New to Planted Tanks Help.....

715 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by fischman, Nov 30, 2010

PlecosBill

Discussion Starter · Nov 30, 2010

I have a 46 gallon aquarium with a sand substrate with Mazanita driftwood. I have a dual bulb (2x 39 watt) 78 watt T5Ho fixture. Its 36 inches long. One bulb say max plant grow 5,000k High Output and the other says 6500k super daylight. One is pinkish and the other is white. I bought the Nutrafin Co2 System from petsmart also. Its going to be a Chery shrimp and Neon Tetra tank. What plants you think I can grow in there with that lighting of should I get some artificial plants. I love Vals but dont know If I can grow them. I hate wisteria cause it drops its leaves ALOT. Any Ideas? The fixture came with some cool blue actinic and a 10k daylight bulb that makes the Neons look BEAUTIFUL! Can I use these and still grow plants? :icon_roll

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Darkblade48

· #2 · Nov 30, 2010

With that much lighting over your aquarium, you should be able to grow any plant you want.

Be sure to keep up with the CO2 and fertilization to prevent an algal breakout.

For your bulb choice, I am a little confused. You say that you have a 5000K and a 6500K bulb, but then go on to say that you have an actinic bulb and a 10000K bulb.

The actinic bulb will not be useful for growing plants. However, between the 5000K, 6500K and 10000K bulb, all will grow plants equally well; it is a matter of personal preference and what you find the most aesthetically pleasing.

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PlecosBill

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 30, 2010

Reply...

I was saying the fixture came with the 10k bulb and the actinic bulbs before I swapped them out for the plant bulbs. And IM not sure I want them now cause I bought a fer Vals and omg now I have snails everywhere! I called the guy and he said he took the plants from his pond and snails might have hitchhiked. I turned the lights on in the tank and they were all over the glass:icon_roll

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Deltad

· #4 · Nov 30, 2010

PlecosBill said:
I was saying the fixture came with the 10k bulb and the actinic bulbs before I swapped them out for the plant bulbs. And IM not sure I want them now cause I bought a fer Vals and omg now I have snails everywhere! I called the guy and he said he took the plants from his pond and snails might have hitchhiked. I turned the lights on in the tank and they were all over the glass:icon_roll

time to buy some loach.

you should have read up on how to introduce new plants to your tank. tsk tsk... should have done a salt dip or at least WASH them if they came from an unreliable source...

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PlecosBill

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 30, 2010

Deltad said:
time to buy some loach.

you should have read up on how to introduce new plants to your tank. tsk tsk... should have done a salt dip or at least WASH them if they came from an unreliable source...

I thought I washed them enough. They Just popped up recently. i have got some of them mostly all babies but no big ones. Cant get loaches cause I have red cherry shrimp...

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DANIELSON

· #6 · Nov 30, 2010

You could just go with a small crew of assassin snails they look really cool and get the job done.

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PlecosBill

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 30, 2010

Will the multiply fast? And will they harm the shrimp?

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fischman

· #8 · Nov 30, 2010

PlecosBill said:
Will the multiply fast? And will they harm the shrimp?

They shouldn't multiply fast at all, they only lay a single egg at a time, and they require both a male and a female to spawn unlike pond snails. As far as harming the shrimp, that's a hard one. I've never had mine harm any shrimp and don't see how they could as my shrimp are far too fast for them. But my tank also has a metric ton (maybe two) of MTS, so food is plentiful for the assassins. Others have mentioned that they have seen the assassins munching on their shrimp, so it is a risk.

Good luck on your snail situation!

Josh

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