2ft Planted Tank w/o Base Fert

[Tanhs]

Will be starting a 2ft planted tank consisting of xmas moss(backdrop) and mini riccia or mini moss(lawn) with driftwood or stones for decor. Fishes will be 20 cardinal tetras plus the cleaners.

Existing equipment:

1. Tank 24" x 18" x 18" and stand
2. Rena XP2 canister filter (Media Eheim Ehfimech and Ehfisubstrat)
3. Oceanfree double FL tube( Will be bringing down to Nature to convert to
double PL 36w PL tube)

Things I need to buy :

4. Black gravel - 2-3 inches high
5. AC Fan - Keep temp at below 28 C
6. CO2 reactor - Is CO2 a must for moss and riccia?
7. DIY CO2 if(6)is a requirement
8. Things I might have missed out

Would like to know where can I buy

(4) How many kg for a 24" x 18" x 2"(base) and cost
(5) Number of fans for a 2ft tank and cost
(6) Brand and price for internal and external not costing more than $30 to
used with my canister filter
( What are they and how much would they cost

Had been browsing the planted tanks section before I posted this. Hope to listen to some great tips for my kind of setup. Thanks.

[Tanhs]

Will be starting a 2ft planted tank consisting of xmas moss(backdrop) and mini riccia or mini moss(lawn) with driftwood or stones for decor. Fishes will be 20 cardinal tetras plus the cleaners.

Existing equipment:

1. Tank 24" x 18" x 18" and stand
2. Rena XP2 canister filter (Media Eheim Ehfimech and Ehfisubstrat)
3. Oceanfree double FL tube( Will be bringing down to Nature to convert to
double PL 36w PL tube)

Things I need to buy :

4. Black gravel - 2-3 inches high
5. AC Fan - Keep temp at below 28 C
6. CO2 reactor - Is CO2 a must for moss and riccia?
7. DIY CO2 if(6)is a requirement
8. Things I might have missed out

Would like to know where can I buy

(4) How many kg for a 24" x 18" x 2"(base) and cost
(5) Number of fans for a 2ft tank and cost
(6) Brand and price for internal and external not costing more than $30 to
used with my canister filter
( What are they and how much would they cost

Had been browsing the planted tanks section before I posted this. Hope to listen to some great tips for my kind of setup. Thanks.

[Tanhs]

Will be starting a 2ft planted tank consisting of xmas moss(backdrop) and mini riccia or mini moss(lawn) with driftwood or stones for decor. Fishes will be 20 cardinal tetras plus the cleaners.

Existing equipment:

1. Tank 24" x 18" x 18" and stand
2. Rena XP2 canister filter (Media Eheim Ehfimech and Ehfisubstrat)
3. Oceanfree double FL tube( Will be bringing down to Nature to convert to
double PL 36w PL tube)

Things I need to buy :

4. Black gravel - 2-3 inches high
5. AC Fan - Keep temp at below 28 C
6. CO2 reactor - Is CO2 a must for moss and riccia?
7. DIY CO2 if(6)is a requirement
8. Things I might have missed out

Would like to know where can I buy

(4) How many kg for a 24" x 18" x 2"(base) and cost
(5) Number of fans for a 2ft tank and cost
(6) Brand and price for internal and external not costing more than $30 to
used with my canister filter
( What are they and how much would they cost

Had been browsing the planted tanks section before I posted this. Hope to listen to some great tips for my kind of setup. Thanks.

[Tanhs]

Will be starting a 2ft planted tank consisting of xmas moss(backdrop) and mini riccia or mini moss(lawn) with driftwood or stones for decor. Fishes will be 20 cardinal tetras plus the cleaners.

Existing equipment:

1. Tank 24" x 18" x 18" and stand
2. Rena XP2 canister filter (Media Eheim Ehfimech and Ehfisubstrat)
3. Oceanfree double FL tube( Will be bringing down to Nature to convert to
double PL 36w PL tube)

Things I need to buy :

4. Black gravel - 2-3 inches high
5. AC Fan - Keep temp at below 28 C
6. CO2 reactor - Is CO2 a must for moss and riccia?
7. DIY CO2 if(6)is a requirement
8. Things I might have missed out

Would like to know where can I buy

(4) How many kg for a 24" x 18" x 2"(base) and cost
(5) Number of fans for a 2ft tank and cost
(6) Brand and price for internal and external not costing more than $30 to
used with my canister filter
( What are they and how much would they cost

Had been browsing the planted tanks section before I posted this. Hope to listen to some great tips for my kind of setup. Thanks.

