# Planning A 265 gal Planted ...



## coreydyck (Dec 6, 2003)

So my 265 Gallon P tank is cycled and ready to go. Just waiting for lighting hood. It will be a T5 system 6 X 4' 54 watts each (324 watts total). Here come the questions...

1) What kind of plants would work out well for me? Med or high light or all of the above.
2) How many hours per day do you set your lighting timer for?

Thanks for the info,
Corey.


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## RBP7 (Oct 13, 2006)

your tank looks near to the size of mine what are the dimensions?(265)


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

Low-med light plants. you're not even going to be at 1wpg with that lighting system. But I think you could do some Swords and crypts and stuff like that. 
Are you planning on running pressurized CO2? have you done any research on keeping a planted tank?


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## coreydyck (Dec 6, 2003)

Tank dimensions are 84" x 24" x 30". Should be at about 1-1.5 watts per gallon. I have great plant substrate as a base just wondering about light output as to what would work well. No CO2 at the moment. 80 gal sump, just for general interest.



BlackSunshine said:


> Low-med light plants. you're not even going to be at 1wpg with that lighting system. But I think you could do some Swords and crypts and stuff like that.
> Are you planning on running pressurized CO2? have you done any research on keeping a planted tank?


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

Ahh your right I read the wattage wrong. 1.5 should be ok for med light plants. def not high light. high light I would consider 3wpg and up. As for your light cycle I would keep it under 8hr. plants aren't really going to make use of any more then that.

At 1.5 you will need to add some source of carbon. In as large of a tank as you have there adding excel is going to add up REAL fast. If you are serious about running this tank as a planted and you really should consider getting a CO2 system. in the long run it will save you lots of money and make life so much easier.

What substrate do you have there? looks black so I'll geuss that is going to be either Eco or SMS since no where is actually carrying fluorite black yet.


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## coreydyck (Dec 6, 2003)

Hey thanks for all the help. Yeh got eco as my substrate.

What the most reasonalby inexpensive way to go with CO2?



BlackSunshine said:


> Ahh your right I read the wattage wrong. 1.5 should be ok for med light plants. def not high light. high light I would consider 3wpg and up. As for your light cycle I would keep it under 8hr. plants aren't really going to make use of any more then that.
> 
> At 1.5 you will need to add some source of carbon. In as large of a tank as you have there adding excel is going to add up REAL fast. If you are serious about running this tank as a planted and you really should consider getting a CO2 system. in the long run it will save you lots of money and make life so much easier.
> 
> What substrate do you have there? looks black so I'll geuss that is going to be either Eco or SMS since no where is actually carrying fluorite black yet.


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

hit ebay for a regulator with bubble counter and check valve built in. find a used 5lb CO2 tank locally and have it filled or swapped by a welding supply company.


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