[MJD]

Hi, I'm new to planted tanks but definitely not new to fishkeeping. I have some experience with reef tanks but living in a 1 room apartment and having a students budget led me back to freshwater. I've currently got a 20L with fluorite black sand, some driftwood, and a HOT magnum canister all running and waiting for plants.

That said I kind of jumped the gun in buying my light fixture. Because of my coral keeping routes I thought I should go for as many watts as I could afford therefore I went for the 30" current system with 48w of HO T5s. I work at a pet store and was able to pick it up for around ~$45 which seems like a great deal.

My problem is there is no way I can afford pressurized CO2 nor do I have faith in myself in maintaining a DIY system. After doing some research it seems I am doomed to grow nothing but algae in the future. The only solutions I have come up with are: Upgrade to a 29g, (rather not) Hang fixture(rather not and may not even work) or I was thinking maybe planting a full surface of a floating plant might do the trick?

Any recommondations on how to reduce the light going into the tank? Like I said I'm pretty new at this and going High tech isn't what I had planned. Thanks for any help

 

[lauraleellbp]

Sounds like you've already covered the main options... except dosing Excel and/or removing one of the bulbs (if the fixture will run with only 1?)

I'd try whatever combo of those options you can work out.

 

[FSM]

You need to raise it high above the tank.

 

[leaf]

Raise light, take out a bulb, tons of floaters, mesh light filter... many ways you could accomplish this. Is 30in the actual bulb length? I didn't know they made this size...

 

[MJD]

The bulbs are 24" but the fixture is 30"... Like I said it was cheap and I figured more was better. It also won't work with a bulb removed. Anyway I didn't think of using mesh and I definitly will. Any reccomondation on floaters other then duckweed?

Thanks

 

[leaf]

Personally I'd raise the fixture several inches so the light distribution is equal on the sides.

Some good floaters I know of other than duckweed are riccia, hornwort and giant baby tears.

Edit: I could send you any or all of the above four plants raok for a $5 ship fee.

 

[MJD]

I'd really appreciate it, that would be awesome as I don't think we can get much other then potted plants at my job. I think Giant baby tears would work pretty good.

Do you think they would survive shipping in the freezing weather here?

PM me your paypal if you got one, Thanks again

 

[bigfruits]

im new to freshwater but when acclimating some coral to t5s i used to add a few layers of window screen under the light. maybe you can add one at a time as needed.

 

[talontsiawd]

I would take a bulb out or raise them, that is the easiest. However, I don't know that you are well past what is reasonable light under your circumstances. I had 36 watts of T5 NO and 17 watts of T-8 and had no real algae issues, just beginner issues. I have a 29 gallon, same footprint but taller. I don't know how similar that is because of the type of fixtures and added height but you may not be that bad as is.