[PeterGwee]

CO2 is a must for riccia and for most plants..the only thing is that some require less. Go for DIY to get a feel of what CO2 can do for your plants...after that when you find DIY CO2's inconsistent production of CO2 troublesome..then you can switch to pressurised systems. As for fan, you will only need 1 AC fan or maybe 2 DC ones if you find the AC fan noisy. As for the rest of the questions I think I will leave it to others. Good luck! []

[Simon]

4. Black gravel - 2-3 inches high
5. AC Fan - Keep temp at below 28 C
6. CO2 reactor - Is CO2 a must for moss and riccia?
CO2 is a mus for riccia to thrive, moss require cool temp of ard 26-27, which a fan can easily achieve in a 2ft tank..
7. DIY CO2 if(6)is a requirement
u can test it out with DIY Co2 but observe yr fishes, since it will supply co2 27/7

20 cardinal seem alittle too many for a 2ft, try 10 instead, keep yr nitrate down if u intend to keep shrimps

Would like to know where can I buy

(4) How many kg for a 24" x 18" x 2"(base) and cost
do u intend to add a layer of base fert?, u need ard 10kg of gravel and ard 5kg of fert base for yr tank configuration, can since u using black gravel, u can try C328, happy aquarium... dunno the price for it

(5) Number of fans for a 2ft tank and cost
u have a choice of DC or AC, AC is much stronger but far more noisy compared to DC, for DC u need to DIY (pls refer to the equipment section)AC cost ard 15-30 depending on make/place u buy from

(6) Brand and price for internal and external not costing more than $30 to
used with my canister filter
go with internal, external cost ard $60 from NA

other things to consider, surface skimmer or u can use the alternative method of adding platy, mollies to help u clean the surface of those protein film.

cant think of anything else, will add on when i do

[lorba]

hi simon, when u say co2 is a must for riccia to thrive, you mean for it to bubble?

I experimented riccia in my office 1.5ft tank, 22W, no co2, no fert. Yet they are growing fast and green.

[benetay]

You should compare it with and without Co2 injection. With Co2 injection riccia grows faster then riccia which don't have any Co2 injection.

[lorba]

i see. anyway, if they grow slower its better, no time to prune them in office.. haha

[vinz]

Firstly, welcome to the wonderful world planted tanks and welcome aboard AQ.

2. In addtion to E-Mech and E-Substrate, don't forget to include a course filter pad and a fine filter pad/wool for mechanical filtration.

4. To calculate amount of substrate, calculate how litres it is and multiply by 1.2kg. In your case, it would be (((60x45x5)/1000)x1.2)kg. Take 1 inch to be roughly 2.5cm.

You might want to get more for landscaping purposes like creating hills, slopes, etc.

5. Go down to Sim Lim Tower (not Square) to shop for your fans, but you'll need to DIY your own clamp/holder. There is a fan holder by ISTA that fits 9cm and 12cm fans. DC fans may be quieter than AC fans. My experience is that for the same Ampherage, big fans are quieter then small fans. If you can, ask the shop owner to test for you to hear. Start with one fan first. Shouldn't cost more then $20 for one if I'm not wrong. 8cm and 9cm fans seem to be proportional cheaper then 12cm fans. Don't forget fan guards to protect fingers (impt if you have small or curious children) and jumping fishes. There's a link in the Aquatic FAQ to a DIY DC Fan article which also shows a simple DIY holder.

6. Yes, you need CO2 in high-light planted tanks. Java moss is ok, but Riccia will need CO2.

CO2 Reactor... you can get the green Taiwanese internal ones. Three models to choose from. Forget external unless you DIY one from the internal ones. External reactors cost $50 or more.

IMO, your tank will not be able to handle high amounts of N and P so becareful about the fish-load and feeding.

[budak]

Simon,
I think 20 cardinals is fine. His tank is 2 x 1.5 x 1.5 ft which is larger than most 2 fts.

Tanhs,

I would suggest you look through some on-line galleries like the following
http://visual35.tripod.com/amano.html
or look through aquascaping book in Borders/Kinokuniya for ideas. Your tank dimenstions are excellent for making a small tank aquascape that has plenty of depth and space.

Another thing: why not just get one bag of JBL base fert and add it before you top up the gravel? At least if you want to add other plants next time, it will save you a whole lot of fert trouble.

