# Help a newbie out



## George W (Sep 19, 2006)

I am completely new to the planted aquarium. I have been keeping Reef aquariums for quite some time.
I have a 150 gallon aquarium that I am considering converting back to fresh water. It is 48 long x 30 wide x 24 tall. I would think this would be a nice size for the planted aquarium, wide front to back for aquascaping. being built for a reef aquarium it does have an overflow. Are sumps and overflows bad news for the planted aquarium? It would not be a big deal to lose the overflow if so. I was also thinking my 250 watt halides would be a fine choice for lighting but now after reading through this forum it seems few people use halides. I am actually surprised by this if it is indeed the case. Thoughts on the MH lighting? 


More questions to come


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## tjc (Jan 17, 2006)

You, I and a whole host of other people here have switched from marine aquariums to planted tanks. I thought the switch would be easier and cheaper than a reef tank. I thought I could master planted aquariums in no time.

I'm humbled. ...and I'm still new at this, but I don't regret the switch at all.

I think the lights will be fine with the depth of your tank, but you might not need the metal halides on as much as you might think. I would use some sort of fluorescent lighting for part of your day for fish viewing. I'm experimenting with my MH and I'm starting with 4 hours a day and will try 6 hours a day. I've had problems with hair algae in the past.

My tank is 24" high and I love having plants grow to the surface, sort of reminds me of kelp in the ocean. The fish look really good swiming through tall plants.

There is a post here about the most common mistakes people make. I'd recommend reading that post. Do a search on this site with the word "mistakes", or try this link if it works.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...ing-planted-aquariums.html?highlight=mistakes


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I have a 48x24x24 tank, 125 gal. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but I got it really cheap. It really gives alot of opportunity for depth in the tank, as well as having fish that get bigger. The height really allows for a "jungle" of plants.

Link 1 and Link 2 are links to pics of my tank.

I have CF lighting on mine, and my glossostigma is actually doing great, and it's at the substrate level, 1-2 inches tall. So it certainly looks like the CF lighting is getting the job done. I haven't used MH bulbs, but I can't say I've seen too many FW planted tanks that use them. My assumption is that they are too strong and end up cooking the plants. Plus, with that much effective light, you'd need heavy CO2 injection and really good fertilization practice to keep algae under control.


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## chiahead (Dec 18, 2004)

metal halides work great on planted tanks. If you look at any of amano's setups alot of them use 150w HQI. There will be no issues with using them on your tank. You may need a different color than what you have. Plants generally prefer between 5000k and 10000k. Sumps are not really used on fresh water planted tanks. It will dispearse alot of co2 unless it is sealed. Even then there is no real use for it like in a reef setup.

Oh ya and I am personally using both pc lights and metal halides---no boiling of any fish.


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## George W (Sep 19, 2006)

Thank you for the replies. Cost issues aside is it any better or worse to start with a large tank?

Would it be better to scale the size down to get my feet wet so to speak? I was also thinking about a 24 x 20 x 20 acrylic aquarium. I would have to talk my wife into another tank, that might be a tough sell. Would 20" tall be too short?


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

Hey George,

I can't comment much on the MH lights as I have never used them. I do grow plants very well using NO T-8 and ODNO T-8 lights. These are plenty for a planted tank in my opinion.

Since money is not the issue for you, I think a large tank is the best way to start. Depending on how large it is, it is usually easier to plant, maintain, and aquascape than a smaller tank. Larger tanks seem to be more stable when first learning a new aspect of Aquarium keeping also. I jumped right into a 75g tank when starting out. The acrylic tank you mentioned would be a good starter tank also.

20" height is just fine for a planted tank. My main 2 tanks are 75g tanks and they are my favorite size tank for planting. A shorter tank _*may*_ need to be trimmed more often and a taller tank _*may*_ need more intense lighting to grow "foreground" plants at their best. I grew Glosso and HC pretty well in a 55g with ODNO T-8 lights so I would think PC's or T-5's would work well on a 24" tall tank.

