Better suiting my tank for plants!

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elephantnose

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
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1,657
Location
Florida
I'm upgrading my tank to better promote plants. I'm going to buy an ultra sun light and flora sun light by zoomed. I'm buying flourish and excel. Will my marineland filter take the flourish out of my water?
 
Carbon will remove some of the trace elements needed for plants so if you can remove the carbon.
 
Carbon doesn't work soo well for absorbing macro and micro elements that plants consume but it would probably remove excel.

What light fixture do you have and how large is your tank?
 
I have a 44g pentagon currently the tank has two aqueon 8,000k bulbs. I'm going to be be upgrading them to a ultra sun and a flora sun. On the tank is currently a marineland penguin HOB. But I can switch the filter with my 55g. I'll take the Rena filstar xp2 and put it on the 44g since this filter can hold purigen. I've heard purigen doesn't take away essential plant nutrients?
 
Just bought the better lighting. With these light would I be able to grow med light plants or are they still not good enough. I also bought some purigen and some bags. Do you have any experience in recharging them?
 
What kind of lighting fixture are those bulbs going in? T12, T8, T5, T5HO?
I use Purigen in my tank but I replace it with a new bag when it is exhausted.
 
Kind of but not really. If money is an issue is think about just returning them. They are the same power as your last lights.

To increase light intensity you will have to upgrade the fixtures to a stronger bulb. What are the dimensions of the tank and whats your budget?
 
You're going to need some really powerful lights for a tank that tall. I would hazard a guess and say that with your two lights you are barely at low light.
 
Yeah those lights should give you some good results. My plants responded well to the flora sun bulbs when I had them.
 
Those lights are negligibly better. As mebbid stated you have a very deep tank so par will be a problem.

And don't worry about the carbon taking the ferts out. Carbon usually exhausts quickly and just becomes another home for BB. I run media in my HOBS for months before making changes.

I would return the bulbs, save the money, do some research on planted tanks. Start with low light plants to get a handle on plant care.

Once you know what direction you want to go in you can start saving toward a fixture that will fit your needs(and your tank).
 
I have currently have various low light plants in the tank. Sadly I can't return the bulbs as I bought them online and the place has already shipped them. Idk know if it would be worth returning them as I got each bulb for $10.
 
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