Wanting to upgrade a tank. Help?

457 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Krispyplants, Apr 23, 2014

Persistency

Discussion Starter · Apr 23, 2014

I have an established 60g that I'm thinking of converting to a planted tank this summer. I want to dig out the gravel and replace it as well, but I'm not sure if that's going to throw my cycle out of whack. I don't have any particular plants in mind yet because I'm not too picky about them, but this is about what I'm thinking:

-LED Pent 48" HI Lumen Timer Ready 6500K (6800 Lumens Super energy efficient 0.5 watt high output LEDs
180x 6,500K LED)
-Bottom layer of organic soil
-Mid layer of flourite
-Cap layer of black sand or something similar
-Planning to search the area for local driftwood
-Also planning to build some slate caves as well-- is there a general weight limit for adding things to glass tanks?

I don't know yet if I want to do CO2. Could I manage without it, or is it a necessity? I also wonder how long the fish will have to be out of the tank while I'm converting this.

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PlantedRich

· #2 · Apr 23, 2014

Most of that I can't say but for the weight issue, I do have experience. When keeping African cichlids it is normal to stack large amounts of rock in tanks. Assuming there will be space left for fish and plants, you have no worry. The main concern on rocks is that you may drop them or let them slide down the glass in some way. Both are bad but the weight is not a problem for most.

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Krispyplants

· #3 · Apr 23, 2014

As long as you keep your old filter running I believe that your tank may not recycle but will hop around. You should let the bacteria on your tank walls get thick before doing the switch and you can also use the same tank water.

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