7g bowfront

[CountZer0]

Ok I come from the nano reef community so please excuse my ignorance.
I have this old 7g Azoo Mweet Match tank. I want to turn it into a planted tank so here are some of my questions.

I have 2x13W PCs ...they are currently 10k and a blue actenic(sp)
I can change them to some more sutable

What should i use for water movement there is no HOB ect ... i could mod it to fit one in ... how about an internal filter ... ?

I plan on using CO2 using some DIY methods i have read about on this site. Any suggestion ?

What can i use to paint the back black that will not be harmfull ?

Thanks so much

[tylernt]

Another reefer starting a planted tank... must be a trend. Anyway, 10,000K is ok for planted, so maybe replace the actinic with a 5,500K to get some different spectrums going.

Water movement, if you're doing CO2, you don't want to disturb the surface too much or you'll lose a lot of your CO2. With that in mind, maybe a small PH and a spraybar? Internal filters are good too.

Many people have used Krylon on tank backs, even on reefs. Just be sure to let it cure for a few days before adding water.

Welcome to plantedtank.net!

[jart]

if you do a search for paint you should get a few hits.

many people, myself included, use latex paint applied with a brush. black is generally the color of choice. you could also use a roller, or maybe even a sponge if you want a different effect. just make sure you clean the back very well before you paint. be prepared to apply at least 3 coats.

diy co2 should work fine with a tank this size, but you will need to get a kh and ph kit. a check valve is recommended.

also if you search for actinic you will find that they are not generally recommended, as tylernt suggested.

you should also have a look at rex grigg's faq for starter info.

if you are wondering if you can use a hob, check this out:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forum/vie...78&start=0

hth

[CountZer0]

Yeah i bought new lights they should be here this week .... sorry if my pic and description is not very c lear ... the back is plastic ...so i will have to paint inside the tank. Any yeah i may go with a small internal filter with spraybar.

[jart]

i don't recommend painting the inside of the tank. if it is plastic you may be able to carefully spray paint the outside.

[GulfCoastAquarian]

A Duetto Internal Filter or a Fluval 1 Plus internal filter would work great, and could double as a CO2 reactor.

I wonder what is drawing reefkeepers to planted tanks? Maybe we should do a poll. Most just try a planted tank on the side, but I have converted all of my tanks from saltwater altogether.

[Nordic]

Have you looked at how it was constructed, maybe you can take it appart to get to the rear of the tank somehow...?

[CountZer0]

Thanks for all the advice ..... Wow!

tylernt : Thanks for the advice on the Krylon i'll search around and see what i can find on how toxic it would be.

jart : Yeah i may just not paint the inside ... I just don't want it to look getto ... yeah i plan on getting rid of the actinic I ordered 2
6500K 13W PCs.

GulfCoastAquarian : Thanks for the info on the filters I picked up a Fluval 1 Plus internal filter. I am going with the Hagen CO2 system ... its clean and neat .... As far as the draw from reef community well .... all reef keepers have spare tanks don't ask me how but we all seem to have an old one lying around ... and I enjoy being able to add something to to the tank imediatly (plants) ... plus its alot less expensive to have a nice planted tank than it is to keep a reef tank .... and its a great contrast to the neon colors and blue white lighting ... planted tanks are warm and lush and thats just my 2 cents worth... plus its diffrent and another learning curve and thats always fun..

Nordic : As far as construction the tank section is one solid prefab plastis frame with a single bent glass front .... so half the sides and back are all a made together plastic piece.

Thanks again for all the help ... and more advice for a noob is welcome!!!

Jason

http://wintermute.netfirms.com

[Ray1214]

One other option. I used a piece of Black Plastic (it is from the LFS and just sold as a black background) and carefully cut it to match the back.

On my reef tanks, I found it hard to want to take the black paint off, so I opted for bit of scotch tape and a black background. My 75 gallon is using a black posterboard.

Ray

[CountZer0]

Ok I bout several peices of equipment.

First i went with the Hagen CO2 System and also a Fluval 1Plus Filter ....

I hope all this is not too much for such a small tank.

Jason

[Nordic]

Esih, I see you got the whole plant system package... lol most of us cheapos only got the diffuser on some soda bottles, anyway, why don't you put it on the side of the tank...? Will be more hidden that way won't it.