[Storm]

I humbly request the help of the experts on this forum to help make sure I buy the best parts for my new build at the best possible prices. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I am fairly new to the hobby and have only setup a few planted tanks so far, and this will be my first rimless Amano Nature Style aquarium.

This will be a low/med. light Excel based tank - Anubias, java ferns, mosses, etc.

Aquarium:

• Mr. Aqua 33.6 Gallon Frameless Glass Aquarium Tank 24.8 x 17.7 x 17.7 Inch - MarineDepot $169.99 + $43.00 shipping.

Lighting:

• Zoo Med AquaSun T5-HO Double Light Linear Fluorescent Hood, 24-Inch - Amazon $56.32
• Zoo Med Ultra Sun Trichromatic Super Daylight Bulb T5 High Output 24 Watts, 22-Inch - Amazon $13.19
• Zoo Med Flora Sun Plant Bulb T5 High Output 24 Watts, 22-Inch - Amazon $14.24

Filtration:

• Eheim Classic Aquarium Filter 2213 - Amazon $79.99
• Eheim Fine Filter Pad for 2213 Canister Filter (3 pcs) - Amazon $7.37
• Blue Filter Pads for Eheim 2213 Canister Filter - 2 pk - Amazon $6.03
• 13mm Lily Pipes - eBay $30.00 + $16 shipping

Heating:

• Hydor ETH 200 In-Line Heater UL 200W f/12mm & 1/2" Hose - Amazon $56.06

Substrate:

• 2 bags - CaribSea Eco-Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate 20 lb - Petco $33.98 + $5.99 shipping.

Total cost for equipment: $532.16

Now, onto my questions:

• Is the Eheim 2213 enough filtration? Should I consider the 2215 instead, or perhaps look at one of the cheaper SunSun/Perfect filters?
• Where can I find clear acrylic tubing for the Eheim filters? I find the green tubing ugly and would like to keep a minimal footprint above the tank.
• Will the 2x T5HO be too much lighting? I plan on suspending using wire about 6" above the rim. Tank depth is 18", minus about 2-4" for substrate.
• Is 40 lbs. of substrate enough? I've used Eco-complete before so I like it, but not sure about the dimensions of this tank.
• Am I spending too much money on any components? Are there better components that are cheaper? I really want to keep this low cost so I can save more money for flora and fauna.

Thanks again for your critique of my build! In case anyone is interested, my fauna selection will most likely be the following:

• 5x Amano Shrimp (algae control)
• 4x Otocinculus (algae control)
• 10x Ember Tetra
• 10x Cardinal Tetra
• 10x Dwarf Cory
• 84% stocking level according to Aqadvisor.

 

[GitMoe]

2213 might be a little light for that size tank...

 

[Storm]

2213 might be a little light for that size tank...

Thanks for the input. Do you think 2215 would be enough? Or, should I look at SunSun or Odyssea CF500?

 

[tetra73]

You need more substrates. 2 bags of eco-complete will not fill up the bottom with the required 3" substrate depth. Try 4 bags.

 

[jkan0228]

I use a 2215 on my 11.4 mr. Aqua I would use a 2217.

 

[Storm]

I use a 2215 on my 11.4 mr. Aqua I would use a 2217.

Thank you for the critique. What if I were to switch to the 17.5 gallon Mr. Aqua, which is pretty much the same as the ADA 60-P? Would the 2215 still be ok?

I'm actually considering going with the ADA tank, since it is only a few bucks more expensive than the 17.5 gallon Mr. Aqua.

Thank you for your input.

 

[Storm]

You need more substrates. 2 bags of eco-complete will not fill up the bottom with the required 3" substrate depth. Try 4 bags.

Thanks, would the 2x bags be enough for the 17.5 gallon Mr. Aqua? It is exactly the same as the ADA 60-P, 24"x12"x14". Or do I need 3 for the 17.5 gallon?

 

[tetra73]

Thanks, would the 2x bags be enough for the 17.5 gallon Mr. Aqua? It is exactly the same as the ADA 60-P, 24"x12"x14". Or do I need 3 for the 17.5 gallon?

Try here:
http://www.plantedtank.net/substratecalculator.html

 

[talontsiawd]

The light may be on the high side, depending on the reflectors. I imagine it will be fine with CO2 but with just Excel, maybe not. If you set it up to be able to raise it higher than 6 in, just in case, you will likely be fine. .


