Rescaped for a more symmetrical appearance

[germanyt]

I decided I was being impatient and trying to 'fill' my tank with plants that weren't grown. I figure it's time to place the plants where they will look good when they grow out instead of trying so hard to make it look good with bunches of immature plants. I like the way it looks and can't wait to see it fully grown.

 

[germanyt]

BTW the title was typed as REscaped but somehow changed when I clicked submit thread.

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Lookin good! all that I can recommend is maybe a floating plant like hornwort or water sprite and maybe a few more foreground plants but it will fill in nicely!

 

[Rodeo one]

Looks better! Nice job.

 

[germanyt]

Lookin good! all that I can recommend is maybe a floating plant like hornwort or water sprite and maybe a few more foreground plants but it will fill in nicely!

I like the idea of a floating plant but I'm worried it'll block too much light. I'm running a 6500K T8 w/ 15 watts and a 6700 T5 non HO with 28 watts as well as sunlight through the blinds behind the tank. I'm not sure how that compares to a high quality T5HO.

 

[germanyt]

Here is the before pic. My goodness I didn't realize til just looking at this pic but it's ridiculous how much my wisteria has grown in less than 2 weeks.

 

[germanyt]

Figured I'd use this thread to post some new pics. I brought the acei back to the store. The lady that works there gave it to me and told me she'd take it back for her tank if it wasn't a good fit for mine. It turns out I can't have a 5 inch cichlid in my planted tank. So it's back where it came from and I still have my electric yellow. It's only about 2 inches long though so not big enough to tear up my plants.

The newest plant. I just picked it up. It's a lobelia cardinalis.

Wisteria is starting to take over the tank.

And I'm not sure if I should trim these roots. I know I can cut one and replant it but I'm not sure if I should. The bottoms of the wisteria is not looking nearly as good as the tops. I was thinking of mouting a light on the back bottom of the tank so I get better growth at the bottom but I'm not sure how I'd do it.

 

[Wufghi88]

Looking great man ! Good job. Have you thought about a background or painting ?

 

[germanyt]

Looking great man ! Good job. Have you thought about a background or painting ?

Black background but Im taking advantage of the sunlight through the window until I get a T5HO.

 

[Wufghi88]

Oh gotcha!! Agreed we can talk in detail if ya wanna retrofit. Hoods are funny but I know a lot about lighting. So I'm sure I can help ya out.

 

[germanyt]

Oh gotcha!! Agreed we can talk in detail if ya wanna retrofit. Hoods are funny but I know a lot about lighting. So I'm sure I can help ya out.

Was thinking of getting this one on Friday.
Odyssea T5 Aquarium Lighting


I trimmed the tops of the wisteria off and replanted them. I tossed out the bottoms. I also took my wendtii and bunched it up to look more like a plant and less like dead leaves on the bottom of the tank. My new cardinalis didn't make it. I don't think my current light is sufficient for it. The leaves turned clear and yellow so I removed it from the tank. Hopefully I'll have a new light arriving next week and will have around 124 watts between the T5 and T5HO for 25 gallons.

 

[dragonfisher33]

i heard many negative reviews on the oddesea fixtures and aquatraders in general. some reported lights out within months

 

[germanyt]

i heard many negative reviews on the oddesea fixtures and aquatraders in general. some reported lights out within months

I suspected it might not be a great light based on the price.


I'm currently doing more research on lighting. Are there 24 inch fixtures that offer more than 24 watts per bulb? It'd be nice to find a 2 bulb fixure with around 100 watts. I've read that while 4x24 is the same as 2x48 the intensity of the light will be greater with the 2x48 and better for the plants. Even though the total wattage is the same.

 

[germanyt]

This one seems like a good buy but it's too big. The fixture would hang like 3 inches over the front of the tank. Unless I hung it but I really prefer not to do that.

 

[germanyt]

This site seems to offer good products but everything seems geared toward reef tanks.

Aqua Vim aquarium lighting systems

 

[dragonfisher33]

i got a new light from this website for my 65gal planted tank. it doesn't have the spectrum you would need for planted tank. so you would need to replace the light bulbs. you can use the coupon for 50%off. mine is on the way here. i've consulted a couple people on the forum and those who have had fixtures from this website all give positive reviews for the price. i can give you a review on the light once i receive it (this THURSDAY)

fish need it;lights; food;Sponge

 

[germanyt]

i got a new light from this website for my 65gal planted tank. it doesn't have the spectrum you would need for planted tank. so you would need to replace the light bulbs. you can use the coupon for 50%off. mine is on the way here. i've consulted a couple people on the forum and those who have had fixtures from this website all give positive reviews for the price. i can give you a review on the light once i receive it (this THURSDAY)

fish need it;lights; food;Sponge

Seems like a fine fixture but I think I'm going to take my chances with the Odyssea. I watched some YT vids and the reviews are good. It also has nighttime LEDs built in, external ballasts, and comes with bulbs all for 70 bucks. If I have to replace it at some point I guess I won't feel like I lost too much.

 

[dragonfisher33]

Seems like a fine fixture but I think I'm going to take my chances with the Odyssea. I watched some YT vids and the reviews are good. It also has nighttime LEDs built in, external ballasts, and comes with bulbs all for 70 bucks. If I have to replace it at some point I guess I won't feel like I lost too much.

if you set your mind to it, then i'm not going to say anything. but i would recommend you do a google search on "aquatrader going out of business" before you finalize the transaction.

 

[bud29]

Odyssea really cannot be beat for the price - HOWEVER - right now fishneedit has a 50% off sale to clear inventory. Once the coupon code is applied, they are the same price as odyssea. Plus, they are much more quality.

 

[bud29]

I also want to add that unless you are planning to go with pressurized co2 and all that stuff, a quad fixture would be way too much. I recommend getting a dual fixture instead if you want higher light but don't want to pay $200 for a co2 setup.