29gal Planted Stocking Q's

[J-Aqua]

Alright I have my 29gal just sitting in my garage and I want to do something with it. I think I have decided to go with a planted tank.

Plants listed that I would like to get are:

4 Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae)
2 Anubias nana (Anubius nana)
2 Rotala Magenta (Rotala macranda)
2 Temple Narrow Leaf (Hygrophila corymbosa)
1 Anacharis (Egeria densa)

HOB filter will be a Emperor 218 Bio-Wheel (Rated for a 50gal).

For fish I don't really care for Rams, tetras, or angels. I was thinking something like a pair of Firemouths, or a pair of convicts? Not sure if they would like the planted scene tho?

Lighting, I am at a lost cause for that. I was thinking for every plant i need atleast 3-5 watts per gallon/per plant? Not sure how to really add that up? I beleive the hood thats on the 29 gal is a 24" generic white bulb. Now what I really wanted to get was a dual housing bulb so I can have one daylight bulb then a moonlight bulb. Wondering if this is a possibility? I am a NEWB when it comes to lighting so a lot of help with this area would be AWESOME!

For water movement I was thinking about running two Rio 50 powerheads to move the water around the tank? I also have a 10" airstone I can put in.

Substrate I was going to go with Eco-Complete Aquarium Substrate, w/ some fine black gravel mixed in.

I think that about sums it up what do guys think? Any other suggestions would be great! TIA!

J

 

[Purrbox]

Some of the plants that you have listed would do perfectly fine in a medium to low light tank (about 1-2 watts per gallon), while others tend to need more light (3+ watts per gallon). There are some people that have reported success with growing these higher light plants with medium light, but most haven't.

I think the first thing to do is to decide whether you are tied to that specific plant list or would be willing to look at alternative plants that would require less light and maintenance. For instance you could go with Dwarf Sag instead of the Micro Sword, since it has a similar appearance but is less light demanding.

Should you decide to go with CO2 injection (which is pretty much a necessity in high light tanks) you'll need to rethink your filter. At a minimum you would need to remove the BioWheel as they are excellant at gassing off the excess CO2 that you're working so hard to inject. On the other hand if you don't inject CO2 then it can be used as is since it will help to maintain ambient CO2 levels. The airstone falls under the same category. It should be avoided if injecting CO2, but is beneficial if not injecting CO2.

Lighting estimates are based on the amount of light per gallon (not per plant). Each plant has varying lighting needs. These are generally listed as the minimum that a particular plant tends to need, and most will do well with more. There is a link in the Read This First Sticky that covers lighting and should be helpful as you work on deciding what you want to do.

The powerheads for extra flow, may or may not be necessary. You'll need to play with it to see what you actually need.

Substrate choice is good, just make sure that the EcoComplete makes up at least 50% of your substrate so that you're not wasting your money on it.

Something else that you'll need to read up on is Fertilization. There are also links for both CO2 and Fertilization in the Read This First Sticky.

Good Luck!

 

[J-Aqua]

Some of the plants that you have listed would do perfectly fine in a medium to low light tank (about 1-2 watts per gallon), while others tend to need more light (3+ watts per gallon). There are some people that have reported success with growing these higher light plants with medium light, but most haven't.

I think the first thing to do is to decide whether you are tied to that specific plant list or would be willing to look at alternative plants that would require less light and maintenance. For instance you could go with Dwarf Sag instead of the Micro Sword, since it has a similar appearance but is less light demanding.

Should you decide to go with CO2 injection (which is pretty much a necessity in high light tanks) you'll need to rethink your filter. At a minimum you would need to remove the BioWheel as they are excellant at gassing off the excess CO2 that you're working so hard to inject. On the other hand if you don't inject CO2 then it can be used as is since it will help to maintain ambient CO2 levels. The airstone falls under the same category. It should be avoided if injecting CO2, but is beneficial if not injecting CO2.

Lighting estimates are based on the amount of light per gallon (not per plant). Each plant has varying lighting needs. These are generally listed as the minimum that a particular plant tends to need, and most will do well with more. There is a link in the Read This First Sticky that covers lighting and should be helpful as you work on deciding what you want to do.

The powerheads for extra flow, may or may not be necessary. You'll need to play with it to see what you actually need.

Substrate choice is good, just make sure that the EcoComplete makes up at least 50% of your substrate so that you're not wasting your money on it.

Something else that you'll need to read up on is Fertilization. There are also links for both CO2 and Fertilization in the Read This First Sticky.

Good Luck!

Wow, thanks for the great reply. The plant list is pretty much the only plants I can really get at my lfs. They have some other plants but I didn't like the look of the paticular plant. I'd rather not get into the CO2 injection. IMO, I don't think its really pratical on such a smaller sized tank, and more on the expensive side. If you know, and if you could tell me. Which plants need less light and which plants need more light. That way I could maybe use more of the less lighted plants for now, or play around with the list. I have other LFS around, but the one I went to has better quality of plants (i've heard). Thanks again!

J

 

[Purrbox]

The PlantGeek.Net Plant Guide is an excellant resource for determining how much light plants need.

Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae) - Medium High
Anubias nana (Anubius nana) - Low Light
Rotala Magenta (Rotala macranda) - Very High Light
Temple Narrow Leaf (Hygrophila corymbosa) - There are several varieties ranging form Medium Low to Medium High
Anacharis (Egeria densa) - Medium Low Light

You'll probably want to pass on the Micro Sword and Rotala Magenta, and the Hygrophila corymbosa could be hit or miss depending on which variety you get ahold of.

The Barter/Trade section of this forum is a great place for obtaining plants from other hobbiests. Just post an ad once your tank is ready and let people know what kinds of plants you're looking for and you should be able to get some great plants, often for just the cost of shipping.

 

[J-Aqua]

The PlantGeek.Net Plant Guide is an excellant resource for determining how much light plants need.

Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae) - Medium High
Anubias nana (Anubius nana) - Low Light
Rotala Magenta (Rotala macranda) - Very High Light
Temple Narrow Leaf (Hygrophila corymbosa) - There are several varieties ranging form Medium Low to Medium High
Anacharis (Egeria densa) - Medium Low Light

You'll probably want to pass on the Micro Sword and Rotala Magenta, and the Hygrophila corymbosa could be hit or miss depending on which variety you get ahold of.

The Barter/Trade section of this forum is a great place for obtaining plants from other hobbiests. Just post an ad once your tank is ready and let people know what kinds of plants you're looking for and you should be able to get some great plants, often for just the cost of shipping.

Sounds great! Thanks purrbox for the info. I've been reading up on everything and obtaining lots of knowledge so far. I always thought CO2 was expensive, but you can get a kit reasonably cheap! I was almost tempted to buy everything yesterday but I am glad I am planning this now!

The only question I have is with the stocking of the fish! I think I might go with some GBR's and some tetras now! Thanks again.

J

 

[Purrbox]

Depending on the "kit" that you are talking about, you might be better of building DIY. There are some that are basically DIY CO2 in a pretty package for about $20-40. Most of these are going to be underpowered for a tank the size of yours.