Adg Posted October 14, 2012 Report Share Posted October 14, 2012 Hi i just recently purchased a 80 gallon hexagon tank with a three tube t8 lighting.. My question is are these an ideal tank for a planted setup or is the lighting generally to weak to support plants.. I have never done a planted tank so i am looking for some advice on what i need equipment wise to start.. i am thinking i want to either transfer some of my haps from my 55 gallon tank or put a large school of neon tetras with other fish that would be sutiable to go with them.. I am also thinking i might try my hand at a diy background.. Any advice will be gratly appreciated tks.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 How many inches are the lights away from the substrate ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprucegruve Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Yes what are the dimensions of this tank?It might be a little small for Africans. But it could be a nice planted tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adg Posted October 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 The tanks dimensions r 27 1/2 across from flat to flat and 29 inches tall best I can eatimate is that it's an 80 gallon, it has a three tube t8 lighting fixture. I was hoping to find a small group of haps but am a little concerned of the tank dimension knowing that cichlids generally like longer tanks. Does anyone know who has a good selection of haps ? Also I am thinking of doing a DIY background. Is it nessasary to run a co2 setup to get a healthy aqua scape ? What type of light bulbs should I run? Is it best to do a dry start ? will the haps eat the palnts from best i can tell they generally leave plants alone unlike the cousins (alonocara).Sorry for all the questions but I don't have a great idea when it comes to a planted tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprucegruve Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 C02 is not necessary.plants will grow without it. Just not as fast But you will need a balanced fertilizer schedule to prevent algae. I suggest dry fertilizers,you can get them at a garden centre or a hydroponic store. Any light bulb will work. Just pay attention to the kalvin rateing. 5500k-6500k will work well for plants, and if you want to mix in a 10000k bulb it won't hurt either. Dry start is not necessary,but it does have a couple advantages. This seems like a decent tank for plants,you can get some taller plants because the tank is 29inches tall. And your not limited by an extremely narrow tank either,you could put a coupe nice bulkier centre piece plants in there too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heff Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 I've never had anything but low-light setups and my plants have always grown. Just ensure that your plants have enough nutrients and you should be set. It's my understanding that lots of moderate- to high-demand plants are capable of growing low light, they just don't flourish. Regarding lights, I was using a 18,000K bulb for the longest time in a 10 gallon, with about 12" of water to the substrate and the plants did fine. I purchased some KNO3 (diluted) and KH2PO4 dry from All Seasons Garden Centre in the Strathcona area. I think it cost me $15 tops and I've mixed up two 500ml bottles of each, which have lasted me about a year. I could probably mix up another 25-50 500ml bottles easily. Or you could spend $$$ on the liquid ferts by Seachem or whoever... just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 80 Gallon Hexagon Planted Tank - hey why not ? The biggest challange may perhaps be the inherent husbandry involved. The dimensions present a few obvious hurdles. Can you reach the bottom of the tank ? Most folks will be hanging their pits on the rim before they touch bottom; this will only become more difficult once the lighting hood is on. There will be sufficient light intensity to grow plants with the bulbs you have. Long term success will be achieved only through diligent canopy management. Given the compact footprint the tallest plants will quickly subdue anything beneath. Many rosette or stem plants will outcompete their neighbors; leaving them to languish in the dark. Worst case scenario will give you a thick umbrella of growth up top with nothing but chlorosis down below. Carve out a pronounced slope front to back and/or keep the overall height around 20 inches. This style of 'scapeing should provide enough coverage to keep eveybody happy. Best of Luck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adg Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Wow tks for all the info everyone it helped out a lot. I currently have a 120 gallon tall, 80 gallon hex both r dry, and a 55 gallon long which is housing my cichlids right now. Lots of options just have to figure out what I wanna do (funds) lol. When I do decide what I am doing / keeping ill post some pics of my setups. Tks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adg Posted October 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 One more question eheim 2215 classic or eheim 2073 pro 3 canister filters. I have one of each haven't used the 2215 yet only the 2073 which leaked out all over my floor thankfully caught it fairly early. Talked to eheim and they sent me a new head for my pro three. Should I trust the pro three and sell the 2215 or should I just sell the new 2073 ? I am up in the air on this one whether or not to trust that the issue have been fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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