# New Emersed Growing Space :D



## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

Well, it's getting chilly outside around here. With the first frost looming closer and closer, I had to start dragging my emersed plants (up until now growing in plastic trays on my back deck, etc.) indoors.

I bought a 120gal setup awhile back on craigslist that I can't set up for fish right now (it came with a particle board stand... no way am I sticking over a half-ton of water on flimsy particle board), but its strong enough to hold up a little dirt and plants with an inch or two of water, so it's becoming my new indoor emersed plant land. 

I went on Amazon awhile back and ordered a bunch of little $6 incandescent clamp-on fixtures with reflectors. Then I went to Target and snagged some 6500k GE CFL bulbs. Put those together, clamped them around the edges of the 120g, and plugged them into a power strip w/a timer, and voila! Happy plants. There's a 2x3-something watt T12 fixture that came with the tank, looks like ordinary bulbs but I had a spare outlet so I plugged it in as well just for giggles.

I also have a 105W 5000k hydroponic CFL grow bulb that I'm setting up this weekend (with a bigger clamp-on reflector that has a ceramic socket and whatnot). Figure that should be enough light to keep everything growing 'til next spring. 

Now for the important part,
Photos:









Full Shot









Slightly closer full shot









Closeup on a few trays









Closeup on more trays

I'll try to get a better photo of some of the plants in flower eventually; right now they're not cooperating much and I'm too busy to sit them down and take 1,000 photos. Right now I've got Alternanthera reineckii and Pogostemon erectus starting to flower...


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## LiveHumanSkeleton (Jun 25, 2010)

Way to go Amanda! Quite inventive I must say. And I'm sure you're being careful with all that electrical wiring.


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## WeedCali (Mar 6, 2010)

very nice! what species are your growing in it?


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

LiveHumanSkeleton said:


> Way to go Amanda! Quite inventive I must say. And I'm sure you're being careful with all that electrical wiring.


Eh, you know how I am... it's all plugged into a power strip that's stuck haphazardly into the nearest outlet. 



WeedCali said:


> very nice! what species are your growing in it?


It's got all sorts of fun stuff. There's a whole tray of Micranthemum umbrosum, a tray of Heteranthera zosterifolia, a couple of misc. Hygro specimens, some Alternanthera reineckii, Pogostemon erectus, Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf', Ludwigia repens, Ludwigia palustris, Lindernia rotundifolia, Lindernia dubia, Eleocharis acicularis, Eleocharis sp. (one of the bigger ones), Staurogyne repens, Rotala indica, Rotala rotundifolia, Bacopa monnieri, and a few other odds and ends 

In other news, I'm considering taping foil to 3 sides of the glass sometime this weekend, to prevent some of the light loss... thoughts?


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## WeedCali (Mar 6, 2010)

try to find some mylar. that would work even better.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

True enough... not sure where I could get it locally, though, and I'm not sure I want to pay a lot to ship it... hmmm... I'll have to look into that.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi asukawashere,

Actually you are correct. Doing some research I found that aluminum foil and bright white paint both out-perform the full spectrum reflective qualities of the thin mylar that is typically available.


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

Thanks for the info, Seattle. Aluminum foil it is, then. Works out for me, seeing as I already have the foil ready-to-go in my kitchen


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

Home depot has 42 watt fluros. They give off tons of light. You may only need 2 of them hanging for your tank. Just a thought!


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

Thanks for the tip Gordon. I actually just picked up one of those 42W CFL lights (on clearance for $20) with the intent to use it over a 20g tank. If I find it works well I may get a few more for use with other tanks


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