Can I Start Planted tank?

[360º]

so i just bought a new light for my 30 gallon long.

it has 2x 36" T5 Bulbs 39watts.

so im wondering if this is enough to have a planted tank?

i have plenty of filtration and the tank is already established and cycled.

can i just buy plants now and root them in the gravel?

how important is to have CO2 added? would it survive without?

 

[Andrewz00]

are they T5HOs? if so your off to a great start.... need to know more about the bulbs that are in there to determine what types of plants will work.

yes.. basically just shove the roots down into the gravel.... pretty simple.

and no, CO2 is not necessary, i have a 90 gal tank with gravel and between 16-20 plants with no CO2....

 

[360º]

are they T5HOs? if so your off to a great start.... need to know more about the bulbs that are in there to determine what types of plants will work.

yes.. basically just shove the roots down into the gravel.... pretty simple.

and no, CO2 is not necessary, i have a 90 gal tank with gravel and between 16-20 plants with no CO2....

yes they are T5HO, they're ridiculously bright. bluish/white in colour

 

[Andrewz00]

do you have any more details on the bulbs? as far as temperature? or make/model names?

im running T5HOs with 2 hagen life-glow bulbs which run at 6700K

 

[FishEggs]

i have the same thing over my 40g tall and i have lots of plants growing in there. you now just need to make sure you have the right spectrum of light for the plants. they need a daylight spectrum bulb which can be any where from 5000k to 10,000k. so as long as you have bulbs at the right spectrum you can grow plants now.
at your light level it would probably benefit you to have co2 but if you cut back the length of time your light is on you should be ok. you might experience some algae issues. it will take a little experimentation to find the balance in the tank to not get algae.

 

[Jason7894561230]

I agree with fish eggs

 

[BigJim]

+1 for FishEggs. T5HOs are great lights for plants. You probably have sufficient lighting that CO2 is necessary to prevent algae blooms.

 

[cbwmn]

With that lighting, I would say that you need some CO2 and alsosome fertilizers.Also, put plenty of plants in the tank to use up the fertilizers.Without ferts & CO2, you will get a very efficient algae factory.Like others have said, the color temp is very important also.You could go the DIY CO2 route if you’d like. If you do go with the sugar/yeast method be sure to use two bottles of mix and send it through an empty bottle (gas separator) first,along with a check valve.When I did DIY CO2, I had some problems with tank water siphoning backwards.The reason two bottles is necessary is so you can maintain an even supply of CO2.You alternate bottles periodically; I actually put the date of the mix on the bottle.Good luck with the planted tank,Charles

 

[Andrewz00]

im running 2 54W 48" T5HOs at 6,700K for roughly 6hrs per day... no CO2... occasionally adding Seachem Flourish Excel.... no bad algae blooms.... and very healthy plants.... took about 2-3 months to figure out the exact timing for the lights tho

 

[cbwmn]

Andrewz,How big is you tank.And are you using ferts?Charles

 

[Andrewz00]

90 USG... nothing added other then the occasional seachem excel...

 

[360º]

honestly i keep my tank lights on for like 17 hours a day. i wanna be able to see my fish.

i think its stupid to have a fish tank with the lights off.

i have a pleco in there to take care of any algae

 

[BigJim]

I've got my lights set on a timer so they're on before I leave for work, off during most of the day, and on again for a few hours at night when I get home. Whether your tank is dark or completely green with algae, you still can't see your fish.

 

[FishEggs]

Mr Miagi said it right. "Must find balance" it's all about finding the balance of light and nutrients to stave off the algae. if you dont want to dose co2 you have to reduce the amount of light. i think the addition of co2 will make it easier to find the balance and keep the algae at bay. but if you're patient and persistent you should be able to do it either way.
i would probably start at 6 hours of light per day without co2 and adjust from there.

pleco's dont do too much to clean up algae

 

[Faile]

17 hours is too much for plants. They need time to rest too. They'll do much better if you back off your lighting to 12 hours a day.

 

[360º]

ok so i started injecting co2.

some of my plants are turning brown, and some are still green, whats going on here?

also a slight film is forming on top of my water (even with 2 HOB filters running)

 

[BigJim]

Is it a pressurized system or a DIY yeast-based system? If it's a DIY system, make sure you're not pumping any of the yeast-sugar mixture up to the tank.

Which plants are turning brown?

 

[SeverumGuy]

You have the proper wattage for growing plants. Like fisheggs said, you need to make sure you're using the right spectrum bulbs. In my tank I'm running Sera florena fertilizer to help with the proper nutrients. What plants are you interested in keeping? Java ferns will not do well in bright lighting like that. They can survive in lower light settings. Are you going to keep any fish in the tank? If so you won't need to add any CO2. The waste that the fish produce will provide plenty. Also, if you add any fertilizer, remove any carbon in the filters. There's a chance the carbon could remove the added fertilizer and (though not proven) plants seem the thrive more with no carbon in the filter based on personal experience and other advice. Good luck with the plants. Let us know what you choose.

 

[360º]

im adding co2 from diy mixture but running through a check valve so nothing by c02 gets through

here is a picture, green beside turning brown

im pretty sure the bulbs are between 6000 and 10000 k

 

[cbwmn]

Are you going to keep any fish in the tank? If so you won't need to add any CO2. The waste that the fish produce will provide plenty

Severumguy
Are you sure that fish waste produces CO2??
I’ve never heard of that phenomenon.
Charles