# 240 gal NPT



## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

I saw this pic years ago and have wanted to copy it ever since. My tank has 360 watts from VHO lamps overhead and will be next to an east facing window that gets a bit of sunlight. So, I will have a low light aquarium. Here's the link and can you guys help me recreate it. It doesn't have to be the exact same plants. This guys has a high light setup with Co2 injection. I obviously won't. But my tank was delivered yesterday, so aquascaping can begin.
http://www.plantedtank.net/tankgallery/Daniel-Wagner/32/

I was thinking Sag. instead of Glosso in the foreground. I can indentify the java moss on the foreground rock to the right and the cabomba behind the left peice of drift wood. Everything else has me mystified.

help....


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

To me it looks like java fern windolov on the driftwood in the center top and also lower down on the driftwood just off-center to the left. I can't get a fix on anything else. Is there a sword in front of the driftwood toward the right? or maybe a large crypt? I wish there was a bigger picture.


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## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

I agree with the java fern identification. Thanks. I think it would have to be a large crypt and not a sword in front of that driftwood there. One of those leaves is so brown/red and I can only think of the ozelot sword that takes on that colorations. A crypt seems more likely. Thanks for that ideas. I wish there was a larger picture too.


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## Tony65 (Jun 3, 2006)

Looks like a Sword plant to me too, but perhaps not Ozelot as that usually seems to have speckled dots - this one is veined.

There are plenty of Sword plants that produce red leaves and then the red fades to green as it matures.

See this thread on the "New Plants" section for an example.

There seem to be two grassy plants in there: one is the hairgrass (Eleocharis); but the other is shorter - Echinodorus tenellus or a Lilaeopsis maybe?

I think there's also some riccia tied to the top of the wood.


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## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

Thanks, I hadn't spotted the riccia. Your right about two different grasses, but I think I won't use either of those particular varieties.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Trying to duplicate someone else's tank planting scheme is not a good way to start-- especially if their tank has CO2 and yours doesn't. Those plants may not do well and you will have nothing but problems- poor plant growth and massive algae problems. For example, the Red Rubin Swordplant in the picture is a slow grower in my NPT; it needs lots of light and probably CO2 to do well. Many of the short grass type plants in the photo grow well, but only with a steady CO2 supply.

The tank depicted looks like an aquascape-type tank. The planting schemes in these tanks lend themselves to duplication better than an NPT.

My advice for NPTs has always been to buy a wide variety of plant species and see which ones adapt to the conditions in your tank.

Before you embark on planting a 240 gal tank, I'd suggest buying a book that identifies common species of aquarium plants. Barry Jame's $7 book on Aquarium Plants would be a start.

Also, 360 watts of VHO plus a bit of sunlight sounds like fairly intense aquarium lighting. Watt for watt, VHO puts out considerably more light than a T12 fluorescent bulb.


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## Kelley (Aug 27, 2006)

Maybe you could try a practice tank first before taking the plunge with the big tank. Perhaps a 10 or 20 gal. just to get the feel for growing plants?


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## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

Kelly: I do have other NPT tanks. 55gal, 29 gal and a 2.5 gal nano tank
Diane: How does VHO wattage differ from CF wattage? I've never used VHO before so I thought that watts were just watts. Can anyone help me out here?


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## Kelley (Aug 27, 2006)

Good! I was worried this was your first. Please forgive my presumption. :blush:


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## scrkpr (Jul 25, 2006)

Oh that's okay Kelly. How were you to know? I never mentioned them. I can't IMAGINE a big tank like that being someone's first planted tank; talk about in over your head.


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## bpimm (Jun 12, 2006)

scrkpr said:


> Kelly: I do have other NPT tanks. 55gal, 29 gal and a 2.5 gal nano tank
> Diane: How does VHO wattage differ from CF wattage? I've never used VHO before so I thought that watts were just watts. Can anyone help me out here?


I don't know if you ever got the answer to your question, but watts are watts, it is a measure of power consumption not light output. look at the lumen output of the bulb to get an idea of the light output.
When you compare the light output of bulbs only compare like bulbs, the lumen rating is based on the human eye's perception of brightness not on light necessary photosynthesis. if you compare the ratio of lumen's/watt on a T-12 and a VHO you will see what I mean. for example a 32 Watt T-8 has a higher lumen rating than a 40 Watt T-12.

The difference is in the efficiency of the ballast and tube combination.


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