"Sarah" wrote in message
om...
Ok, I'm going to change up my situation a bit. I recently (two days
ago) aquired a 55 gallon tank. The tank dimensions are 48"x18"x21".
I have the choice of several filters. The tank came with a Eheim 2217
and a HOB filter (bio-wheel). I also have a brand new Eheim 2028 that
I can use in place of one of the filters. I'm thinking that two
eheims on one tank is a bit more filtration that I really need. :-P

uh, yup, especially with CO2 injection (which you don't want to
dissipate, and CO2 = lots of plants which are filters, and lots of plants
= smaller fish which means less biological load).

I still plan on using a flourite and gravel mix - although probably
not black. I would like to have about a 4" layer in the back and only
gravel up front in the clear areas - about 1/2" to 3/4".

Sounds right, though with CO2, you can get more ambitious and go for 100%
ground cover. I have a 135g at work which is 99% covered (a little spot
under the Tiger Lotus gets too much shade and the Anubius are *slowly*
moving in there). If you go this route (perhaps trying some Echin.
tennelus across the front) then your slope is not as critical (slope for
cosmetics rather than for detritus settling), and you want to go a bit
deeper in the front (1-1/2") and not neccesarily so deep in the back
(3-1/2"?). Really, for cosmetics, tiering is better than sloping, but
that requires more intense terraforming than you might be interested in.

I used a mix of Crypts across the front of the 135g and I have mixed
feelings about it. It's too well established for me to be in a hurry
about moving them, but it looks more like a field of weeds than a lawn of
tall grass. Be careful what you plant where, as you can become a victim
of success easily ;~)

I'll be buying compact Flourescent lights. I hope to find bulbs that
will give me at least 3wpg. I figure I'll put the lights on a timer
and have them on about 14 hours per day.

The wpg is in the ballpark, but 14 daily might be high to start with.
This is something you experiment with. I'm certainly not any kind of an
expert at this. I just know enough to have fun and be dangerous ;~)

I still have a problem with getting CO2. I have found several
commercially produced CO2 thingies but the ones I've found - including
the one from Hagen are only rated up to 20 gallons. How do I add CO2
reliablely to this tank with shelling out a whole lot of money?

Don't let the rating phase you too much. The rate the CO2 dissapates is
as important as the rate it goes in. If you don't use the bio-wheel, and
keep your Eheim flow pointed downwards, you will reduce the rate at which
the CO2 dissipates (getting more bang for your buck). This improves the
results from a single DIY canister (Hagen thingy or otherwise). The
advantage of using two units (another possibility) is that you can have
them on alternate cycles (they are never both off at the same time). How
much CO2 you need to inject really depends on your expectations. I get
tired of pruning plants, so I tend to go lower, especially after the
plants are established. As they say - ymmv )
--
www.NetMax.tk

-Sarah


"Phil Williamson" wrote in message
...
How long do you plan on keeping the lights on per day? Which bulbs
did you
choose for your new planted tank?

"Sarah" wrote in message
om...
Ok, I've had a few aquariums for over a year now, so I think I'm
ready
to start my first planted tank. I've been reading everything I can
get my hands on and have asked questions at the LFS, but now I'm
overloaded with info.

I have the following plans on how to start but I need your input so
that I know I'm on the right track. I have a 25 gallon tall tank -
12" x 24" x 16"

I figure I'll start with a mixture of flourite and black gravel
about
2-3 inches high. I want to use sand but I've heard conflicting
commentary that sea sand will throw things off and the sand I have
in
my ciclid tank is designed for African ciclids so that LFS said I
shouldn't use it for live plants.

I was going to start with a small CO2 canister that they LFS
suggested
(retails there for about $35 - don't remember the name) and a dual
flourescent light hood. The room the tank will be in does not have
a
lot of stron ambient light so most of the light will come from the
hood.

I still need to research plants, but I'm thinking that I'm best
going
with plants with low to medium light requirements. I haven't even
though abotu fish yet - although I know it'll be a community tank.

What else do I need? What should I fix?