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Another Newbie to planted tanks...

Skipper644

Seedling
Joined
17 Jul 2010
Messages
24
I can already hear everyone say "Not another newbie!" :lol:

While I have been keeping a marine tank for around a year now, I'm keen to look into planted tanks. At the moment though, I really don't have a clue where to start! So, this is where I'm at...

I am really keen to try a ADA style Iwagumi tank. One thing I found with marines is that is totally worth just buying the best equipment the first time around rather than upgrading again, and again, and again. With that in mind, I have been looking at the ADA SOLAR Mini M for my lighting. My main question is does anyone have any idea of the maximum tank size that this light can successfully support?

I'm guessing, like with marines, a bigger tank volume is easier to maintain than a nano so thats the idea with trying to push the tank size as big as I can. Why the SOLAR Mini M? Being a Soldier, I would get bounced all around the place if I started drilling into the roof of my room to hang lights and I'm really not keen on these overtank luminaires that clip on the corners.

After that... pfffff... I'v no idea what else I would really need when it comes to equipment. I don't want to sound too much like an idiot, but anything else I need? Am I right in thinking some sort of canister filter, heater and some form of C02 system? Suggestions?

Cheers guys.
 
Larger volumes carry a bigger margin of error, but if you're constantly being posted and re-posted larger volumes are a bit of a sod to move! If you go nano there are some great lights available at a fraction of the cost of ADA kit. The Supafish light are a personal favourite!
There are some brilliant nano Iwagumi layouts in the Journals section with warts and all explanations of kit and setup, always a good read if you have a bit of time spare
Welcome to the forum!
Matt
 
Cheers for the welcome. :thumbup:

I had a read of the higher tech guide a few days ago. Similar to marines, the more you read, the more it makes sense I guess. I think once I establish a good tank size though, I can go from there and start to piece it all together.

I tried having a look for those Supafish lights but to be honest, I haven't had much luck. I ended up getting kinda sidetracked looking at Optiwhite tanks. Do you guys think the ADA lamp will be able to support a 45x30x30? I'm just wondering if it's a little too big and the light wont be able to cover the full length of the tank. That would be the ideal size if it's possible.

Thanks again.
 
The ADA SOLAR Mini M is 37cm long, and that includes the support, so the actual light housing is even smaller, so it's too small really.

You can get many alternatives that aren't so expensive, and then use the money that you saved to buy a bigger tank. :D
 
I made the plung and bought the Arcadia Pendant. Hopefully I saved some money and haven't shot myself in the foot. It was on the specials from TGM. I can't say I can find much info on it though. I'm guessing at £175, that it's the 150w model. According to the Arcadia site, the 150w model is 700mm. Will this actually allow me to run a 700mm+ tank?

Sorry for all the crap questions. My reef tank started as a all in one nano.

Thanks again guys.
 
Hi,
This is a little bit of cart before the horse. Normally you'd decide what size tank you wanted to deal with and then find the lighting to suit. From a plants perspective, photons are photons so they don't really care what brand of light you have. The style and design of the fixture is mainly for you, since you have to look at it every day. So it's very difficult to advise someone what lighting fixture to get because it's like telling someone what kind of ice cream to get. As long as there are no known problems with reliability, safety or ergonomics, which there doesn't seem to be, and as long as it's a reputable company, which it is, then this unit ought to be fine.

High energy planted tanks have a much greater priority of CO2 distribution and flow. Inadequate attention paid to these two issues causes the system to self destruct. The higher the light energy being sent into the tank, the more critical these requirements are. The bigger the tank, the more difficult it is to solve this problem. So getting a megawatt lighting unit whose dimensions drives you to a larger tank generates more troubles to deal with. Of course pendant lighting can avoid the excess energy issue by being adjustable in terms of height above the tank so this can mitigate many of the difficulties.

Cheers,
 
One of the biggest issues I'v had with my marine tank is how ugly the actual tank is. That is the main reason why I was looking into the ADA line as they are very neat and stylish. As for a C02 system, I was looking at (Yup, you guessed it!) the ADA C02 Advanced System. Looking around TGM's site, I can't see anything else much cheaper. For the tank I was thinking maybe a 75x45x45, around 150ltr? Flow wise, am I right in thinking x10, so a 1500lph Eheim Filter?

I'll get there one day... :)
 
Yes, if aesthetics is a priority and if you have the means, then ADA gear is beyond reproach. The 10X rule will serve you well. If you have the cabinet space a 2080 or the 2081 thermo would serve you well.

