Things needed to start a planted tank

[vinz]

• Lights
  From 2 Watts per US Gallon for low-light plants to 3 or more for light demanding plants. Your choices are metal halide (MH), normal fluorescent tubes (FL) or PL lights (PL, looks like FLs but u-shaped).
  MH can penetrate deeper into the water and are usually recommended for tanks taller then 2ft, and will last longer. However, MH are expensive and extremely hot.
  FLs and PLs are cooler and cheaper. They are sufficient for tanks shorter then 2ft in height. FLs last about 6 months, PLs a year... after which their light intensity drops drastically. They need to be replaced at this point. PLs are a little bit hotter then FLs but easily manageble. PLs are also more compact... you can put more PLs over a tank then FLs.
  
• CO2
  CO2 is required for tanks with high-light. For low light tanks, CO2 is not a must, but plants will grow better with it. Your choices are:
  
  • Do-It-Yourself CO2
    A simple and cheap concotion you can whip up with common ingredients available at the supermarket or grocer. Look in AQ's Aquatic FAQ, the recipe is there. The effective period is about 2 to 4 weeks. Not easily controlled. Not recommended for tanks 3ft long and bigger.
  • Pressurise Cylinder
    A cylinder of CO2, with regulator, guages and a needle valve. Range in sizes from 2 litres to 5 litres. Depending on usage and size can last for months or years. Can be topped up at several LFS's at S$15 to S$25. A basic set will cost about S$150. You can also get a solenoid which you can connect to a timer to electrically turn on and off the valve together with the lights. A solenoid can put you back an additional S$100 or more.
  • Commercial Chemical
    Commercially available and more complex version of the DIY CO2. More consistent then DIY, but still not controllable. Neither cheap nor convinient.
  
  You also need a way to dispense CO2 into the tank. Commonly used ones are CO2 diffusers/atomisers and reactors. Diffusers/atomisers work much like an airstone, but produce much much finer bubbles. Reactors are enclosed structures connected to the outlet of the filter. CO2 is injected into this structure and dissolved by the turbulent water movement before it exits via an outlet.
  
• Substrate
  
  • Base fertiliser
    The lowest layer of the substrate. Provides nutrients for rooting plants for 1 to 2 years depending on plant choice and planting density. A thicker layer is required for large plants that feed from the substrate heavily and less for small plants. Normally, ppl start with 1 inch at the front of the tank sloping to 2 to 4 inches at the back of the tank. Small tanks are too short for tall large plants, so do not require thick base fertilisers. Not completely necessary but very highly recommended for tanks with rooted plants. For tanks that have little plants that root into the substrate, it is not recommended as the substrate will decomposed in the long term without plant roots to provide oxygen.
  • Gravel
    The topmost layer. If you are using base fertiliser, this layer should be about 1 to 1.5 inches thick. Purpose is to prevent the base fertiliser from fouling the water. Without base fertiliser, the gravel should follow the thickness recommendations listed for base fertilisers if there are rooting plants. If not, then it's up to you.
  
  
• Cooling Systems
  Due to large amount of lighting, planted tanks in tropical countries tend to get too warm (30 degrees celcius or higher). To reduce heating, don't put your lights too close to the water surface. Use light holders to lift FL and PL lights it 3 to 4 inches above the water surface. MH lights are much hotter and should be much higher.
  Tank hoods have reduced ventilation so tend to cause more heat. If possible, keep tank hoods open or get open topped hoods. Heat can also be reduced by coolings fans and chillers.
  
  • Cooling Fans
    These are the small fans used to cool computer casings. They range in size from 8cmx8cm, 9cmx9cm to 12cmx12cm. The 8cm and 9cm fans are significantly cheaper. You have a choice of DIY or package sets. Package sets come complete with clamps and are plug and play. DIY ones, as the name implies, require some work. You also can choose between DC or AC fans. DC ones are safer electrically, but a bit harder to DIY. The AQ Aquatic FAQ has a link to a DIY Fan article. Cheaper to setup and run (i.e. electicity usage), but a little troublesome and a little un-sightly. Can maintain temperatures down to 26 to 28 degrees celcius which is sufficient for planted tanks.
  • Chillers
    Expensive to buy and run, but convenient and consistant. Noisy (thinking of an older refrigerator) and cannot be hidden in the cabinet as the heat it produces requires a well ventilated area. Some models can drop and maintain temperatures at 4 degrees celcius. Required if you need water temps below 26 degrees.
    Update; in the last few years newer chillers have been entering the market. Now there are more efficient chillers, some specifically designed for tropical climates. The noise level has also dropped, with some barely audible even while chilling.
  
  
• Filter Planted tanks require mechanical filteration and some biological filtration. Never any chemical filtration. Planted tanks should also have gentle but complete water circulation. Choose a filter that filters the water at a rate of 2 to 3 times the water volume of the tank. Small internal filters are sufficient for tanks 2ft or smaller. Externals can be used for 2ft and larger tanks.

[Plantbrain]

I think one of the best newbie articles is Dan Resler's article on the Krib.

You can email him, he has no issues helping out.

I can explain things in terms of HOW pretty simple, but then someone wants to know WHY........then I go off

As far as trying to explain everything with the options to a new person, I don't even try. It'll roast them.

I ask "What is their goal with the planted tank?"

From there you can start down a path on achieving that goal.

Dan's approach to getting someone hooked is good and well founded.

Simple, cheap and small. This makes a good hook since once they have a 35-80 liter tank with CO2, they will want more

It's easy to manage, it teaches many of the basic routines etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[vinz]

Dan Resler's article.

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