I'm currently in the process of a build of a 215g tank. It's going to be an open top tank with bog/terrestrial plants that I hope will look something like this tank I found: http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/images/thumbimg/400/2869_9.jpg
I have a pair of Eheim 2026's. The tank was reef ready but I cut out one of the overflows. The other overflow will have two strainers, one going to each filter. One filter will return via one of the holes where the other overflow was, the other hole is going to be capped for now. The return for the second filter will be via the bog planted section in a small creek type area that will run back into the tank.
I'll post pictures as I get further, but I have a few questions. The main one is lighting. I want to do metal halide for the look, plus the tank is 29" deep so it really needs it. With the bog area, I figure the lighting will have to be suspended 18-24" above the surface of the tank. How can I calculate the wattage needed considering the height of the lamps and the spill onto the bog areas? I was thinking three 250watt (or more) fixtures, but so far that's $1200 or more which is a lot. I found a pair of dual 400watt fixtures for $800 that is more reasonable. Is that enough? The tank is 6 feet long so I worried that two fixtures might not distribute the light well enough. Any thoughts?
The substrate will have a top layer of graded river stone, fine to coarse (dime sized). Under that I will either do flourite or something cheaper as I figured I would need 100lbs of flourite or more and that really adds up in price too. But everything else is kind of iffy in terms of the information I find so flourite is probably the safest way to go. I'm in Texas and run the AC at 70. I'm planning on Discus but have been told not to run the tank over 78-80 by my plant place. Will I lose anything if I don't do substrate heating? I did it on my 150 gallon tank when it was a soil substrate, but when I moved I didn't put it in with the new flourite/gravel mix and it seems ok a year later.
Michael
I have a pair of Eheim 2026's. The tank was reef ready but I cut out one of the overflows. The other overflow will have two strainers, one going to each filter. One filter will return via one of the holes where the other overflow was, the other hole is going to be capped for now. The return for the second filter will be via the bog planted section in a small creek type area that will run back into the tank.
I'll post pictures as I get further, but I have a few questions. The main one is lighting. I want to do metal halide for the look, plus the tank is 29" deep so it really needs it. With the bog area, I figure the lighting will have to be suspended 18-24" above the surface of the tank. How can I calculate the wattage needed considering the height of the lamps and the spill onto the bog areas? I was thinking three 250watt (or more) fixtures, but so far that's $1200 or more which is a lot. I found a pair of dual 400watt fixtures for $800 that is more reasonable. Is that enough? The tank is 6 feet long so I worried that two fixtures might not distribute the light well enough. Any thoughts?
The substrate will have a top layer of graded river stone, fine to coarse (dime sized). Under that I will either do flourite or something cheaper as I figured I would need 100lbs of flourite or more and that really adds up in price too. But everything else is kind of iffy in terms of the information I find so flourite is probably the safest way to go. I'm in Texas and run the AC at 70. I'm planning on Discus but have been told not to run the tank over 78-80 by my plant place. Will I lose anything if I don't do substrate heating? I did it on my 150 gallon tank when it was a soil substrate, but when I moved I didn't put it in with the new flourite/gravel mix and it seems ok a year later.
Michael