[gradstudentnerd]

Starting my planted tank up again, but this time upgraded to a 65 gallon tank (18.4"L x 36.4"W x 25"H). I recently purchased the AquaticLife Marquis Freshwater 36 Inch Dual Lamp T5 HO Light Fixture for it and i know this is works out to be 1.2watts/gallon. What do you guys recommend for plants for this deep tank. I will be having a CO2 system, dosing weekly with Excel, and have Flourish tabs in the substrate....Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Hoppy]

The first problem with this as a low tech tank is that you probably have about 40-50 PAR light intensity, which is too much to use without CO2. You could raise the light about 8" or a bit more, above the top of the tank and that should drop the PAR down to about 30-35, which would work fine without CO2.

If you want to try it without raising the light, dose the Excel every day at about 2 ml per 10 gallons of water. It will be a lot cheaper to buy a gallon of Meteicide 14 day from Amazon, for example, and use it instead of the Excel (but don't add the tiny bottle of activator to the gallon).

 

[gradstudentnerd]

Hoppy,

I was planning on having a co2 system with the tank. In that case will i be alright to leave the light at its normal position on the included stands? Can i then get away with dosing with Excel weekly?

 

[Django]

Too many factors for me. Seems to me that the length of the tank is 36.4" and the height is 25"H, since it would be hard to be mistaken for the 18.4" width. I think maybe I need to verify the front, sides, and height to make any helpful comments. I'm lazy, and I'd be more comfortable knowing the wattage on the fixture, even though I don't have much experience with T5 fixtures. Hmm. I guess 65 gallons x 1.2 watts per gallon would be the total wattage... 78 Watts per bulb I think. That's a lot of light, but the tank is tall. I can tell you something, watts per gallon is an archaic way of expressing luminosity, but an equivalent amount of light to 1.2 W/g is not going to get you anywhere, even low-tech. But you've got, I think, 156W, if I'm not mistaken. I've been wrong before.

But it seems that you already got a useful answer.

 

[Hoppy]

If you use CO2, and keep the concentration of CO2 in the water the same everyday during the photoperiod, you should have no problem using the light sitting on top of the tank. Just remember, the more light you use, the more important it is to do a good job keeping the tank, the water, and the filter system clean. And, the more light, the more you need to fertilize the water to keep up with the plants' demands for nutrients. This means it is not a "low tech" tank.

 

[cininohio]

My 56 gallon is 25 inches. I also continue dealing with this issue. Trial and error for me. I am still battling with some empty spots and moving things around. So for my simple answer- wisteria, jungle val, anacharis, cabomba, ludwigia have worked for me and are growing tall. I have bacopa, it grew well and tall, but got algae, so I had to move it to a more shaded area. Rotala will grow tall, but looked leggy, so I keep it trimmed shorter. I cannot vouch for any of the technical stuff, as I am also so new to this. Good luck planting with such a tall tank and have fun. My husband usually leaves the room when I get new plants due to my frustration. I have to climb on a chair. lol.

Sheesh, I thought you were asking about plants! I need more coffee. Good luck. I have a finnex planted, if that helps. lol

 

[micheljq]

Tank is 25" high with dual T5HO? CO2 is not mandatory. 2 of my friends have similar setup and light is not that intense.

Michel.

 

[Hoppy]

Tank is 25" high with dual T5HO? CO2 is not mandatory. 2 of my friends have similar setup and light is not that intense.

Michel.

Two bulb T5HO lights can produce vastly different intensities (PAR readings) depending on how good their reflectors and ballasts are. AquaticLife lights have good reflectors and full power ballasts, so they give you high PAR readings. Coralife (Aqueon) and FishNeedIt T5HO lights don't have good reflectors nor full power ballasts, and they produce less than half the PAR.

 

[micheljq]

Ok, ok, so there are different qualities with the ballasts lol, reflectors i knew. I did not think differences could be that much.

 

[gradstudentnerd]

Thanks guys for the input, i really appreciate the advice. I guess the direction i am heading with this tank is more high tech than anything. I guess it goes without saying - as long as i keep up with the daily maintenance of the tank I should be just fine. My main concern was that i didn't have enough par to the bottom of the deep tank for things such as pearlweed? But then again, as cininohio mentioned, keeping to taller plants may be best option with the light i have. Thanks again Hoppy for your input on this. I read through a few reviews and the Marqui Dual T5HO from Aquatic Life received (in my opinion) the most favorable reviews on quality and best bang for your buck.