Getting Back Into Plants

[ringfinger]

I haven't had a planted tank for a few years now, I feel like a noob. Here is what I have:

12g Aquapod (open top)
Current USA 18" Nova Extreme T-5 Fixture 2x18W 10K/460NM
A bucket of eco-complete and some awesome driftwood

Back when I had planted tanks the T-5's were still relatively new, and there was a lot of talk about changing the WPG rules depending on the bulbs you were using and ALSO depending on tank size. If I remember correctly, the 18W of actinic don't count towards your WPG and it takes more WPG on a small tank to achieve higher light levels. So what light levels am I dealing with here according to the latest findings?

I am wanting to keep this tank as simple as possible, while dosing nitrate, trace, and flourish excel at the very most. Just wondering if my methods are a little outdated.

Glad to be back. Saltwater was fun, but there's just something about plants and driftwood... Thanks in advance for any advice and helping to get me up to speed.

 

[BigJim]

I'm assuming that you have T5HO lighting with 18" 18W bulbs. Regular 18W T5 bulbs are 30" long.

Get some 6700K bulbs and you'll be good to go for many types of plants. T5HO light is very intense so it doesn't require the wattage the older lights do for the same effects. Other than that, I'd say you've got the right ideas. Maybe ditch the nitrates in favor of regular Flourish.

 

[ringfinger]

I'm aiming more for low maintenance, so maybe I should only use 1 bulb? Or should dosing flourish excel and using both bulbs in a 10k/6700k combo be ok. I'd like to avoid a Co2 setup if possible.

 

[meegosh]

I would stick with low light. I have a 15w 6700K bulb over my 10g and I am able to grow vals, swords, red wendtii, cabomba, java moss, java ferns etc. I do nothing to the tank other than add a few root tabs every couple months for the swords.

 

[HeathB]

You could always just give it a shot with both, and if it proves to be too much, dial it down to just the one bulb.