How many watts?

[sherchoo]

Osram is better in terms of qulity. Problem is that they are 6000K which compared side by side of AEC 6500K tube, will be a tad yellowish. But it will still work... for me I would source for a 6500K Philips PL865. Price would be around $18~25, which may be found at Kelantan Rd.

[cyberjoe]

hey thanks guys for all your response I went down to NA and ask chan to customize fro my tank tomorrow will be collecting it. I hope this thing works and enjoy waiting the plants to grow.

What else do i need im also adding FE fert. evryday. BTW how many BPS do I need fro my tank size 4x1x1.

[Allen_1971]

the bps depends more on how heavily you plant rather than the size of the tank... The faster your plants are growing and the more you have, the faster the rate.

The other factor to consider is how you are dissolving your CO2. I would recommend using a small reactor like dennerle's cyclo 500 instead of a ceramic plate... this is because of the low height of the tank...

On the whole, you start with a moderate bubble rate of say 1.5 bps, then tune up or down depending on your tank... e.g. if your plants are bubbling nicely, you can try tuning it down or leave it.

[cyberjoe]

Hey Allen

I already install the lights and a few minutes all of my plants starts to bubble specialy my riccia very cool but i notice one plant which i dont know the name instead of growing nicely i mean the leaves is supposed to be like rounded but instead it getting longer its a bit distorted and it looks like its missing something. evryday im putting some Fe liquid fert. and the timing for the lights is like 8 hours a day.

do i need to buy anyother fert pls let me know. Do i need to lower down my bubble rate. right now im having 1bps. pls help!

[sherchoo]

Joe,
What plant is it? How is it distorted? Maybe a pic will be good. I have experiencde Echinodorus sp. juz don't seem to grow properly when it get squeezed into a small area by other plants or tank deco.

[cyberjoe]

sherchoo

ok tomorrow i will post a pick so that u will know what i mean.

thanks

[Allen_1971]

yah joe it would be good if you could post a pic of the plant, then we know what you are talking about...

[hwchoy]

----------------
On 11/28/2002 9:49:10 AM
I already install the lights and a few minutes all of my plants starts to bubble specialy my riccia very cool but i notice one plant which i dont know ----------------

We are so happy for you

[vinz]

Some plants change their leaf shapes when they:
a) are emersed, or
b) get different level of lighting.

[cyberjoe]

This is what I mean leh its like they down look healthy and its not that green? can anyone help me with this prob? Pls see red circle for prob.



Case 1 Instead of a healty green yellow and abit red now it like that.


Case 2 The leaves is like closing like that instead of opening up.


Case 3 The tips started to decay. If you can see my riccia they are all having bubles and looks fine but the rest is like no life

My lighthing is already 4x36 Ocean Free Brand bought from uncle Chan every 6-8 hours and evryday i add FE fert from Pet Aquarium brand? Pls Help!

[Allen_1971]

Joe,

With regards to your first 2 plants, your first is a hygrophila polysperma, and the pinkish leaves are expected. It is normal. So don't panick. In fact I personally like the pinkish leaves...it provides a bit more color.

The second is also normal... these plants like cabomba carioliana and rotala wallichi thrive on high light (I think yours is a species of bacopa...) The higher your lights, the more close the nodes on the stem, and thuse the bushier the plant... As your tips of the plant are probably near to the water surface, they get the most light and would look bushy like that.

The third plant I don't really recognise... and can't help much.

[cyberjoe]

Hey Thanks Allen

now i know the names of my plants. but how abt u what kind of tablet or liquid fert do u used?

[lorba]

hi all, installed my 4x36W PL for my 3ft and yet to see any bubbles. Suspect its either the flow to strong (Plants at the back looks like blowing under wind) or the odd hours i on the lights (6pm - 6am).

How do i reduce the flow? Having a rain bar now (facing 45d down towards backwall), bought a valve but yet to install it. I am thinking of doing away with the rainbar since i have the valve, and point the outlet towards the front wall so no plants will be 'blown' again. Any comment on this? How do you guys do it?

[vinz]

Lorba,

If your filter has a valve with a tap at the filter output, you can use that to control the flow. Don't do the same on the inlet side though. What filter are you using anyway?

You can try packing more fine filter pads/floss in the filter.

[jacian]

----------------
On 11/29/2002 10:51:19 AM

hi all, installed my 4x36W PL for my 3ft and yet to see any bubbles. Suspect its either the flow to strong (Plants at the back looks like blowing under wind) or the odd hours i on the lights (6pm - 6am).
----------------

lorba,
Turn off your filter, if you don't see any bubbles within 30 minutes, it means it got nothing to do with the flow.

[Allen_1971]

----------------
now i know the names of my plants. but how abt u what kind of tablet or liquid fert do u used?
---------------

Joe,

I'm only certain on the name of yoru first plant... the second and third I dunno... I'm actually quite bad at id-ing plants...

I use a combination of liquid ferts (tropica master grow, dennerle A1, KNO3) and substrate ferts (jobes sticks, laterite balls, root monsters) and also dennerle gold 7.

[cyberjoe]

ok lor i will go and buy and try it out Thanks

[sherchoo]

The plants in the 1st pic seems fine to me too. It probably turn red cause they are recieving enough light and also due to the dosing of Fe ferterlization.

[lorba]

----------------
On 11/29/2002 11:22:05 AM

Lorba,

If your filter has a valve with a tap at the filter output, you can use that to control the flow. Don't do the same on the inlet side though. What filter are you using anyway?

You can try packing more fine filter pads/floss in the filter.
----------------

Hi vinz, will try to put in the valve tonight. I am sure you have not heard of the brand i use, its PROJECT. Got it at farmmart together with my tank. Does not come with any valve mechanism, bought it when i was blur blur... i think the filter a bit over sized for my 3ft.

What's the use for filter floss in regards of this issue?

Jacian, 30 minutes enough? I thought it would be several hours. And the plants bubbles only when they are not 'asleep' huh?

[Allen_1971]

Joe,

I don't think you'll be able to get tropica master grow anywhere at the moment as there isn't a distributor in singapore... You could try alternatives like Seachems Flourish, or Dr Mallick's Lushgrow Aqua...