New 75g Setup - Open to suggestions!

[drumstin]

Just traded in my Cichlids and converted my 75 gallon to planted (as I planned when I bought the tank and fixture months ago)....

I'm open to suggestions! Please post any constructive criticism...

Current Setup (see future plans below):

Size: 75 gallon
Lighting: 4 T5 HO - Bulb Configuration: (back to front) Actinic, 12000k, 10000k, Actinic - on timer for 10 hrs
(Came with 2 actinic and 1 12000k, see plans below)
Filtration: Aqua Clear 110 HOB, default config except sponge on intake for shrimp babies...
Substrate: Sand
Fert: none for now as I just set it up.. hoping the plants will suck up what i have in there that's feeding my slight algae population...
CO2: None now.. saving up for a rig..
Plants: 1 Cabomba, 1 Cherry Hedge (just realized they only live in water a few months, bummer), 1 Ruffled Sword
Fish/Inverts: 2 Neons, 3 Serpae Tetras, 3 Zebra Danio, 3 (2 albino) Bristle Plecos, and 3 (2 female, 1 came berried! woohoo!) Red Cherry Shrimp

Future Plans:

Lighting: Replace back actinic with another 10000k. Only keeping an actinic in there as I was told it will help get rid of my slight green water issue)..
Filtration: Switch to Canister (please suggest) =)
Fert: Flourish Tabs and Flourish Excel
CO2: Planning on getting a 20oz CO2 tank (paintball probably), solenoid on timer, needle valve, regulator, and reactor (sound right? please suggest)...
Plants: Not sure what type, but going to add more plants when I get the CO2 setup...
Fish/Inverts: Add more neons, group of Ruby Tetras, few more Zebra Danio, and hoping the shrimp thrive!

Thanks for reading and for any help you can provide!



This is yesterday (day 1 after adding more light and first plants)...
242806_2010615874902_1528896161_32137328_4750975_o.jpg

[Tetranerd]

Imo...... 10k too blue. Stick with daylight 65k, or even 5000.
Algea (plants in general) need light, food, and co2. Limit one of the three and you will limit growth. If you have too much fertilizer from past set up, using a 10k bulb may slow growth of algae but does nothing to remove the excess fertilzer/waste. Even when you add more plants you will most likely have an algae bloom.
So either remove excess fert, or add some plants and wait it out. The algae will slow growth once the plants take off.
And the tetras will eat your shrimp babies if they have a chance. Thats just nature.

[Sea-agg09]

In the planted tank, the shrimp should be ok. Just don't plan on breeding out a massive stock of shrimp. As for the pleco's, they will demolish your plants. Consider getting some otos

[davemonkey]

Plants will appreciate more "daylight" light than they will the actinic or even the 10000K's. In truth, I've grown plants in everything from 3000K to 10000K, but I was most pleased with 5000 - 6700K. Don't get new bulbs until you are ready to stock up on plants. The increased photosynthetic light you'll add will cause an algae explosion if you don't have the plants and the ferts to balance it out.

Great big +1 on the Otos! A large school of them will provide a constant source of entertainment in any tank.

If you can find a good used one (or afford a new one) hunt ebay for good quality 2-stage regulators. And the larger the CO2 tank, the better. It will cost less to refill in the long-run.

[IvanSanchez]

Glad to hear your switching to planted! I've got a couple suggestions.

SHRIMP
The shrimp + tetra = future deaths. Although the adults may be fine in there, the babies won't ever or rarely make it. 5-10gallon shrimp tank :) This may also be avoided if you end up providing some sort of shelter but i would not expect the babies to survive.

LIGHT
I would do away with the actinics asap. Like tetra suggested 5-6.5k should be good. Some like the combo of a 6.5k+10k. I'd do 2-3 bulbs. I'd how much wpg your putting out but you'd be best with around 3wpg.

CO2
Paintball CO2 systems are awesome. I'm looking for some to make the switch from DIY to a nice system. A nice glass diffuser should be in consideration as well.

FILTRATION
The AC110 is fine but a used canister from the classifieds here would be a great replacement. CO2 = less surface movement wanted to keep your CO2 = Canisters(or modding your AC for less water movement)

SUBSTRATE
I would've suggested a decent substrate under the sand layer for a good two layers of substrate but i'm not too familiar with sand and planted tanks. Heres a pic from a guy from the plantedtank doing the layering thing. I believe organic soil on bottom and sand on top https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_h...0/IMG_6413.JPG
According to many people sand should be fine with root tabs. But it is... Your tank, your call.

ALGAE
What type of algae? Could just be too much light. What does it look like?

LASTLY
How long has your tank been setup and running for? Parameters?

[drumstin]

Thank you all for the help!

As requested:

Tank History

The tank has been up for over 6 months now with 22 Yellow Lab Cichlids, 3 Plecos, and 1 yo-yo loach. It has been fine this whole time (other then small outbreak of BBA). I put 4 good size plants in there from a friend's tank's clippings to see what the Cichlids would do to them.. They didn't last as expected from low light (only had the Actinic and 1 12000k in there) and the munchers. However, after the plants had decentigrated for a few weeks the water started turning green. Right away I turned the lights off and kept them off. I removed the plants and did 2 50% water changes (2 days apart I think). Then probably 2 weeks later, last Saturday (2 days ago) I did one more water change, removed the Cichlids and the loach, added the plants, community fish, and 10000k bulb..

