Converting a 55 gallon to a Planted Tank

[CcJ23]

I have a 55 gallon community tank that has some plants in it but besides the foreground plants, none are thriving. It has a gravel substrate only so I plan on switching that and the lights.

I was thinking of getting some Eco-Complete substrate? And then capping that off with some of the black gravel substrate I currently have in there. How much would I need to cover the bottom of a standard 55?

I also want to replace the existing lighting that is on there. It is a low wattage setup that came in a kit years ago. There are 2 18" F15 T8's on there now. Does anyone have any experience with Odyssea brand lights? They seem the most realistically priced for me. I was thinking about getting the 48" 4x54 watt fixture but I'm unsure if that is too much? Would I be safer getting the 48" 2x54 watt fixture?

Amazon.com: Odyssea 48" T5 HO Quad Aquarium Light Fluorescent Hood Fixture w/4 LED - Plant 4x54W: Pet Supplies

Amazon.com: Odyssea 48" T5 HO Aquarium Light Dual Fluorescent Hood Fixture - Marine 2x54W: Pet Supplies


Also, what would I need in terms of fertilzers? Would CO2 be necessary? If yes, can you request a cheap set up? I've heard at this size tank, a DIY 2 liter bottle system won't be effective. I currently use Seachem Flourish and Flourish Excel. I'd consider using root tabs if I knew a good brand and what to do with them!

I really want a successful tank with lots of growth!

Thanks ahead of time!

 

[Rivercats]

I can't help you with those lights as I have never used that brand. But for substrate is there a reason you don't want to use all Eco Complete? How close in grain size is your gravel compared to the Eco? Reason I'm asking is that the smaller grained one will end up working it's way down in the tank. Something else to think about and research is what about using an Organic Potting Soil as your base with Eco Complete as a cap? You can check out my big tank at the link on the bottom of this post. My tank is Organic Potting soil with an Eco Complete cap and I get very good growth. Also you can go with 1 pound of substrate to 1 gallon of water to get 1 inch of substrate. So 55 pounds of Gravel/Sand/Eco for 1 inch of substrate on the bottom of the tank.

If you get a good med to high light you will need either CO2 or liquid carbon such as Excel/API CO2 Booster/Glutaraldehyde. I run my 220g on Glut with high lights and dry ferts. You can see my tank at the link on the bottom of the post. You can get Glutaraldehyde very cheap. Then I would suggest using dry fertilizers, which are also very economical, and dosing PPS-Pro. You would get very good growth with this type of set up.

 

[CcJ23]

@rivercats. I heard that the organic potting mix wares out and has to be changed where Eco complete doesn't. Is that true? Also my gravel is typical colored black aquarium gravel, and since I haven't actually seen Eco-complete up-close before, I don't know which is finer. Will Eco-Complete not provide enough nutrients? Is that was the Organic soil is for? I honestly thought that E-C was enough because of its high CFC(?) level. My other question is, does the potting soil cloud the tank much or does it make cleaning/ maintenance more difficult?

 

[Rivercats]

Most soil except for really sandy soil has a high CEC the same as Eco Complete. Both can absorb nutrients from detris and from the water column and hold it for plants to use. All soil does is provide a very nutrient rich substrate and when doing a dirted tank properly you don't have a cloudy mess. What you do have tho is tannins in the water that initally leach out of organic potting soil. They are easy to deal with and don't last very long. I just mentioned dirt with Eco as a cheaper choice since you mentioned it. Personally I'd do dirt with an Eco cap over Gravel and Eco mixed. But really it is just a matter of choice. Bear in mind that gravel is inert and has no CEC capibilities at all. As for tank maintainence with a dirted tank... you don't want to gravel vac in a planted tank but what I do is gently wave my hand over the substrate to get detris into the water column right before I start my WC's.

 

[CcJ23]

I will definately look into that thanks! I will keep this updated with what I eventually do.