Deepsound

Let's sum up ! Yep. Yes, it is too. And he's right. It depends on the MH power you choose and the plants too. In fact, it's more rigorous to think with lumens and not watts, but let's simplify ok ? You got a 180 liters tank. If you want to setup a "nature" planted one, with green carpet, you need about 1w/L. So about 180 w. But, if you use this amount of power, you'll need to feed plants properly, with fertilizer and CO2 or you're gonna have big algae troubles. Let's sum up another time. For an heavy "nature" planted tank, you need : - Rich soil (personally, I use a mix of Aquabasis and Manado). - 1 w/L - Fertilizer - CO2 --> it's a must, a real nutriment for plants. And you must balance all of this rigorously. Right ? Now, what kind of lighting ? According to me, you don't need a MH for your 90x45x45 tank, considering the kind of plants you choose : java fern, mosses, lilaeopsis can grow even if you don't have 1w / L. They definitly don't need a big amount of light (except if you want an heavy grass of lilaeopsis or eleocharis for instance). So, with the plants you choosed, you can use : - MH : 70w or 2x70w or 1x150 w - T5 : 2x39w or 4x39w You really like Hagen T5HO Life-Glow ? Go for it (but be sure low cost osram can do the same job) Don't think there's only one solution. Many ways are possible to reach the same point. PS : before making your decision, think about your power bill too

Erk ! I forgot about biosecure ! I thought it only concerned certains species and we can import the others freely. Sorry :oops: Well, even without fissidens, you can setup a nice tank Joe.

Don't worry, I'm living under your feet but I understand your confusing. Gonna try to simplify And I'm pleased to read your very well written posts as you're only 12 yo. I didn't know, so forget this article, it's gonna be unhelpful for you.

I bought mine on Aquaticmagic website, Singapour based. As I remember, it's free shipping for the first order

So forget this article. You can use T5 for your project Yep I live in Paris, but now, I try to be careful about this point Before I told you about, I saw some blue one osram t5 on Trademe. So I said to myself, may be... And on this website, I found this. http://www.pacifikstar.co.nz/brochure/PST5_Product_Brochure.pdf They use OSRAM T5 in their lignthing. So i think Osram could be found in NZ At first, Lumilux is an industrial light. But many aquarists found it could be used successfully for aquaria. I've been using them for 3 years and they work very well. More than this : they are pretty less expensive.

Looks great ! Wow thanks for posting Broms Wanna do something like that ! With a lot of... (no Phoenix... no... don't even think about it lol ) oak leaves or something and many small fishes. Just roots, shadows and lights in a mysterious black water... :bounce:

This is the only possible scientific explanation... Congrats for those new little guys ! Real good news

I agree about the balance of CO2/light. And about the much too big power Joe wants to use (in my opinion ). But it depends on the DIY method you use With just plastic bottle, "may be" not enough CO2. "May be" because it also depends on the plants you use. For mosses and javafern, it will work. But you can use another method. Have to get : - a pulverizer you use in a garden or a greenhouse. - gelatine you use for cooking. You can even add a bubble counter, a valve and a pollen diffuser if you like it.

May be this could help you ? A comparison between light sources used in planted aquaria. http://www.aquabotanic.com/lightcompare.htm

According to me, for a 45cm height tank, you don't need a metal halide light but if you want nice and natural reflections on the ground. If you want to set up a beautiful Luís Moniz's tank like, you can do it without metal halide. Fissidens fontanus, mosses, java fern and lilaeopsis don't need a lot of light to grow. You can use T5 as well. Have you heard about JEBO lighting ? I've been used one (4 x 39 w T5, Lumilux 6500K) for 2 years. About PC light, there are now 125w and even 250 w bulbs, full spectrum at low price. The electronic ballast is inside the bulb. So, very easy to install, you just need a socket... What about a DIY lighting ?

Hi, Have you ever tried OSRAM Lumilux T5 39 w (available in 6500 K or 8000 K / HE or HO ) ? The best ones according to me : very good spectrum AND low price. Here, we get one for 10 € (about 17 NZ$) Dunno for NZ but you can surely get them. OSRAM's a big company. Here's a tank using OSRAM lumilux lighting : Expensive hi-tech is not the only answer...

