Planted tank

[CalebLS]

So I got a 50L and want to start a new planted tank. I want crypts in it, anubias, java fern and cyperus helferi in it. Is 11watt sufficent or how do I get a stronger light, the light is one of those inbuilt ones. I want to use sand substrate from a river, is this possible. Next what do you recommend daltons soil, the one from palmers, or jbl. If I dont use soil do I use tabs or liquid ferts.

 

Thanks 

[gligor]

This is a really good question, I'm quite interested myself as I've been thinking about setting up a nano tank for my desk at work. Will be looking forward to hearing the answers to this thread.

[Ira]

11 watts is pretty low if you want to be serious about growing plants.  Should be enough to keep them alive though.  River sand should be fine,  over a layer of Dalton's aquatic mix.    Add another light in to get it up to 20ish watts and that should be a good general setup.

[CalebLS]

So daltons mix first and then cap it with sand, or the other way. 

[Ira]

So daltons mix first and then cap it with sand, or the other way. 

Dalton's first, sand on the top.

[CalebLS]

In my filter, will the carbon absorb the liquid fertss and other ferts, from the daltons.

[Ira]

Not from the dalton's, unless it's getting into the water.  But anything in the water, yes.

[CalebLS]

What should I do? Because my tank has a inbuilt filter with carbon. We tried sponges in it but it leaked everywhere. 

[Ira]

Get rid of the carbon, it's useless anyway.

[CalebLS]

Do i just cut a slit in the cartridge and replace it with bio balls or the rings?

[CalebLS]

Is it okay if I had daltons dirt capped with river sand, then added the flourish excel and flourish, and had low light? Or is it better to have higher light.

 

[gligor]

More light is usually better.

[Shilo]

Recommend you read this:  http://aquariumworld.nz/plants/articles/optimising-plant-growth-and-minimising-algae-r6/  and do as much research before starting because if you get things wrong then it can go very wrong.

Carbon:  It's main use is to get rid of dissolved solids and some chemicals from the water so if you add fertilizer then it will remove that fertilizer.  It is only needed / used when there is a problem like removing excess medication, if its not needed (when the aquarium is running well) then its just a waste of money and doing nothing.  It will also only last a couple of weeks so remove it or leave it in there but don't bother with replacing it.  You don't find piles of activated carbon in natural streams or lakes.....

For plants:  More light means more fertilizer (like Flourish) and carbon (like Excel or C02) is needed and likewise more fertilizer & carbon more light is needed.   Too little of any of these 3 things means the plants will die off (how much depends on plant type). And too much will mean the plants won't be able to consume it all (again depends on plant type) and algae will take over the tank.

An easy way of thinking of it is that light supplies the plants energy and the fertilizers / carbon their food.  They can't consume food without energy and can't use the energy without the right amount of food.  BUT algae can happily use one or the other.   Plants will out compete algae if everything is just right but algae will out compete plants if there are too much of one thing or another (especially light).

Its all a matter of balance, finding that balance is specific to your particular tank and what plants you have in it.  So you need to do some research before you start and once running slowly experiment to find the right balance that suits your tank.

 

[CalebLS]

Cheers for all the info Shilo. How can I increase my lighting on the in-built hood? It says to only use 11W light for the tank but is there a way to increase lighting?

 

[Shilo]

Not sure on manufactured hooded tanks, but the warning would be about the heat output of the light.  Too strong a light could produce enough heat to melt the plastic around it.  If you want to increase lumens (strength) without the heat then look for LED alternatives to the current bulb.  Also if possible choose a light with the spectrums that the plants can use, these normally have the words "full spectrum" or "grow light" or "Sunlite" etc on them.  Or if they have a graph on the package choose one which is high in the red & blue sides of the graph but low in the middle green area (graph line will normally be U shaped). Plant leaves are green for a reason - they use the other colours & reflect the green back.