Sufficient lighting?
 

Hi everyone.

I have a 200ltr tank which at the moment has no live plants in it. I've kept fish for along time but never live plants. I'm looking to add this collection... 36 inch TROPICAL PLANT COLLECTION : Tropical aquarium plants collections by Java-Plants ... to my tank.

I have 2x36" aqua-glo 30w bulbs and a fluval 205 filter with small 2-3mm sized gravel for substrate.

My question is, are the bulbs I have sufficient for those plants and are they easy enough to look after for a first time keeper.

Thx for any help.

Hi and welcome. That is a lot of plants there. 95 plants, wow. 200 litres would be what? almost 55 US gallons? That's a ton of plants to be honest. Nice selection in that list though.

The two bulbs that you have are real good for plant growth. One thing to possibly consider is swapping one of the Aqua Glo bulbs for something like the Life Glo 2. It is a 6700k mid day sun bulb that will brighten the purplish hue from the Aqua Glo and still provide for the plants. I am currently running an Aqua Glo and Life Glo2 48" bulbs over 55 US gallons and it looks great. Live plants as well in my tank.

I agree with substituting a Life-Glo 2 (or comparable full spectrum tube) for one of the AG. I have Life-Glo 2 over all my tanks as one of the two tubes, but you can also use Phillips Daylight Deluxe (or there is a similar Sylvannia and GE tube) around 6500K that works and will be 1/5 the cost.

Your gravel size is perfect for planted tanks.

Thanks for the quick reply, Yep i think it's around 55g. It's not as many plants as it first seems, I did some reading and when it says five of each plant it's actually only five stems not five full grown plants.

I have a friend who can take the excess if there are to many.

Sounds like you are pretty well set then. All you need is a comprehensive fertilizer for weekly dosing. Something like Seachem. Flourish depending on availability if you're not ins the US

+1 on Byron's light suggestion. You can find these bulbs real inexpensive at any good home store.
For the plants; they will cover your 200L very well from the get go - But give that a good light & good nutrition and really I think your tank will be literally stuffed full with plants a few weeks down the Rd (let alone a year later). So if you plan on setting up a 2nd tank then great - Otherwise I'd cross check that list and at least downsize on the fast growers.
My latest 55g set up (200L) I got some 20-25plants and by now I already took a great deal out and the rest is creating serious jungles for my fish. You can see these set ups under my aquarium log here http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/p...hp?userid=1029

I've reduced the order, it won't be hard to get more later if need them. I found an online stockist for that recommended fertiliser here in the UK, I'm in the Highlands of Scotland btw.

Will the plants help at all with my problem of overstocking I have at the moment?

I rescued 20 fish, mostly various small tetras, from being flushed a few weeks ago but i'm really pushing the limits of my tank and have no way of rehoming them at the moment.

I've not had a rise in ammonia and they all seem lively and happy so far. I'm a bit worried about the bioload.

Twenty "small" tetras is not much of a bioload in a 55g but I don't know what was already in the aquarium. Plants do help in all aquaria by using nutrients and toxins in the water and are more efficient at doing so than filters we can add on. But naturally there is a limit. If the tank really is overstocked--and telling us just what fish you have in it will allow us to assess this--daily partial water changes are the only way to maintain balance. And of course this must be understood as a temporary measure; fish exposed to overcrowding do develop health issues that may only be recognized months from now.

Ok here goes. In the tank now there are...

6 neons (rescued)
6 black neons (rescued)
6 rummy nosed tetras (rescued)
2 tiger barbs.( Rescued)
2 Khuli loaches (rescued)

6 Pepper corys
yoyo loach
polkadot loach
adult goldsot plec
juvenile BN plec
Bulldog plec
1 huge fat Molly
Panda garra sp?
2 Boeseman's Rainbow
6 Harlequins
2 cherry barbs

Had no aggression issues with the barbs, they shoal with the black noens quite happily.

Some pics of my tank and it's inhabitants. I'll add more pics when I get it planted. Excuse the crappy background. It's getting changed.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...gcommunity.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ogandcorys.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...eppercorys.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ank/Ronnie.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ank/Tetras.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...lldogandBN.jpg