So far the green water seems to be coming back but I'm hoping the plants will snuff it out.. And is it true the actinic bulbs will help remove the green water issue? How many more water changes should I do?

Current Parameters
(Using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Test Kit)

PH: For some reason the PH in this area is ridiculous. It's off of my high-range PH test chart so I can't say for sure but would guess around 9.
Nitrate: 15ppm
Nitrite: .50 ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Average Temp: 80 F

Algae:

The BBA is nearly gone (I'm assuming the almost blackout has helped)...
Now the only Algae issue is the green water and small amount of green spot...

Thanks again for all the help! I'm now considering removing the plecos and neon tetras (even though I don't want to, lol) and getting some otos..

[IvanSanchez]

Water changes everyday would be affective. But a small submersible UV should do the job. Only downfall is that it costs money =/
Here's a link to a very good uv filter that will clear up a tank from green water perfectly! And on sale!!! :) but restoock on the 6th of next month. =/

http://www.petco.com/product/114522/Green-Killing-Machine-Internal-UV-Sterilizer-with-Power-Head.aspx?CoreCat=MM_FishSupplies_UVClarifiersSterilizers

Just read a thread online about actinics in a planted tank.
Actinic bulbs provide nothing for a planted tank and may be providing the necessary light for your algae bloom. (Just stuff i read, i don't know if it's correct) Insight on this anyone?
Source ---- http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/al...tastrophe.html

Also the addiction of DIY co2, which is very cheap if you stock up with sugar, could stabilize the algae, Especially the green spot that's being seen in your tank.

Fun reading ---- http://www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/

[davemonkey]

Regarding the actinics, plants can use almost any type of light, but unless it is within a certain spectrum, they only use a little bit of it. Actinics are outside of that spectrum used by plants and therefore it is only barely used by the plants for photosynthesis. Algae, on the other hand, MIGHT be able to utilize a wider variety...not sure.

There is a good sticky thread on Aquatic Plant Central in the Lighting subforum that goes into great depth and detail on the subject of photosynthetic light for plants. I highly recommend reading it.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/lighting/

Look for "Lighting Spectrum and Photosynthesis". The other sticky threads are worth reading as well.

[drumstin]

Thank you all for the great information! Update: I've removed the Plecos, moved to a new home so we of course did a major water change.. Great news on PH, it's 7.8 here! Added DIY CO2 via 2, 2 liter glass jugs and a home-made reactor using a water pump and small python tube...

[drumstin]

You know I can't seem to fully get rid of this green water issue.. After the move it's been greatly reduced, but still has a slight green look.. Do I need to keep doing water changes (20%?) every day until it's gone? I have the lights on for 8 hrs (1 10k and 1 12k) with the CO2 (4 liters worth) and only ferts are 1 flourish tab under the roots of the sword...

[drumstin]

Need to change my carbon out, maybe that'll help?

[drumstin]

Well, the cheap UV Sterilizer i bought cleared the water in 2 days :) ... worked wonderfully!

I replaced the plecos with otos and they are pretty good algae eaters too... Plants are doing great, but i need more CO2.. Going to use 20oz paintball co2 tank as that's all I have at the moment tank-wise.. Looking for a regulator now..

[Tetranerd]

You may have a build up of fertilizer in your substrate from previous fish poop. So until that is addressed, you may have to fight with algae. Plants will help reduce the excess nutrients in time. Uv should kill off visable algae, but it will not reduce fertiliEr issues. And buy biggest tank of co2 you can afford. The 20 ouncers can go fast if you dump alot of co2 in the tank per day. I have had 24 ouncers drain quicker than expected.

Good luck

[Complexity]

+1 on buying the biggest CO2 tank you can afford. I'd suggest nothing less than a 10 pound tank; otherwise, you'll be spending lots of time getting refills.

To avoid algae problems, it is generally best to stuff the tank full of plants and give them all the light, CO2, and ferts they need. Make sure you do not inhibit the plant growth. By doing so, you will have fewer algae issues. If any element is limited for plants, that gives algae a way to take over. Perform 50% water changes every week to reset things. Dry ferts are inexpensive, last forever, and work wonderfully.

[Totenkampf]

+1 to stuffing the tank with quick growing bog or stem type plants to remove the nitrates. dangle the roots from hydroponically grown house plants like pothos and this will work quickly, i discovered this while working with vivariums. higher level plants will out compete lower algaes and keep them in check. You mentioned the plecs were 'bristle nose"? if you mean ancistrus sp catfish than these are THE BEST algae cleaners out there along with amano shrimp and otocinclus cats so put them back in there. I also really like Siamese Algae Eaters when you can find them, I am looking for some right now. i still like laterite in the soil, dont rely on just root tabs. also note that aquatic 'organic' soil is not nutrient rich. if you dump soil fropm your yard in here you will be forever green. i would also avoid sand since it can compact and form anaerobic pockets where toxins can build up, i did have one going for a while but i made sure there were trumpet snails present to stir the soil.