My 20 gallon long, lighting, and advice.

[KidFish]

Hello all! In my attempts to set up a twenty gallon long planted tank I have come across some problems. Once again I come to you pleading for knowledge.
I love swords... Amazon swords mostly. I have two larger ones and two or three smaller ones. Once upon a time they had beautiful leaves but over time they have become brown and transparent. I also love dwarf sag I have four or five plants that maintain but do no real growing I thought these were low light plants:/ I have only a single t8 bulb. Planning on getting another. But I might be considering another? For substrate I just have black gravel and for inhabitants I have an ugly guppy a danio (both which I rescued from a ten gallon on the side of the road) and right now a Bolivian ram (small sized, he will be going to the 125 sooner or later) I want to get this baby back and growing:/ do I need to dose? Is two t8's enough? Should I get some LEDs? I have a pretty good budget but I would prefer lower cost as most would. Any other info needed will be provided promptly. Thanks


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[Traciedjessop]

Following


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[clarkm]

The finnex planted plus led. It's an awesome light for the price. Look on amazon. I have had it 5 months and my plants love it. Great color spectrum with the red and blue LEDs. My dwarf sag has been going crazy with runners since I got this light.


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[KidFish]

Do you dose or co2?
I love the dwarf sag


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[clarkm]

I started with only 5 dwarf sag and in the last two months I now have like 25 little plants. I do not have co2. I do dose metricide 14 as glut and seachem excell , and api leaf zone. Do you have root tabs in your substrate ? That's pretty important especially for swords and dwarf sag.


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[Brookster123]

Do you use root tabs? How long the lights on?

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[KidFish]

I don't dose, I did get some root tabs about a week ago! Anyone know a good online provider?
I've been taking a look at that finned plus light, looks pretty awesome, one is all I'll need?
I don't use co2

.....I should get timers. Since I have such a dim light I have been leaving it on for long periods of time, bad idea? Twelve hours usually...


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[clarkm]

Yes you would only want one on that tank. My tank is 58 gallons and 20 inches deep and it gives me plenty of light. 2 of them on your tank with no co2 would be an algae farm. Check out mebbids diy root tab thread on planted forum. I starting using them a month ago and my swords are really liking them by the way new growth looks. If you were to switch to an a
Led like the planted plus you will need to at least dose a liquid carbon source such as metricide 14 or seachem excell.


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[clarkm]

12 hours is way to long. Try around 8 hours with that low light. 6 hours with an led


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