[vinz]

Oh yah... if you get black quartz gravel, it may be too sharp and cut the barbels/mouths of substrate scavengers like cories. Search the forum for more info. Other forumers are more experienced with this.

[Tanhs]

I will be dropping by Nature Aquarium later to convert my 2ft FL light fittings to e-ballast and PL tubes.

I have 2 DC12V 1W fans savaged from my old comp each measuring 5cm x 5cm with 10 blades each. Will they do for a 2ft tank? I will be using a stepdown(not sure it's the correct name) lying around to connect to the 2 fans.

Stepdown Spec :

Input : 115VAC 1.9A
230VAC 0.8A
50/60Hz
Output :+12V 8.5A

I tried it out and it works. Is it an overkill...even dangerous? Very crappy at electrical things.

[tawauboy]

is your stepdown/adapter from a notebook?

if you can get a voltmeter, try to measure the output voltage. depending on the design of the adapter, some are regulated 12v while others are unregulated 12v. if your adapter is a regulated 12v, the output will maintain 12v until you draw more than 8.5a of current. above 8.5a, output the voltage will start to drop below 12v. those unregulated 12v will output >12v when the current drawn is low. the output voltage will be 12v only when the current is 8.5a (based on the data you have provided). once current drawn is above 8.5a, the output voltage will drop below 12v.

if your adapter is the unregulated type, it is highly likely that the voltage will be around 18-20v when you are supplying to 2 12v dc fans. the fans will run faster and may reduce the lifespan of the fan. i am not sure how long the fans can last but i am using a unregulated 12v 5a for 4 dc fans. been running it for 1/2 year and it is running ok.

don't worry too much about the extra 'juice' the adapter can provide. just don't try to meddle with the ac portion, the part that is connected to the mains.

[Tanhs]

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On 11/20/2002 12:57:13 PM

is your stepdown/adapter from a notebook?

if you can get a voltmeter, try to measure the output voltage. depending on the design of the adapter, some are regulated 12v while others are unregulated 12v. if your adapter is a regulated 12v, the output will maintain 12v until you draw more than 8.5a of current. above 8.5a, output the voltage will start to drop below 12v. those unregulated 12v will output >12v when the current drawn is low. the output voltage will be 12v only when the current is 8.5a (based on the data you have provided). once current drawn is above 8.5a, the output voltage will drop below 12v.

if your adapter is the unregulated type, it is highly likely that the voltage will be around 18-20v when you are supplying to 2 12v dc fans. the fans will run faster and may reduce the lifespan of the fan. i am not sure how long the fans can last but i am using a unregulated 12v 5a for 4 dc fans. been running it for 1/2 year and it is running ok.

don't worry too much about the extra 'juice' the adapter can provide. just don't try to meddle with the ac portion, the part that is connected to the mains.
----------------

I bought it from a electrical shop in SLT for $90 3 yrs ago. It a rectangular metal casing with many hole on top(for cooling purpose) measuring about 20cm x 10cm x 4cm for connecting to a charger for DC batteries. Anyway if the fans die on me early then I will know it a regulated type.

[PeterGwee]

Whether the fans are enough will depend on where your tank location is...ambient temperature around it and etc...get a thermometer to get a rough reading to decide.

[Tanhs]

Settled my 2ft light conversion this afternoon at Nature.

Bought 10kgs black gravel from C328 as there are only 2 packets left. Will hunt for the remaining 5kgs at Happy Aquarium or Petmart.

Bought 2 pieces of UGF plates from GenX(They say it better to use this than wire mesh) for tying the xmas moss for the backdrop.

Will not be having base fert as they are quite sharp, GenX advise against using them for rooted plants. So it will be xmass moss for backdrop, riccia for lawn, taiwan moss tied to several pcs of driftwood/slates. Still browsing for more ideas on how to landscape my tank.

Will be very happy if it turns out nice in 3-4 months. Maybe will start a new thread "4ft Planted Tank with Base Fert".

Thank you guys...you are great!! I am still reading up on on this new hobby.

[Simon]

base fert as they are quite sharp, GenX advise against using them for rooted plants

dun quite understand the statement above

[Tanhs]

Simon

Sorry, I mean the black gravel. GenX had them in their shop and I asked if I can place them on top of the fert as substrate for rooted plants and they say no.

[Simon]

I agree that the gravel is indeed sharp but if u dun intend to have any corydorus, its quite fine... but frankly, u can ask DEA aka yimin who uses the black gravel with alotsa cory in his tank