Hello all,

Have to admit alot of good information on this forum, but like anything else on the web have to read through it and take everything with a grain of salt (but isn't that life in general )

But anywho....

I have a 135 gallon currently with Amazon swords, ruffeled swords and java fern. I'm running 2 96 watt PC bulbs (just replaced the 2 old 10k with 2 6700k). Strange thing was I was actually seeing pearling off of the plants in under an hour (should I? thought that was strange). I ordered a CO2 system mainly for dropping the PH in the tank (have breeding discus that I want to move off to another 30 gallon but tie all in together to take advantage of the wetdry and UV filter on the main tank).

OK, here's my question, with the type plants that I have (and no, not looking for any exotic high light type plants) do I really need one of these super duper light system. Alot seems like overkill to me. Dont really want to get into alot more for lighting (and boy is that expensive - plus I just bought a new bow). Just my own relatively uneducation musing here.

And I turn the mic over the the peanut gallery

Welcome nomoresalt!

If your plants are growing and the discus are happy it sounds like all is well.

As a side, be careful about CO2 and low KH situations. If you KH is too low you can crash the pH down but it sounds like the system has a controller to keep this from happening.

If you have not already, check out post 10 on the thread below. I found it yesterday and I am still in awe.

https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13171

Thanks Blue for that link. Interesting reading. I'm coming from running a marine tank for a number of years but gave up after the black plague struck during the holiday ("Bring out your dead! BONG" - If I have to explain that you would not understand )

Granted, I did buy some primo discus and had no real intent on breeding but what can you do.... This is even with less than perfect conditions in the tank (PH 7.4, 3 for kh, nitrates running about 40 to 60 before changing the water which is about 40 gallons every 5 days or so.

I've only had these new bulbs in for a couple of hours and I'm amazed how much the plants have perked up already.

I do intend on having the second tank as a bare bottom for breeding. Funny I was doing a water change tonight and found eggs layed on the back of the mag algea wiper (got rid of them, not ready for the fights again in the tank). Personally I think its karma, all the bad luck I've had with marine tanks over the years finally nice to walk into some dumb luck.

I view the whole think as an experiment at this point. I've gone through so much over the years get conflicting or bad information (not saying here, just in general) that the only things I can trust are things that I've have seen with my own eyes (plus the pile of junk of things that just didnt seem to live up to expectations).

Once you get into the addiction of planted tanks, most of us would like to try the "high light" tank at least once on one tank, just for the bragging rights of been there, done that, if nothing else.

I don't think you need to upgrade your lighting if you can grow your current plants well with it. Given a bioload(presumably a high one), there are different ways of dealing with it, less plant/light with more water change, more plant/light with a little less water change, either will work.

As for breeding, I believe lower hardness is more important than just dropping PH with CO2. You can have high hardness but low ph with crazy amount of CO2, the eggs still won't hatch.

Hi Shalu, nice to have another fellow discus fan here. This was something I always wanted to do (and so far very happy about it)

I've had no problems getting live fry (twice so far) but the other fish just think they are too yummy (dont blame them, I love sushi also )

For breeding yes, lower hardness is good - I'm good there now, but when I have the second tank up and going the the pair in there I'm going to raise the hardness for them. Still might go into seperate systems for them, all depends on what happens. Would love to find the happy medium where all are in bliss (plants, fish, fry)

It's a never ending vicious cycle that sucks the $ right out your wallet (why is it that I always have a nack for finding these LOL)

I am looking forward to see the effects of the CO2 system though (next week some time from what I have heard from the place I bought it at)