AquaKai's 110g Planted Build

[Galligak]

By pure chance on Craigslist I found a 110g tall aquarium with a stand for a decent price and I've been looking at some larger tanks. So I'm getting it on Sunday or Monday, depending

This tank is 30" tall which puts me in a weird situation. I want to plant it, but I'm starting to realize that this will be more difficult than I originally thought. I want to plant mainly low and low-mid light plants. So I need to figure out what kind of lights to get. I'd like to get something that won't create a HUGE electricity bill. I was looking at Finnex Fugeray but I'm not sure.

I was planning on just getting a 75g so I was planning in getting the Eheim 2217, but would that be sufficient filtering?

Now to substrate. I want black. I don't know whether to go with (soil capped-don't know if I want to do this again) by blasting sand (would that be okay with cories I've read conflicting accounts) or just get Eco-Complete? Something else?

This is my current stock in my 55g:
1 angelfish
8 black neons
8 panda cories
2 Bolivian rams

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

My tank is that tall too. I am not having any problems.
I am using 1.5-3 inches of playsand. My tank has low tech lights. I am growing javafern, water wisteria, horwort, anubius. I did grow amazon swords and hairgrass until the wisteria took over.
If you are worried about lighting get some LED lights

 

[Galligak]

My tank is that tall too. I am not having any problems.
I am using 1.5-3 inches of playsand. My tank has low tech lights. I am growing javafern, water wisteria, horwort, anubius. I did grow amazon swords and hairgrass until the wisteria took over.
If you are worried about lighting get some LED lights

Okay, great! I'm planning on mostly low light plants so that's good to hear

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

I was first considering eco-complete but i found out it was like a gravel. Than i just bought some playsand. My cories love the playsand.

 

[Galligak]

I was first considering eco-complete but i found out it was like a gravel. Than i just bought some playsand. My cories love the playsand.

Yeah, I think that I'm just going to go with black blasting sand as my substrate. I have some play sand in my 55g but I'm not a big fan of it.

 

[Crazyhermitcrab]

Black sand will be prettier

 

[Galligak]

I currently have Odyssea T5 Dual 48" 6500K Aquarium Lights 108W on my 55g and I was wondering if I could just add another one of those or something else to heighten the power of the lights? I don't want to overkill the lighting on the tank. Just enough to grow some swords, crypts, vals, and moss. Possibly rotala and/or dwarf sag.

 

[jumperlizard7]

Is it possible to run a fixture across the back or sides to shine into the tank closer to the plants, maybe at an angle?