90 Gallon Jungle Tank...Low-Light, High-Tech

[Daximus]

Originally Posted by driftwoodhunter

Yuck! Powdered creamer - blasphemy! I get it ; )

Wouldn't small pots inhibit root growth? Certainly some root tissue will grow through the drainage hole in the bottom, but I'm thinking swords - with their large root systems - will need to be in big pots or planted directly into the tank.

Yea...they will, I haven't got that far yet, lol. Still, I have seen an enormous house plant in a little bitty pot...not saying it's a good idea though.

I'll cross that bridge when I get there, but I'm thinking they would adapt to a less than ideal sized pot. I figure they root themselves like that to stay planted in the river...as long as we provide the substrate properties they need I don't see why they can't be confined to a less than ideal pot...since they aren't in a river. It will be interesting to find out, lol.

[Daximus]

Originally Posted by driftwoodhunter

Say, can you take a pic of the 90 without the flash (at night) so we can see how illuminated the tank is?

Still working out the bugs on my photography. This is with all the lights on. I took a bunch of decent ones with the tripod and all...but somehow my SD card in my camera got goofed and I had to reformat it...so here is a quicky shot for you.

[driftwoodhunter]

That looks good, much better than with the flash - not bad for T8s, eh? ; )
(and I don't have the patience to use a tripod - my pics would look so much better if I did)

I took pics of my empty tank with the T8 and a T5 - the light penetration to the bottom of the tank was too close to call, both looked the same. I'm going to use the T8s until I can afford T5s - and only then if it proves T5s are dramatically better at saving utility $$. (cost of the fixtures/bulbs vs. the electric savings)

[joon]

your tank looks really great like a view of amazon
and this thread is very helpful for me
one day i like to try home depot light
and i also like to learn about miracle - gro organic soil
is it aquarium and fish safe???
i like to try that soil right away

[Daximus]

Originally Posted by joon

your tank looks really great like a amazon
and this thread is very helpful for me
one day i like to try home depot light
and i also like to learn about miracle - gro organic soil
is it aquarium and fish safe soil???

Has been safe for me. Dirt tanks require a bit of finesse, but think about this. In nature, when you see water filled with plants and fish, what is below it? Dirt.

To act like a dirt tank is dangerous makes me giggle. Nothing special about the Home Depot lights, just a shop light with a decent reflector. I'm just happy to show people that you don't need a T5HO to grow plants. If you have one, or want to get one, that is fantastic...but many people act like they are mandatory and that simply isn't the case. For many people, they are far too powerful.