new tank-what am i forgetting?

Hello everyone,

I am about to purchase my 2nd tank this weekend - my first is a lightly
planted 29 gallon - the new one is going to be a 40 breeder. It is going to
be a moderately planted - medium light tank without CO2 for now. I just
want to make sure I have a complete list.

Obviously the tank and stand.
glass top.
AH lighting 2 x 36 with a DIY hood that will allow either another 2 x 36 or
a 96 watt addition down the road.
Eheim 2213 filter
Ebo Jager 150 watt heater.
Flourite for the substrate


Am I correct using the 40 breeder 36x18x17 instead of the 40 long 48x12x17?
I thought the wider tank would allow more of a fish load due to the larger
surface area and the wider bottom would allow better aquascaping
possibilities. I am planning on sticking to anumbias, crypts and perhaps a
few swords for the rear of the tank. Do you think Dwarf Sag. would grow in
the foreground with the above lighting?

Thanks for all your help, and any suggestions are welcome.

Zach

Zach,

With no CO2, not a lot of plants, and close to 2 watts per gallon of
light you are planning a disaster.

I personally would use only one 36 watt bulb over the tank because of
you say you don't want CO2 in it. I would also spread the AHSupply
reflector - the way it comes it shoots a beam of strong light straight
down. It may be even better to now use a reflector at all. Things
will happen VERY slow in this tank but you will probably be very happy
to see that the maintenance is minimal.

If you go with 1 wpg of light or less you will be better off using low
light plants - Anubias, Java Moss, Pellia, Crypts. I was just looking
at an Amano tank this morning that was very much exactly that - Java
Moss as the lowest level of plants, Anubias draped on the rocks above
it, and brown/red crypts Wendtii behind and above the Anubias.

A dwarf sag will not grow well in a 1 wpg tank. Don't know about a
sword plant, to me it will obscure the shorter plants and it may not
be a good choice.

Yes, the wider the tank the better. A standard 55 is a nightmare to
make look good, and this 40 long sounds even worst. This 36x18x17
tank is very much 2 cubes put toghether - exactly as the Japanese
suggest using.

All of the above being said about the plant choice you may want to
check Valerie Grove's tank that was in this year's AGA contest. VERY
low light tank (about 1 wpg) but look at the plant growth! It does
have CO2 though:

http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.or...=0&vol=2&id=55

--Nikolay