Need experience please?

[imrandome1]

Hi, as it is i have a 180l/ 45 gal tank with 2x30watt over it with reflectors i was thinking of getting 2 more tubes with this product...AED858 ARCADIA IP64 T8 ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER TWIN LAMP 58W......http://www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/acatalog/Controllers.html....... and adding it to the tank by putting them next to the the to lights i got, there is a way lol, anyway with my 2x30 watt and getting a 2x58watt lamps in the same tank so 176 of watt in total, will this help plant growth, by is will i need a CO2 because i really cant afford that? imo growing vills? or something easy plant to grow but will it starve from lake of co2,

sorry if its not clear lol, any help would be great thank you

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, you will need CO2 with that. You are qite a bit over 2w/g, so that definitely puts you into the CO2 realm. If you read through the stickies, try setting up a DIY CO2 system with 3 bottles for the 45G. Might even get away with just doing 2 bottles. DIY is cheap, but does require occasional maintenance, which isn't that bad. Then you need a diffuser, which if you get a limewood airstone, I heard that works rather well.

For the bottles, all you use is Coke 2L bottles.

 

[imrandome1]

hmm, i dont think im ready for that yet, to much to deal with, il keep to 2x30watt for now anyway but still i cant predict what il do in the future, Thanks for your help Lonewolfblue,

 

[Lonewolfblue]

With the current setup, it puts you around 1.3w/g. You can do most any low light plants, and a few medium light ones with that. Just make sure you have good plant bulbs. And for best results, change them out once a year, as they start to lose their spectrum. You can check on java ferns, any crypts, anubias, and a few others.

 

[imrandome1]

great, because i change my mind within 2 seconds lol, if i do wont some more watt for plants growth eg, 1x58watt as a add on to the 2x30watt is this under the rule of wat per gallon and co2, better question how do you work out the watt per gallon rule? thanks lonewolfblue

 

[Lonewolfblue]

A single 58W with the 2 30W is still 2.6w/g, and may need CO2. But you could also suppliment with Flourish Excel rather than injecting CO2. But if I were you, try to find something around 40W. That will be just over 2w/g, and with dosing Flourish Excel, you will be doing good.

Or what about just 1 more 30W?

 

[imrandome1]

cool will do thanks for all your help lonewolf, erm now me being stupid what

dosing Flourish Excel,

? sorry. But adding 30 more watt or 40 sounds like a good plan to me thanks for the help.


edit, o plant food eg tetra plant, cool sorry being a tad slow, okay thanks for all your help lonewolfblue, btw i like your website.

 

[Purrbox]

Flourish Excel is a liquid carbon suppliment that can be used instead of CO2. Overall the results are better with CO2, but the Flourish Excel still does a good job especially in smaller tanks where it's not very expensive. Some plants like Vals and Anacharis are sensitive to it, so you need to be cautious when using Excel in a tank with either of these plants.

 

[imrandome1]

cool, il look out for it, ill tell you 2 moz what iv got because im going then and seing what they have to offer.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If you have anacharis or jungle vals, they will melt with Excel. But I currently have corkscrew vals, and they are thriving with the addition of Excel. So it also depends on which vals as well.

 

[imrandome1]

Woooooow thank you, u just saved me £20, thank you lonewoldblue!!!!!!