# getting ready to start a planted tank



## gmcmillan (Nov 6, 2004)

i currently have a 120gallon and i picked up some new lights i now have 1watt/gallon and i am going to buy a milwakee co2 regulator. the only other thing that i am curious about is that my tap water is quite hard and has a pH of 8.0 will this cause any problems with my plants? if so how can i fix this.


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## boontje (Mar 27, 2005)

This shouldn't be a problem. Most plants do a bit better in softer water, but some plants do well (or even better) in hard alkalic water, so just make sure you choose the right plants.
Some plants that do well in hard alkalic water are cabomba caroliniana, cryptocoryne wendtii, cryptocoryne walkerii, valliseria spiralis, hornwort, pennywort,...


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## rbp75 (May 2, 2004)

With only 1wpg you dont need to use co2, plus that limits the type of plants you can use. If you move up to 2.5 or higher then co2 would be a good option and the co2 could lower the ph some.

Do you know what your gh is?


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## gmcmillan (Nov 6, 2004)

hrmmmm, 2.5wpg could be possible i think since the lady at the lfs told me i could return the bulbs if they weren't the right ones.

also what's gh? forgive me if it's very simple but last night was new years and today i feel a little bit braindead









also is there anything i can do to bring down the pH of my water?


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## rbp75 (May 2, 2004)

gmcmillan said:


> hrmmmm, 2.5wpg could be possible i think since the lady at the lfs told me i could return the bulbs if they weren't the right ones.
> 
> also what's gh? forgive me if it's very simple but last night was new years and today i feel a little bit braindead
> 
> ...


I accually meant to ask if you knew what your kh is not gh, but to answer your question gh is general hardness, the amount of calcium and magnesium ions in the water. That is what determains how hard or soft the water is. kh is Carbonate Hardness, it determains the buffering ability to absorb acids in the water, which basicly means the higher your kh the more stable your ph will be from fluctuating.

If you can determain what your kh is you can determain how much you can safely lower your ph by using co2. For example if your kh is 6 degrees of kh(6dkh) then you can saftly lower your ph to 7 without suffocating the fish. Although this much of a change should be done gradually if the fish are already in the tank. It all depends on what your kh is to determain on how low you can safely lower your ph using co2. Get a tester for kh if you are going to use pressurized co2.

You can also add peat moss to your filter which will soften the water and lower ph, add driftwood or use ph down, all of which will lower your ph.

Any more questions just ask, no question is a stupid one.


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## gmcmillan (Nov 6, 2004)

rpb75: i was thinking of buying this plant kit to produce an amazone biotope tank ( http://www.freshwateraquariumplants.com/am...ope/amazon.html ) and i was wondering what would be ideal setup to grow these plants successfully. i have a 60"x18"x26" tank. so i'm open to all suggestions


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## rbp75 (May 2, 2004)

Im sure those would grow in yor tank is you could supply atleast 2.5 wpg and co2, preferably 3 wpg for some of the foreground plants but 2.5 should keep them alive. not sure how hard your water is but you should get that checked make sure each plant you get does not absoulutly need soft acidic water. Most plants will adjust to the harder water but some hard to grow plants may not. Just make sure you have a good substrate lots of light and co2 and you will have a lot of choices of what you can grow.

check this link, is has some plants listed, look for the ones with a "N" or "B" in the description in it. Those are plants you can use for nutural and higher ph.click

heres another good link to alot of plants and their care requirements.click


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## gmcmillan (Nov 6, 2004)

what kind of bulbs do you recommend to achieve 2.5wpg?


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## rbp75 (May 2, 2004)

gmcmillan said:


> what kind of bulbs do you recommend to achieve 2.5wpg?


What is the length and width of your tank?


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## gmcmillan (Nov 6, 2004)

lxwxh = 60"x18"x26"

btw i just wanted to add in advance you been tons of help thanks again


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## rbp75 (May 2, 2004)

gmcmillan said:


> lxwxh = 60"x18"x26"
> 
> btw i just wanted to add in advance you been tons of help thanks again


Your welcome bro! Bing only 18 deep(width) you are probably going to have to get a powercompact or vho if you want more than 2 wpg. My 75 is 18 wide and 48 length and I have 240 watts and thats the most I can get with standard flouresnt. Unless you can find 60" flouresnt lightstrips and tubes then that would work but I dont think I have ever seen 60" aquarium lightstrips. You might be able to find them at a home depot but I would go with pc or vho before getting those.

This is would work duel 48" pc would be 260 watts.click

Or you can look on e-bay for a cheaper price.


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## gmcmillan (Nov 6, 2004)

correct me if i'm wrong but does that setup come with 2 fixtures with 2 lights in each? or is it just 1 fixture with 2 lights in it?


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