Low budget tank idea....will it work?

nanoguy · 10-26-2008, 05:10 AM

Ok guys, I know your tired of these stupid "will it work" threads but I have one more.

I have a spare 30 long sitting in my water room and a ballast and 10,000k 96w PC bulb I can retro into a light. I also have a smaller HOB filter. Using sand and flourite for substrate and DIY or a cheap CO2 setup would I be able to successfully keep some swords, mosses and other easy plants without too much trouble? I am not really looking for a densly planted tank but I just want something to kinda get my feet wet so to speak.

Any suggestions for the setup?

**epicfish** · 10-26-2008, 05:11 AM

Yes, it will work...it is a bit of light though, so if you do it, make sure to start with at least DIY CO2.

nanoguy · 10-26-2008, 05:14 AM

Jesus dude, you really never do sleep, lol.

BTW, how well do those CO2 setups at DrFostersmith work, the ones you use with paintball canisters?

**epicfish** · 10-26-2008, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nanoguy

Jesus dude, you really never do sleep, lol.

BTW, how well do those CO2 setups at DrFostersmith work, the ones you use with paintball canisters?

Sleep is for the weak...or the sane.

The most common paintball setup I've seen is the Red Sea. I have one, it works well enough. Certainly not top-notch quality, but it works well enough for a small setup.

nanoguy · 10-26-2008, 05:22 AM

Cool, I think that is the one I am looking at. Are they hard to set up without a pH controller?

**epicfish** · 10-26-2008, 05:29 AM

No, just set the bubble rate with a good needle valve and you're set!

nanoguy · 10-26-2008, 07:00 AM

Cool, I will most likely start off with the DIY type setup and upgrade if things work out and I get tired of recharging it.

MikeP_123 · 10-26-2008, 01:51 PM

Ive grown swords with 1 standard florescent light strip. At around .3wpg (20W over a 56Tall) and they grew and reproduced. No ferts, those blue pebbles from walmart.... Tip, if you want to make it more "low tech" make sure you have lots of fish. They will help fertilize the plants for you. Also I would let some of the dead leaves decompose into the water/pebbles. I had about 2-3 new swords a week. Cant tell you the species but they got crazy tall.

mujacko2002 · 10-26-2008, 01:57 PM

Mabuhay!

dont forget the crypts, ferns and anubias.

just my two cents

nanoguy · 10-27-2008, 01:34 AM

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Always open to advice.

nanoguy · 10-28-2008, 01:44 AM

Another question arises. If I end up with a non-injected CO2 setup, either DIY or store bought what type of diffusing methods works best and it relatively inexpensive?

**epicfish** · 10-28-2008, 02:19 AM

Store bought? As in what? Any type of gaseous CO2, whether it be pressurized or a yeast mixture is consider "injection".

With those types of setups, diffusion via a Hagen Mini Elite filter in the tank or a reactor plumbed in-line with your canister filter (or a pump) are rather efficient.

nanoguy · 10-28-2008, 02:25 AM

Er, sorries, my planted lingo is off. I suppose I was thinking pressurized as "injected". I was thinking yeast mixture diffusion. I suppose HOB filters are not a good idea so it doesnt out gas the CO2. Do you have a link or something to the types of diffusers your talking about?

**epicfish** · 10-28-2008, 02:27 AM

Hagen Mini Elite: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...2-reactor.html

Rex Reactor: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/di...x-reactor.html

I use a Gomer reactor design...check over on APC for more info, but any of them should be efficient enough.

nanoguy · 10-28-2008, 02:54 AM

Thanks, I have seen the Hagen filter before, might give it a shot.

10-26-2008, 05:10 AM	#1
nanoguy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Groves,Tx. Posts: 28	Low budget tank idea....will it work? Ok guys, I know your tired of these stupid "will it work" threads but I have one more. I have a spare 30 long sitting in my water room and a ballast and 10,000k 96w PC bulb I can retro into a light. I also have a smaller HOB filter. Using sand and flourite for substrate and DIY or a cheap CO2 setup would I be able to successfully keep some swords, mosses and other easy plants without too much trouble? I am not really looking for a densly planted tank but I just want something to kinda get my feet wet so to speak. Any suggestions for the setup?

10-26-2008, 01:51 PM	#8
MikeP_123 Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Merritt Island, FL Posts: 481	Ive grown swords with 1 standard florescent light strip. At around .3wpg (20W over a 56Tall) and they grew and reproduced. No ferts, those blue pebbles from walmart.... Tip, if you want to make it more "low tech" make sure you have lots of fish. They will help fertilize the plants for you. Also I would let some of the dead leaves decompose into the water/pebbles. I had about 2-3 new swords a week. Cant tell you the species but they got crazy tall. __________________ My New Re-scaped 56 Gallon Journal~ http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ta...ding-pics.html My old 56G http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ta...and-scape.html

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10-26-2008, 05:11 AM	#2
epicfish Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (267/100%) Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 9,417	Yes, it will work...it is a bit of light though, so if you do it, make sure to start with at least DIY CO2.

10-26-2008, 05:14 AM	#3
nanoguy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Groves,Tx. Posts: 28	Jesus dude, you really never do sleep, lol. BTW, how well do those CO2 setups at DrFostersmith work, the ones you use with paintball canisters?

10-26-2008, 05:22 AM	#5
nanoguy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Groves,Tx. Posts: 28	Cool, I think that is the one I am looking at. Are they hard to set up without a pH controller?

10-26-2008, 05:29 AM	#6
epicfish Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (267/100%) Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 9,417	No, just set the bubble rate with a good needle valve and you're set!

10-26-2008, 07:00 AM	#7
nanoguy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Groves,Tx. Posts: 28	Cool, I will most likely start off with the DIY type setup and upgrade if things work out and I get tired of recharging it.

10-26-2008, 01:57 PM	#9
mujacko2002 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Philippines Posts: 33	Mabuhay! dont forget the crypts, ferns and anubias. just my two cents

10-27-2008, 01:34 AM	#10
nanoguy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Groves,Tx. Posts: 28	Thanks for the suggestions guys. Always open to advice.

10-28-2008, 01:44 AM	#11
nanoguy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Groves,Tx. Posts: 28	Another question arises. If I end up with a non-injected CO2 setup, either DIY or store bought what type of diffusing methods works best and it relatively inexpensive?

10-28-2008, 02:19 AM	#12
epicfish Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (267/100%) Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 9,417	Store bought? As in what? Any type of gaseous CO2, whether it be pressurized or a yeast mixture is consider "injection". With those types of setups, diffusion via a Hagen Mini Elite filter in the tank or a reactor plumbed in-line with your canister filter (or a pump) are rather efficient.

10-28-2008, 02:25 AM	#13
nanoguy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Groves,Tx. Posts: 28	Er, sorries, my planted lingo is off. I suppose I was thinking pressurized as "injected". I was thinking yeast mixture diffusion. I suppose HOB filters are not a good idea so it doesnt out gas the CO2. Do you have a link or something to the types of diffusers your talking about?

10-28-2008, 02:27 AM	#14
epicfish Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (267/100%) Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northern California Posts: 9,417	Hagen Mini Elite: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...2-reactor.html Rex Reactor: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/di...x-reactor.html I use a Gomer reactor design...check over on APC for more info, but any of them should be efficient enough.

10-28-2008, 02:54 AM	#15
nanoguy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Groves,Tx. Posts: 28	Thanks, I have seen the Hagen filter before, might give it a shot.