Need help for 2ft tank

[EvolutionZ]

hi guys, had some question to ask before getting a 2ft tank.
what is the recommanded filter for 2ft planted tank?
my plan is to have scaping rocks and HC as lawn.

1. i would be getting a canister filter, no need those very good one or big big one.. just enough for a 2ft tank..
for filter i have budget of $60 - $100.
2. or if canister filter is not the idea filter, what can i use?

3. for lighting, is 2x24Watt PL or 1x 36watt PL better?

4. for co2, i know nuts abt co2 cylinder and co2 stuffs, is 1.0 litre enough? maybe 1 - 2 BPS... what are the things needed for co2? what are the rough pricing for 1-1.5litre Co2 with everything?

5. will be using 1 or 2 fan to drop the temp abit.. but not getting chiller as i believe submersed HC dun need low temp to creep well.

thats all for now.. im doing my homework now to ensure i wont do anything wrong, although i can only buy the stuffs after few months..
thanks alot in advance!..
need alot of info and will be doing alot of readups before getting my stuffs.
thanks to all bros and sis

[oblivion]

get an eheim. long term wise its worth the price
i would say a 2213 should just fit within your budget

you want the hc to creep, 2x24W will be better
in fact i suggest 2x36W for it is even better

1L you will have to top up pretty often
i'm the lazy kind that doesn;t like to top up
so 2L or 3L is my suggestion
get a JBJ solenoid & black/silver tank set from NA.. pretty standard stuffs
should be somewhere in region of 200 bah.. i ain't that up to date with co2 prices so someone else might better advise pricing
you will need a diffusor plus timer too

yeah a fan will do, but also depends on the ambient temp of your house

[EvolutionZ]

get an eheim. long term wise its worth the price
i would say a 2213 should just fit within your budget

you want the hc to creep, 2x24W will be better
in fact i suggest 2x36W for it is even better

1L you will have to top up pretty often
i'm the lazy kind that doesn;t like to top up
so 2L or 3L is my suggestion
get a JBJ solenoid & black/silver tank set from NA.. pretty standard stuffs
should be somewhere in region of 200 bah.. i ain't that up to date with co2 prices so someone else might better advise pricing
you will need a diffusor plus timer too

yeah a fan will do, but also depends on the ambient temp of your house

what is the price range for eheim canister filter? or is there anylink abt eheim canister filter that i can look around?
for a 2x1x1ft tank, its rougly 15gallon big.. im thinking of settling down with a 55watt so my tank will be rougly 3-4WPG, is it enough for HC?
im thinking of using back my nutrafin DIY co2 with flipper if my pocket are not deep..
my 1ft cube planted is placed in my storeroom(maid room acctually) with all my other tank.. temp wise is quite cooling as theres no sunlight. will be using 1 fan only
thanks alot for your reply =)

[bossteck]

Hi,

1. It is advisable to get a filter which flow rate is about 2-3 times the volume of your tank and not more than that. With your budget, more likely option would be a made in China type.

2. Another option is to get an internal filter, but it would take up space in your tank (unlike a cannister filter). Depending on the choice of what you intend to keep in your tank, I have known of people who keep heavily planted tanks with very little fishes using only a tiny internal filter or no filters at all.

3. Depends on your choice of plants. But if you plan to get 2 X anything, think about whether it would be easy for you to reach into the tank for maintenance.

4. CO2 cylinder is just the beginning, if you plan to feed CO2 24/7, advisable to get a manual regulator with needle valve (needle valves are use for finer control on the bubbling rate, it is difficult to control the bubble rate using onlt the main tap at the top of your cylinder), if you choose to feed CO2 only during certain timing (which I gathered, most people do, usually at the same time when the lights are on), you will need a solenoid, an electric switch that you can use a timer to control when to open and close. You also should get a bubble counter, so you can visually determine how many bubbles you're feeding. You also have to think about how you plan to dissolve the co2 in your tank, 2 methods of doing this, 1 is by the use of a reactor, a plastic tube with 3 or more bio balls in it, you can connect the reactor to the outlet of your filter, the flow will push the balls and the co2 you feed into the reactor will get dissolve. Another option is to get a diffuser (aka atomizer), it is made of glass (usually), with a ceramic disc on top, co2 fed into the diffuser will exit as tiny bubbles which in theory, will dissolve easier. Flip side of diffuser is that the disc tends to get clogged up over time, but a quick soak in bleech will undo the problem. Good thing about diffuser is that it eliminates the need for a bubble counter as you can see the number of bubbles going into the glass diffuser.

You definitely need a couple of check valves, to prevent water from the tank back flowing into your cylinder.

5. I believe 1 fan would be enough to lower the temp, 2 fans will only help to lower the temperature faster but will not achieve a lower temperature. No experience with HC.

Cheers!

[EvolutionZ]

Hi,

1. It is advisable to get a filter which flow rate is about 2-3 times the volume of your tank and not more than that. With your budget, more likely option would be a made in China type.

2. Another option is to get an internal filter, but it would take up space in your tank (unlike a cannister filter). Depending on the choice of what you intend to keep in your tank, I have known of people who keep heavily planted tanks with very little fishes using only a tiny internal filter or no filters at all.

3. Depends on your choice of plants. But if you plan to get 2 X anything, think about whether it would be easy for you to reach into the tank for maintenance.

4. CO2 cylinder is just the beginning, if you plan to feed CO2 24/7, advisable to get a manual regulator with needle valve (needle valves are use for finer control on the bubbling rate, it is difficult to control the bubble rate using onlt the main tap at the top of your cylinder), if you choose to feed CO2 only during certain timing (which I gathered, most people do, usually at the same time when the lights are on), you will need a solenoid, an electric switch that you can use a timer to control when to open and close. You also should get a bubble counter, so you can visually determine how many bubbles you're feeding. You also have to think about how you plan to dissolve the co2 in your tank, 2 methods of doing this, 1 is by the use of a reactor, a plastic tube with 3 or more bio balls in it, you can connect the reactor to the outlet of your filter, the flow will push the balls and the co2 you feed into the reactor will get dissolve. Another option is to get a diffuser (aka atomizer), it is made of glass (usually), with a ceramic disc on top, co2 fed into the diffuser will exit as tiny bubbles which in theory, will dissolve easier. Flip side of diffuser is that the disc tends to get clogged up over time, but a quick soak in bleech will undo the problem. Good thing about diffuser is that it eliminates the need for a bubble counter as you can see the number of bubbles going into the glass diffuser.

You definitely need a couple of check valves, to prevent water from the tank back flowing into your cylinder.

5. I believe 1 fan would be enough to lower the temp, 2 fans will only help to lower the temperature faster but will not achieve a lower temperature. No experience with HC.

Cheers!

thanks bro for ur explanaation..
1. i have seen atam brand or jebo brand.. i will be deciding upon this 2..
3. for lighting im also keen in 1x55watt too..
4. for co2, i myself think that having co2 cyliinder with all those thing will cost me around $200 for a 2litre one.. if my pockets allow i'll get it.. if not i'll continue with my nutrafin DIY co2 with flipper.
thanks