Light Fixture HELP!!!

[MarkMc]

Originally Posted by Bree

Thanks, well i would go pressured, but the original cost is deturing me, like it seems like such a large investment, and you have to test the water all the time and such, i was hoping to stay really simple but all my plants are dying and i am just trying to do what ever to keep them alive and hopefully finally get that nice planted tank i have been dreaming about!!

No, you don't have to test the water at all. You just get a "drop checker" on ebay for 10-15 dollars and some 4dkH distilled water. The color of the liquid in the drop checker indicates the CO2 level-the drop checker is in the tank all the time visible to view. It's a big investment yes. The other choice is diy CO2 and Excel but the key to making that work is a lot less light period. No T5 HO fixtures unless you run pressurized. Sorry, that's probably not what you'd like to hear but trust us, if you go ahead with those fixtures we will be having this dialog in the algae forum a month from now.

[Hoppy]

The way to go really simple, with easy maintenance, little or no CO2, is to use low light. For a 20 gallon tank that means 2 T8 bulbs or one 65 watt PC bulb with a poor reflector. It makes little sense to put T5 lights on that size tank if you want it to be a simple, low maintenance tank.

[Bree]

Ah... okay then, wow am i ever confused, i feel so stupid right now. Even after reading and researching for so many months (close to a year now) i am still starring at this tank dumbfounded. lol
Ugh...So for my sake i am going to go through something:

Instead of buying a new light fixture i should leave it with the canopy it has now (2x 25 watt regular florescent 6" tube bulbs), keep dosing the excel i have as well as the other ferts, and invest in a fluorite substrate. Then that take should be done and the plants stop dieing...?

And for the 5 gallon maybe get a T5 light from home depot (Like the one you gave a link to) run the hagen or diy CO2 System and dose excel, as well as get some fluorite black sand for the substrate, then i can grow baby tears in the 5 gallon with success?

If i got something wrong or confused please say, and again i am sorry, for some reason all the info i am giving seems to be going right over my head, like even when i think i have everything figured out...I really don't. lol

[Hoppy]

I hate to further confuse you, but any tank will do better with fluorescent bulbs that are about the same length as the tank, so the whole tank is relatively evenly bright. I don't know what "6 inch tube bulbs" are, but it doesn't seem that they would be the length of a 20 gallon tank, which is at least 24 inches long. Two T8 bulbs, each 24 inches long would work fine.

The 5 gallon tank, probably about 10 inches long could use screw in fluorescent bulbs very well.

[Bree]

Haha wow okay, the bulbs are the typical flouresent bulbs heres a picture to a bad shot i took with my iPod:


And ya, thats why i first wanted to change my fixture, i was so disapointed to see this tanks hood come with these bulbs...I was originally wanting just a replacement that could fit in this hood but that took the long tube lights, but i couldn't find one that fit, so thats why i started looking at the self mounting ones.

I have oranged my plants from the beginning to sit under the bulbs, i'll try and put a shot of it up...

And my 5 gallon has only one of a 15 watt bulb, its the same as the 20 gallons only with a plastic cover and such.

[Bree]

Okay the first attachment i have is of my 20 gallon, as you can see very boring and dark, i've tried everything with it, but ya...And its hard to tell from this picture but the plants are wilted and showing so many signs of nutrient deficiency, the new stuff seems to be growing in better and the plants are actually starting to grow again now that i have been dosing the flourish line to the book! lol

Second picture is of the 5 gallon hood, worst little thing ever, the light is only 15 watts of normal florescent bulb and its just a little light, i don't think it will be enough to grow HC i could be wrong though?

[Bree]

And finally i found this thread, #4 post is what i have in mind to do with the 5 gallon, its against a wall on my desk so i think i can pull it off, would this work?

http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/nee...ting-4834.html

Its just a track light attached to the wall over top the tank, and i found and bought some nice lights yesterday that would go in the track light, i hope they are good enough, they are 6500k and say Daylight so i assume that is fluorescent? The watts are pretty impressive as well. ^^

[Bree]

Bump.

[Hoppy]

Those 6 inch bulbs are not fluorescent bulbs, they are incandescent. They do not provide enough light, and they get too hot. Flourescent bulbs are never made with clear glass - the radiation inside is ultra violet, so they would be useless with clear glass.

[Bree]

Oh.. Okay, well i guess that that in itself would be why my plants are dying! lol
So what do you think of the lights i bought and the vanity light rack thing? Might work for the 20 gallon? And is that the right wattage?

Thanks again by the way, i know that i must be getting annoying! I am just feeling very lost with this so far, things seem to be getting clearer now that i can discuss things though!

[Hilde]

I think you can grow baby tears with a T5NO light system and diy Co2. You can always add diy Co2 later if you use T5NO lights. If you use T5HO need to inject Co2.

For I have baby tears growing in my 29 G tank, which is 18in high, without injecting Co2. In fact I was going to move it but found it very rooted into the substrate. Thus waiting until next water change to move it.

I find dosing with Excel and Hydro peroxide 5m each daily and also Brightwell FlorinMulti 5m weekly helps it to grow. Light is 2 T5NO 18w and Life-glo 18w. I think having reptile coconut bark in the substrate helps decrease the need of Co2. Sphagnum moss can be used instead but it can affect the ph, so I have read, and coconut doesn't affect the ph.

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by Bree

For the 5 gallon, its against a wall on my desk so i think i can pull it off, would this work? http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/nee...ting-4834.html the bulbs are 6500k and say Daylight

I can't read that thread the blue background irritates these old eyes. Is it referring to using the CFL bulbs rated daylight? I saw one use 2 clip on light with them over her 20G long tank with injected Co2. She didn't dose ferts and had great plant growth in the tank.

If you do the diy Co2 be prepared for a smell of beer brewing. Some don't notice but I did. I am wondering if diy Co2 with jelly less smelly for my sensitive nose. Here is jello recipe. Here is another recipe I came by. Also read you should have a KH at least 3 to avoid sudden pH drops. This is the schematic I tried. Have read that some use a wood air stone for diffusion

[Hoppy]

Originally Posted by Hilde

Also read you should have a KH at least 3 to avoid sudden pH drops.

I don't think that is correct. Any KH above 1 dKH will prevent sudden pH drops, as I understand it. A higher KH just means the pH will be higher.

[mylittlefish]

http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/stor...hp?cPath=71_74

[Hilde]

Originally Posted by Hoppy

I don't think that is correct. Any KH above 1 dKH will prevent sudden pH drops, as I understand it.

Thanks for correct that. Shall save the info.