coming back from marines

[soton_dave]

hi all,

thinking about converting my marine tank to planted,had a planted tank a few years ago that i had to break down and sell to help pay vet bills for my dog.

since then ive built a couple of tanks for marines and my current tank im thinking about going back planted its 48"lx30"wx20" water depth so should have some good scope as a planted tank.

i'll be looking at selling on the equiptment to fund the new venture,ive got 2x mp40's so would it be worth keeping one for the planted tank,also using an 8x54w lightwave t5 unit would this be silly to keep or use it with less bulbs working,ive re-wired it so they come on/off in pairs.

my old tank was co2 and EI so i'll probably be going down that route again,last time i used eco-complete but im unsure on what i'll be using this time so any sugestions welcomed

cheers dave

 

[Ady34]

Hi Dave,]
hope your dog is ok?
That light unit could be dangerous on a planted tank, however if you can turn the bulbs off in pairs then 2x 54w will be more than enough to start with, so may be worth keeping depending on its re-sale value.
Substrate wise depends on the scape you have in mind. Its mostly an aesthetic choice, but active substrates can help you out if your not always home to dose fertilisers everyday. ADA aquasoil amazonia is the most expensive and fertile, but alternatively you can use inexpensive cat litter which has a high CEC to absorb and release fertilisers to the plants roots. Low tech soil tanks are an option for a less maintenance orientated planted tank. There are many inbetween too, depends on budget and your requirements really.
The mp40 will certainly help in a high tech tank, but not a necessity if the filter and distribution techniques are up to the task, worth keeping one just incase.....i may well be interested in the other if you do sell
It will certainly be worth re-reading the tutorials sections to refresh the memory and help you decide what you need.
Cheerio,
Ady.