I think the biggest issue for you will be fertilizing the tank! I think most folks make fertilizing much more difficult than it actually is by trying to maintain a ratio of one thing to another. As long as the plants get enough of everything, they will be fine. The Estimative Index is a very easy way for those beginning in the hobby to fertilize their tanks. As long as you get your CO2 dialed in (you will be using CO2 right? ) most algae issues can be avoided when following EI methods.

Don't be afraid of NO3 or PO4 in a planted tank!


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## tjc (Jan 17, 2006)

George, there are low tech methods and high tech methods and get each one of them straight and stick with one method. You have a big aquarium that will be more expensive to run and to stock if you go with the high tech method, but not really any worse than a reef aquarium (probably cheaper).

Most people would say that for a tank that size, using those lights, you'll have to inject CO2 with a CO2 tank and regulator. If you use those high powered lights and inject CO2, you will definately need to have a good regiment of dosing fertilizers which keeps the plants growing beautifully and strong using up nutrients that will prevent algae from growing. Make sure you keep your aquarium fully stocked with plants. It's important not to skimp on the planting (like adding live rock to a reef system). If you dose fertilizers, regular water changes become even more important to prevent excess nutrients that will cause aglae problems. None of this is really that hard to do at all as long as you have the funds to support it and some time to accomplish it (a few hours a week). Setting up the aquarium takes quite a bit of time.

For water changes, I use the Python No Spill system. It's not too expensive and it's much easier than buckets. Water changes in a planted aquarium are certainly easier than a reef system.


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## George W (Sep 19, 2006)

Cost aside due to knowing how expensive keeping reef aquariums are, not because money is not the issue :lol:
I do plan on using CO2 with the aquarium be it large or small. I already have this equipment and would only need to fabricate the reactor. I also have an extra ice cap ballast that now sounds like it would be the better option for lighting.

Is a covered top or an open top tank the norm with these planted aquaria?


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

Actually neither your tank, nor your sump, nor your lights are really suitable for a planted aqaurium. You should put them all on a pallet and send to to me immediately.


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## George W (Sep 19, 2006)

erik Loza said:


> Actually neither your tank, nor your sump, nor your lights are really suitable for a planted aqaurium. You should put them all on a pallet and send to to me immediately.


:lol:
I will have to make due


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

George W said:


> Is a covered top or an open top tank the norm with these planted aquaria?


That depends on the look you want. I'm not a big fan of the light spillage into the room so I prefer a closed top tank. A lot of folks like to let the driftwood and plants grow out ot the tank. Of course that requires an open top


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## George W (Sep 19, 2006)

What would you recommend to be must read books on this planted aquaria subject?


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

George W said:


> What would you recommend to be must read books on this planted aquaria subject?


I think I would recommend reading all the info you can online versus books  The online community tends to keep up with the changes in planted aquaria much better than books. That said, the only book I have on the subject of planted aquaria is Kassellman's book. By the time someting seem to get into print the ideas in the hobby have changed. This hobby seems to be in constant change. You have already found a very good site and there is more reading here than there is in any book on the subject


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## anthonysquire (Mar 15, 2006)

I agree with matt, this forum is great! There are a lot of very experienced people here who are more than willing to help you with any problems/questions.
As for the tank, I would start with something smaller, maybe 40 gallons or below. For me, experience is the best teacher, and learning on a large tank could get costly. I don't want to discourage you from using the tank you already have, but that's a monster to be starting with. If you do use your big tank, your MH will be fine though you may want to change the bulbs to something between 5000K and 10000K like chia said.

First thing you need to do is figure out what tank you are going to use and how much work you want to put into this on a regular basis (ie. do you want fast growing plants and have to trim them every week or two, or do you want slower growing plants that rarely require trimming). Once you answer those two questions this forum can get you going from there, good luck!


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

On more thing, get active in a club or at least find another person in your area into planted tanks. My knowledge increased greatly once I found another person to compare notes with. Sometimes having another person look at your tank or you looking at another person's tank is all it takes to figure something out


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