[Skools717]

i have a 90 gallon tank with a new light setup that gives me 1.68 WPG and i want my tank to be lush and filled with plants.

can you recommend me plants that i could have that are easy to manage

the substrate is pool filter sand so i was thinking that i need root tabs, any info would be great I've never had a planted tank

i would like some plants to get rather large for the back of the tank and maybe some plants that could provide ground cover up front

 

[Darkblade48]

What kind of bulbs do you have? For example, T12, T8, T5, T5HO? 1.68 WPG of T12 lighting would be very different (from say) 1.68 WPG of T5HO lighting.

As for low light plants, I would start off with various Anubias sp., Java Moss, Java Fern, various Cryptocoryne sp., Egeria densa, and H. polysperma.

 

[Hoppy]

Apparently you have 151 watts of light fixtures? I have no idea what kind of lights that could be. If they were T5HO you would have high light, but if they are T12 you would have low light. Also, is that tank a 48"L x 18"D x 24"High, or is it a different shape? All of that affects what light level you have, and the amount of light you have affects the plants you can grow.

 

[Skools717]

well i know that the four 24" 18 watt bulbs in the eclipse hoods are T8

im not sure what the two other 48" 40 watt bulbs are they just say F4ORES

there are 3 different fixtures, 2 eclipse hoods and a light fixture that was in my garage that had the 2 40 watt bulbs in it

and the tank is 48"L x 18"D x 24"High

 

[Hoppy]

OK, that helps a lot. You have low light intensity, possibly even lower than needed for plants. So, you are limited to plants like mosses, anubias, Java ferns, some of the crypts, etc. With those you can set up a very good looking planted tank. But, plant growth will be slow.

 

[Skools717]

crap, i really want to do a planted tank but now im kind of hesitant

i thought the two 40 watts would give me a good amount, maybe i could get a couple better bulbs for the 48" fixture would that help?

with the plants you suggested how long do you think it would take to fill the tank with plants

 

[Skools717]

i just found another light fixture that uses 3 T3 bulbs would that be better than the two 48" flourecent tube fixture?

here it is

 

[lauraleellbp]

i just found another light fixture that uses 3 T3 bulbs would that be better than the two 48" flourecent tube fixture?

here it is

That's an entirely new fixture to me, but I strongly doubt it. Doesn't look like there's any way you'd get enough light intensity or coverage out of that fixture at all.

 

[Skools717]

well it takes up to 150 watt bulbs, do you think that would help me out

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002B0HZU/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00006IBF3&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0C8R56D4GH0HGD075Q4V

 

[Darkblade48]

Not sure where you got T3 bulbs from, but the Amazon link clearly says they are halogen bulbs. Halogen bulbs aren't used for lighting aquariums because they are very inefficient in generating light (i.e. think of how much energy is wasted because it is turned into heat)

 

[Skools717]

my bad wrong link

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IBF3/ref=asc_df_B00006IBF3922985?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=googlecom09c9-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B00006IBF3

 

[Darkblade48]

Those are still halogen bulbs.

 

[Hoppy]

For what you are trying to do, you don't need a huge amount of light, so I suggest buying 3 of these: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=163719-13537-163719&lpage=none Then make a simple wood box that fits the top of the tank, paint the inside white, and install the three fixtures in it, either with one power cord, or with one for two of the fixtures and one for a single fixture. That will give you 192 watts of T8 bulbs, which is plenty of light, and you very likely won't need to use CO2. You can then add several stem plants to those I mentioned before, such as Ludwigia repens, hygrophila difformis, etc. and they should grow well if you also use substrate fertilizer tabs.

You might be able to find light fixtures like those on craigslist, junk yards, garage sales, etc.