Tommytwotens
Seedling
I have just set up my first planted aquarium using my old tmc signiture 600 reef tank with a sump. A 600x450x450 display holding 120l with a roughly 65l sump. The return pump is 1500lph.
I have opted for a low tech system and although the tank currently has a 6w leady (6500k) led over it, I have a twin t5 pendant ordered and plan to add a geismann 24w powerchrome: aquaflora and midday tube to it.
I have used flourite red as a lower substrate and topped this with some Hugo kami shi kuro black fine gravel to finish.
The hards cape consists of three pieces of Lake land green slate which I removed from my garden pond last year when I raised it with brick.
Plants include a variety of "beginner" plants such as cryptocoyrne x. Willisii, echinoderms blehiri, hygrophila polys perma "rosernvig" and anubias nana.
I have added 12 serpae tetra as the first stock of fish into the tank.
Not exactly the biotope I planned for initially lol as the plants are all from opposite ends of the world but hey ho they were in good condition and are apparently not too demanding.
The sump has foam at the inlet, bio media similar to ea k1 media seen in koi filters in the second chamber.
I have adapted the 3rd chamber to be a refugium where I have added some flourite and planted some anubias.
My plan was to run an opposite photoperiod using the leady 6w light currently lighting my display on the refugium. My theory was that this might help to stabilise co2 and, in turn, pH.
I figured the display would churn up co2 when the lights are on as the plants in the refugium release co2 in darkness. And vice versa.
I understand that my display is much more heavily stocked than the refugium but I wondered if anyone on here had similar experience and could tell me if this will work??
I would also be interested in the various theories on length of photoperiodstay without co2 injection???
The tank was set up today so excuse the cloudy water this will go away
Ultimately I would like to add a carpeting species but read that most need high light and co2 to succeed. How true is that?
Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
Last edited: