Help wanted with 48L fishpod

[SUE MERCER]

OK, think Im ready to start a project now, I had to save up the money as Im a student. Ive been given a 48l fishpod with the filter (PF1), lighting (15w) and heater that came with it. Also been given some ugly blue gravel, plastic plants and ornaments!!!
As I have decided to go low tec (finances as they are), this is what I was thinking:
Substrate
John Innes no 3
play sand
divided by greenhouse shadding
Lighting
Remove the blue lamp
Use the remaining light for about 4.5 hours a day

I havent got into the hard or soft landscaping yet, just want to check the above before I got that far. Would love to get any feedback before I go ahead and buy anything else

 

[tim]

Hi sue, not done a soil tank so can't help there but had one of these tanks, using just the one light gives a bit of an uneven spread but with clever hardscaping and planting will work fine I added another whit bulb and found it to be too much, 4.5 hours may work but 5-6 is the norm building up to about 7-8 when the tanks settled.

 

[John S]

Looks OK to me Sue. I've used John Innes no3, only with gravel instead of sand. Just make sure you don't add too much soil.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Sounds fine, but I think Tim is right, start with a 6hr photoperiod and take it form there.

 

[SUE MERCER]

Thank for the advice guys. Think I'll be using gravel now as just been given another tank, but thats for a diff part of the forum. Will definitely have lights os you all said