$5 make-over and a whole new look..

[jnohs]

i had a 55 gallon planted tank for 3 years and i would not recommend using r/o water for your tank. fresh water plant like hard water witch is generally what comes out of most taps. r/o water is soft and you would have add hardener to it. also do not add and fresh water salt mix to the tank. a lot of fish even gourmaies prefer a little salt but that is not good for the plants at all. also a neutral Ph is preferred.I do not think you lights are to much. I wish i had those on my tank.just get light hungry plants i think i see some sword plants in there or maybe just grasses. I do not think that those plants are high light plants. try to find some that are that will also help shad those plants. I have had great success with any type of "Anubis" and onion plants. most plants with a ribosome will be very hardy. Most tanks with plants will need some supplementation of some sort especially with that much light. those plants will suck up a lot of nutrients. In my tank i usually just needed to add iron and that was all because before anything else would get depleted I would do a water change.

[Dentoid]

[plecosword]

Originally Posted by NATIVEVAMAN

I have a pleco to keep the bottom algea free along with a couple of some kind of algea eater and they do a fine job.The pleco does not seem to want to go high in the tank(there may be enough algea in the substrate for him without going high).It has grown to double his original size in 6 weeks.

You have a pleco? what size is he about?
I have 2, that are about 3 years old, and are a foot long.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Mine is about 4 inch's,when he gets to be a foot long he wont be able to turn around in the tank he is in.

[plecosword]

Stace,
Cute heater! The sand works great for loaches, I forgot you had a dojo.I have that same plant in my 10g I think, are there times when they shoot these long flowers al the way to the surface?

[plecosword]

!#$# key board!, what i was trying to say is, are there times when those plants shoot up flowers to the surface?
Dale, what size tank do you have your placo in?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

He is in a 20h now but he can be moved to a 37 if he getrs to big.

[plecosword]

oh, is he the common pleco or a sailfin?

[jnohs]

i have a red sea pro co2 system and the paint ball sized canniseter. It goes online for 164$(Prosystem) + 40$(cannister) = 204$ + tax = 220$ I do not have a fresh tank anymore. I could sell it for 110$ + shipping. I have the bubble counter,needle valve, mixing pump, pressure reducing gauge and the cannister. i do not have the air hoseing witch is easily gotten at your lfs. It has to be the the good hose though. Cheap air hose corredes do to co2 acidic properties. and i do not have the ph indicator witch is really cheap any way and not very acurate. I threw it out. I would not recommend trying to replace this item though. When using co2 if your water is soft it will have no buffering capacity and the injection of the co2 will lower your ph drasticaly so if you water is hard or has a buffer additive in it. install the co2 system and just set it to the lowest setting about 1 bubble every 15 seconds. This why it will a minnimal effect on your Ph and the tank will last 3 weeks. Witch I used to get filled at sports athourty for 4 dollars.when i had my fresh water tank i had four 65 watt pc lights on it and i had decent growth but when i got this co2 system my plants grew like weeds. And it was not untill i had the co2 system that i had to start dosing iron. With your size tank and that intence lighting the addition of co2 system will make an amazing difference. I bought this system because it is one of the easiest and economical ways to get co2 to my tank. compared to dyi systems like fermenting yeast witch is unpredictiable and a pain and smells and could be bad if it gets to your tank. and also compared to any other bottled system this one definalty not break the wallet. other systems are very nice but very expensive also. this system may not have automated valves or ph moniters. but i learned that i didnt need them any way. If i just put it on the lowest setting I new it was supplying co2 to the tank witch is good enough just taht lille extra was enough to redically change the growth of my plants. and also the satisfaction of nowing that with just that little addition of co2 there was not much of a chance of a diaster happening. also if you tank runs a little high on the ph scale this will help lower it. a little. But if you are at all interested i have to say this is the best way to get co2 into your tank and not have it break the wallet and also not be a smelly can of ferming yeast. i just have it sitting in a corner i will never use it again.

i have gone to salt. and while i love fresh water my new passin is reef tank. much cleaner i think it just cleans it self. i love it. nut for plants this system is amazing.

[plecosword]

[Stacef]

I haven't read all of your replies yet, haven't had much time this weekend. I will get to later tonight.

Here is what I thought is a really neat picture! Here's the new pleco I just went and got, grabbed a larger one to keep everything under control. He's about..7 or 8 inches.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I bet you end up having to feed that thing lol.

[plecosword]

wow I hope he doesn't break your plants. My plecos always nock down my baboos and I always get so pissed. He will probably chase your other plecos a lot. On the bright side, they'll be more active LOL I like him
And really nice tank of looks great

[RyanG]

Jnohs is correct in saying that you need to lose the RO water for this tank just distill tap for 24 hours to disapate chlorine and chloramine and use that your plants will thank you. With your lighting your gonna need some high-tech CO2 system if your gonna stick with the halides too. Id drob back to a double strip light if it were me. JMHO