I saw last week a documentary about dolphins in NZ, especially those ones who go sometimes in fresh water for fishing. Sad for Moko and all the people who cherished him... Have to wait the autopsy results

I think so. Anything new Dennis ? Echinodorus tenellus is a good foreground plant for your project. Could you tell us the dimensions of your tank and the lighting power ?

I also use DIY CO2. It works very well. You can use a venturi system : plug your DIY CO2 on the outlet of your filter Really easy to do. Or, for a better dissolving of the CO2, plug it on the inlet of your filter.

+1 Nothing to add.

Almost Zev... It was Cloud. I'm not blue when I get dressed in white --> When the sky's blue, clouds are white. And incidentally, when it's sunny, we're not blue Wearing sometimes a long train, --> Not for a wedding, just because it's windy. When the wind stretch clouds in the sky... I love to watch clouds during hours, especially cirrus because we can sometimes see inside them, some landscapes or incredible and unreal forms, favourable for dreams or imagination. When I'm thinking about a new hardscape for a tank or something, I often watch the sky. Because my imagination is at that time, able to run easily. But when I'm red, feathers above my hair you'll see. ->Red cloud was an indian chief http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Cloud.JPG Clue : my name is a part of a very poetic name I'm sure you know. --> the land of the long white cloud : Aotearoa According to me, it's the most poetic country name I've ever heard... Sorry :oops:

And there's still the price $ on the pot in the last pic :lol: Sam, Zev, Jennifer and Phoenix, your dialogue made really me laugh So... CNNz - Breaking News : we've been told Takashi Amano has just been the victim of a heart attack. He was surfing on the web then he suddenly collapse, eyes wide open Some witnesses said it happened just after watching an iwagumi. A "different" one... odd and weird... This information has not been confirmed yet. Stay tune

:lol: If they wave their tail above, I think it's tubifex. Nice shots by the way.

Ha ha ! :bounce: Ok, I already got some ideas but let me think about it for a while and I'll tell you soon ! Have to choose ingredients you can find in NZ

It's your wedding ? Want some french ideas for the food you're gonna do ? Easy to do, taste good and surprising ?

Very nice setup ! I love the effect of the driftwood and the cryptocoryne crispatula. Well done !

Yep. That's what I use. And it's biodegradable and very low cost stuff. About Fuji Finepix, there are some tests on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SkV1Svl2QY HD Video Test (interesting because we can ear the zoom and it's a bit noisy ) Low light test http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz5JW1E03t4

Yes Gonna correct it Joe Oh you're damn right... Thanks a lot

Oh yes, I do agree ! You know, some years ago, I said to myself one day I must go to Norway because I absolutly wanted to see both things : fjords and auroras borealis. And so what ? Both of them can be seen in NZ. Fjords in the west coast and aurora australis in the Southands. I've been told it's possible to see it in Dunedin or Invercargill. True ? And as you say, you have so many varying landscapes and fascinating ecosystems. When I heard about New Zealand and starting to read a lot about it, I was very (pleasantly) surprised, astounded by the richness of your country : moutain lakes, alps, volcanic areas, native temperest forests, kind of mediterranean climate, beautiful beaches... All the things I planned to see one day or another, in the same one country. Couldn't believe that ! I just stayed breathless, mouth open and eyes out of my head, like in a Tex Avery's cartoon Wow

Yes, that's it ! Totara. Thanks Endemic to New Zealand. What a beautiful tree. lol yeah I saw it when I posted last night. And we're on the same planet The documentary was about Hollyford track They say about Fjordlands it's rainy 2 times per week : the 3 first days and the four last days lol :lol: They were talking about a lake where there's an electrical generating station. Eels couldn't go to sea anymore 'cause of turbines. So they fish them from the lake to the ocean. The fisher man explained eels could live for a long time and they have to select them, youngers staying in the lake. And he showed one of them, saying : "This one is probably 80 years old. It means nothing. but when you say to yourself she was about 10 years old during the 2nd world war, it's really amazing..." Yep