help with 20g planted - Page 2 - Aquarium Advice

neilanh · 06-02-2008, 08:09 PM

Do you have a lid on the tank?

If not, you could easily add another 15W bulb, can probably get it from your LFS for less than $20 or so. That would put you still in a low light range, but it would increase your options tremendously.

Make sure the bulb(s) you have are in the 5000K to 10000K range and you'll be set.

chris127 · 06-02-2008, 09:34 PM

yeah i have a lid. i guess i could modify it to fit another light fixture. ill see what i can do! two lights wont affect my fish?

CatatonicBug · 06-02-2008, 09:37 PM

Fish like light. No need to worry about the fish with the lighting. The plants are the ones who suffer when there is not enough light. The only thing you have to watch is the heat generated by too much light, but the 15w lights don't put out enough to worry about.

**Purrbox** · 06-02-2008, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris127

should i remove the moneywert since it needs high light? i clipped the top off and noticed that it grew back about an inch in a month.

If it's growing, then keep it. You only need to remove it, if it starts doing poorly. The recommended plants are the ones that should definatley do well with your setup. Sometimes more you can still manage to grow more demanding plants, they just grow a lot slower than under their normal conditions.

SpeedEuphoria · 06-02-2008, 11:27 PM

I'm a newb also to plants and aquariums also. So far I have found crypts to be nice for my low light tank(just a 10 gallon with stock 15W light). I'm not sure what crypt I have exactly but it grows very good for me. I also have Java Ferns and they dont seem to do much.

Karackle · 06-03-2008, 12:42 AM

Hey there, I just wanted to let you know that I have a 20g planted tank with just the 18" 15watt bulb the hood came with. I have regular aquarium gravel and my tank is fluorishing with low-light plants. And even some "medium" light plants. You can check out my thread on my 20g here My 20g Planted Journal (! 56k) if you might find it useful. In case you don't want to read the whole thing, i've had a lot of luck with Cryptocoryne wendtii, Crypt Spiralis, Wisteria, Purple Cabomba, and 2 Anubias species. My tank is quite the jungle at the moment, but it's very low tech! I dose ferts ~once a week. So don't fear! I'm a recent college grad with very low funds, but i managed to turn my tank into a jungle! Good luck!

*edit* i forgot to say that I agree with Purrbox about the moneywort, if it's growing and doing well, you might as well keep it in there!

06-02-2008, 08:09 PM	#11
neilanh MTS Advocate Community Mentor Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 3,208 Images: 15	Do you have a lid on the tank? If not, you could easily add another 15W bulb, can probably get it from your LFS for less than $20 or so. That would put you still in a low light range, but it would increase your options tremendously. Make sure the bulb(s) you have are in the 5000K to 10000K range and you'll be set. __________________ ~Neilan In the DC Metro Area? Check out GWAPA and WAMAS Look, I have a My Info Page! Where's yours? Useful Links: Vote for AA, Nitrogen Cycle, Fishless Cycling, Articles, Acronym List

06-02-2008, 09:37 PM	#13
CatatonicBug Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 503 Images: 6	Fish like light. No need to worry about the fish with the lighting. The plants are the ones who suffer when there is not enough light. The only thing you have to watch is the heat generated by too much light, but the 15w lights don't put out enough to worry about. __________________ Remember - in Aquaria, nothing good happens fast. Starting a new tank? Click here for instructions. 47g tall FW, 10g planted, 2.5g planted office tank

06-03-2008, 12:42 AM	#16
Karackle Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 290	Hey there, I just wanted to let you know that I have a 20g planted tank with just the 18" 15watt bulb the hood came with. I have regular aquarium gravel and my tank is fluorishing with low-light plants. And even some "medium" light plants. You can check out my thread on my 20g here My 20g Planted Journal (! 56k) if you might find it useful. In case you don't want to read the whole thing, i've had a lot of luck with Cryptocoryne wendtii, Crypt Spiralis, Wisteria, Purple Cabomba, and 2 Anubias species. My tank is quite the jungle at the moment, but it's very low tech! I dose ferts ~once a week. So don't fear! I'm a recent college grad with very low funds, but i managed to turn my tank into a jungle! Good luck! edit i forgot to say that I agree with Purrbox about the moneywort, if it's growing and doing well, you might as well keep it in there! __________________ 20gH Planted tank, 5g Planted tank 1 Crested gecko who has a 60g Hex paludarium in the works 2 Dogs, Leo an 11 year old Bichon/poodle mix, and Cody, a 3 year old Poodle. I enjoy having a zoo to care for!

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06-02-2008, 09:34 PM	#12
chris127 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 124	yeah i have a lid. i guess i could modify it to fit another light fixture. ill see what i can do! two lights wont affect my fish?