I would say you should get a 2215 minimum. A 2217 may be a better investment in the long run if you are going to be running more than the heater inline.

 

[jkan0228]

Also, as filters get older, the flow decreases but you can always use the double tap connect valves in the beginning if you feel it's too strong.

 

[Storm]

The light may be on the high side, depending on the reflectors. I imagine it will be fine with CO2 but with just Excel, maybe not. If you set it up to be able to raise it higher than 6 in, just in case, you will likely be fine. .


I would say you should get a 2215 minimum. A 2217 may be a better investment in the long run if you are going to be running more than the heater inline.

Thanks for your feedback. Is there a better light fixture that you would recommend? Maybe one of the clip-on lights like this? http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72_74&products_id=452

The only issue with that light is that it's only 18.5" wide so it wouldn't completely cover the edges of the aquarium.

I could just raise the fixture up about 12-18" off the top of the tank using the wire hanging kit.

I really appreciate your feedback so please let me know if there is a better light fixture for low-light/excel.

 

[talontsiawd]

I think a dual T5NO fixture would be better or a single bulb T5HO. But, if you can raise it up as much as 18, it shouldn't be an issue.

You probably want to post something in the lighting section. I would go with more and raise it, just in case you end up going with CO2.

 

[astrosag]

Even though most people will tell you to use the larger filter...you don't necessarily need one. A 2213 would be fine for a 17.5G (a 2215 would work too) and a 2213 could even ben fine with a 33G.

It all depends on what you want to do and if you have future plans for upgrading.

Since your tank will be low tech, you won't need a lot of flow in there to disperse CO2 or ferts so you could get away with just a 2213 in a 33G. I learned recently that many people on TPT use a 2213 on even larger low-tech tanks.

If, however, you hope to inject CO2 in the future or would want to upgrade, I would invest in a larger filter. This way, if you do inject CO2/ferts/etc, you won't need powerheads which you'd need with your 2213.

If you can figure it into your budget, I'd go with a 2215 since you're deciding between a 17G and 33G. Its not too much more than 2213. The jump from 2215 to 2217, however, is big. A 2217 would be too much for a 17G low tech and is not worth the investment for a 33G low tech.

 

[Storm]

If, however, you hope to inject CO2 in the future or would want to upgrade, I would invest in a larger filter. This way, if you do inject CO2/ferts/etc, you won't need powerheads which you'd need with your 2213.

If you can figure it into your budget, I'd go with a 2215 since you're deciding between a 17G and 33G. Its not too much more than 2213. The jump from 2215 to 2217, however, is big. A 2217 would be too much for a 17G low tech and is not worth the investment for a 33G low tech.

Thank you for your detailed reply. You also explained to me why Aqadvisor says the 2213 gives me 200% filtration capacity, yet it might still be too low for high-tech/CO2/Fert flow dosing.

I really appreciate the education here. I think based on these responses I'm going to go with the T5HO and hang it 12" off the substrate. If I run into algae issues I can do a separate timer on each bulb where I have one bulb on for 8-9 hours and the 2nd bulb only comes on for a noon burst for a couple hours.

This gives me the option of lowering or raising the bulbs (using the wiring kit) in the future if I decide I want to try to grow high tech plants and use CO2

For filtration it sounds like the 2215 gives me the most options because I can lower the flow for low tech or up the flow if I decide to do CO2 and EI dosing.

Thanks again everyone for your responses!

 

[BradH]

I really appreciate the education here. I think based on these responses I'm going to go with the T5HO and hang it 12" off the substrate.

I think you mean 12 inches above the top of the tank. If you have sitting right on the tank your def going to need co2.

 

[Storm]

I think you mean 12 inches above the top of the tank. If you have sitting right on the tank your def going to need co2.

Yes, I meant 12" off the tank. Thanks!

 

[madness]

MarineDepot (if you end up getting the Mr Aqua tank there) has Azoo Plant Grower Bed which might be worth looking into as a substrate option.

Your plant list doesn't include a ton of root heavy plants so I guess it won't matter much but I personally get tired of putting root tabs into eco-complete tanks (or dosing the water column heavily).

 

[Storm]

MarineDepot (if you end up getting the Mr Aqua tank there) has Azoo Plant Grower Bed which might be worth looking into as a substrate option.

Your plant list doesn't include a ton of root heavy plants so I guess it won't matter much but I personally get tired of putting root tabs into eco-complete tanks (or dosing the water column heavily).

Thank you for the suggestion on substrate - I will check that one out.