Cheers,
 
Thanks for the advice so far guys. I can't wait to get started now. I thought I should run my shopping list by you to make sure I'm not missing anything on the hardware side of things.

90x45x45cm Optiwhite Tank
Arcadian Series 4 Mini Pendant
ADA CO2 System Advanced
Eheim 2180 Professional 3 Thermo Filter
Aquarium Cabinet 90x75x45cm

I think I'm right in saying that is everything that I need? I have been looking into the ADA Lily Pipes too but I'm a little confused as to the right size that would be required. Can anyone advise on which would be best?

Time to start looking into the substrate side of things now.

Cheers again. :thumbup:
 
Welcome to UKAPS, skipper!

Nice list of hardware.

What size bottle is the ADA CO2 system?

If it's the 74g bottle then I'm afraid you'll be changing cylinders every couple of weeks in an aquarium of your size..

I suggest a 2Kg bottle. Many of us use Fire Extinguishers. They're usually hidden in a cabinet so aesthetics aren't a priority... You'll need a different regulator though i.e. JBL, Dennerle, D&D, Aqua Medic or TMC.

With that filter you'll need 17mm lily pipes. If you want ADA then Outflow P-6, Inflow P-7.

Again, there's less expensive options but the ADA lily pipes have a great finish.
 
Thanks for the advise George. I'v just had a look into the FE setups and to be honest, it isn't that much more expensive with all the ADA glass parts which is a bonus. :thumbup: I was looking at getting the following

2kg Fire Extinguisher
Aqua Medic Regulator
ADA C02 Beetle Counter (Not found anywhere that sells these yet though!)
ADA Pollen Glass Beetle Diffuser 30mm
Cal Aqua Labs Double Check 2 CO2 Checker (Any better than a normal style Checker?)

Other than little bits, I think thats everything. I'm sure I read that the ADA C02 Counter comes with it's own non-return valve. If not, I guess I need one of those too.
 
I'm guessing you have a healthy budget then?!

Also consider that to plant heavily a tank of that size with good quality plants you'll probably need a fair bit of cash.

The ADA substrate system and fertiliser system is not cheap either, but the results can be excellent.

I'm sure you're quickly realising that a high-end planted tank can cost more than a reef equivalent but it's worth noting that equivalent results and almost identical aesthetics can be achieved at a fraction of the cost.

For instance an Up or Boyu inline CO2 diffuser is hidden from view and costs around 15% of the ADA Pollen Glass. And they use the CO2 more efficiently. This said, the ADA glassware is sexy looking inside the tank!
 
Ha, the buget isn't as healthy as you might think. Still have some saving to do but it will be worth it in the long run I feel. Well, it's either than or I'll only end up spending it out on the pop with the lads. :)

I spent the rest of last night looking into the ADA Substrate System. I have picked out the stuff I think I need but I'm wondering if I'm over complicating this for a Iwagumi style scape. I was looking at...

Aquasoil Amazonia
Clear Super
Bacteria 100
Power Sand Special
Tourmaline BC

Oh, and does anyone know any other sites that sell ADA equipment in the UK? I still can't find a few pieces like the Beetle Counter or the Inflow P-7.

Cheers.
 
You only need the amazonia, a lot of the stuff ADA sells as vital is snake oil. You can do the same/better for less it's simply that ada has a brand aesthetic and an associated lifestyle sort of feel. I'd put my money into what's better for my plants and get the immitation stuff (which most have found are equal> better than the ada version). George is right, if you can't see it it's not worth getting ada.
 
Skipper,

I can recommend the entire substrate system (ADA Aqua Soil and Power Sand Special) if you're sticking to the ADA liquid fertiliser system. They're designed to be used together and work very well; even if they're a little pricey for some.

Getting Power Sand Special means you don't need the Clear Super, Bacteria 100, or Tourmaline BC as it already contains these additives.

As Garuf has already hinted at, there's plenty of healthy debate with regards ADA products, as they're relatively expensive and you can get similar/same results using much cheaper products. However, their effectiveness cannot be denied and they're possibly the best looking, well-designed and user-friendly products available.
 
I know I keep going about the ADA stuff, but being new to planted tanks, I find myself using the ADA line as more of an example of what I need and then looking options to swap it out, etc. I don't really know if that makes sense to you all? To be honest, I'm still not 100% sure of what exactly I'm look at when I'm reading up on all this still.

Thanks for the advise so far guys. I'm sure I'll get there sooner or later.
 
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