable doing something new. It got to be too time consuming with kids and running a business so thought the planted tank side would give me a break and still fill my urge to have a tank. I still have a great appreciation for reefers and will some day have another reef tank(maybe when the kids are all grown up).

I think you would be just fine running that sump with a little modification such as a glass top to combat co2 loss. I don't think you will need to run both of your mp10's or you will be blowing plants everywhere. What kind of overflow is on your tank. It's hard to tell from the pictures. Is the tank drilled at the top?
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the compliment. The overflow is just a 90 angled with a strainer. I've used this style for a long time with no issues. Can you tell me what else I would need to run in the sump for filtration? My reasoning for the switch to planted is similar to yours in regards to the children. I just don't have as much time on my hands as before. Also seeing a nature aquarium in person was the real deal breaker. Thanks for all your help.
 
#17 ·
Does your sump have baffles in it? Some people use filter socks but I wouldn't personally use them in a planted tank as you will have to clean them every couple of days or they will clog real easy with the dead plant debris. I would use some poret foam or similar foam for mechanical filtration and bioballs or whatever biological media you prefer in your sump. I'm not sure on the design of your sump you have so it's hard to say where to place everything.
 
#19 ·
Don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to minearlize your top soil - you can get band information on the web as easily as good, so be careful. Do your research.
Reading Diana Walstad's book is a MUST - that's your bible. You can diverge from there if you wish, but you should have that information in your head.
 
#20 ·
I also came from the reef world. I kept with the sump and haven't had CO2 out gassing problems. I'm probably using more CO2 than most - takes me about 4 months to go through a 5 lbs tank on a 75g aquarium. Haven't bothered to cover the sump yet also haven't gotten anything better than a glass diffuser - notoriously the worst setup for CO2. But CO2 is definitely the way to go.

I've got a heater, foam filtration, filter socks, bio balls in the sump. Media should be after the filtration. I don't have to clean my socks more than weekly.

I've got ADA soil, I'm happy with it. It was the most expensive part. I would check out DIY soil.

I use t5HO bulbs. 2 at 10,000K and 2 and 6700. Looks great.
 
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