Although I have been keeping planted tanks for nearly 50 years, still I only started learning your way of tank keeping and the all the gadgets you use 10 years back, that was when I came to town and discovered the internet. I lived most of my life without electric supply or running water. Communication or required goods meant to take the day off and travel to the nearest town for it. Naturally my own way of keeping planted tanks was unique and different from you all but it was satisfaction to find that I was on the right lines generally.
I used to dream of building a large tank, lighted by direct and indirect sunlight (which was what I was using out in the wild) with electric pumps working the UGF (its my design not a normal UGF) when I finally settle down in town. 8 years back I built my dream and over the years I made changes to it using what I learned from you all. That tank 6' 3' 2' which I call "Incomparable" is doing well as a planted freshwater community aquarium.
The internet though a good source of information, I have found is also good at instilling dissatisfaction of what you have. So many beautiful fishes and plants to crave. So I decided to build a new tank on the same lines as the incomparable with the changes I made and also with some added features.
Sunlight - Used from the top (not from the sides) is economical but very strong at times and weak at other times; and controlling it is nearly impossible. Other than green spot algae, I did not have much problem with other varieties. I added lights and used dark tinted glass on the top sunny side and I had better control of the lights, and the algae problem under control. I wish to continue the same light system ie. sun through tinted glass and also artificial lights.
I have been reading up what all of you have been talking about when it comes to the spectrum of light to be used. I find that there is a great variation of opinion. So I did some experiments on my own with multiple light sources and mixing several types of bulbs. I neither own a spectrometer nor any PAR- meter. So it is an extremely amateur experiment. Broad results show that a flat spectrum is the way to go for plants to attain colourful attire.
In a sense it is the EI-principle. Give the plants each colour band light that they need without any colour band becoming the limiting band and let them pick and choose what they want. So I have decided to use 3X 150W MH 3000K, 2X 150W MH 10 000K, 4X 36W PLL 6500K spread over the top of the tank.
The tank dimensions are L-65 inches, W-37 inches, H-25 inches. Yes it will have CO2. I am still in the process of completing the tank but need to order the light fixtures and therefore invite you all to this discussion. To give you all a better idea of the actual tank I am adding the following attachments:-
I used to dream of building a large tank, lighted by direct and indirect sunlight (which was what I was using out in the wild) with electric pumps working the UGF (its my design not a normal UGF) when I finally settle down in town. 8 years back I built my dream and over the years I made changes to it using what I learned from you all. That tank 6' 3' 2' which I call "Incomparable" is doing well as a planted freshwater community aquarium.
The internet though a good source of information, I have found is also good at instilling dissatisfaction of what you have. So many beautiful fishes and plants to crave. So I decided to build a new tank on the same lines as the incomparable with the changes I made and also with some added features.
Sunlight - Used from the top (not from the sides) is economical but very strong at times and weak at other times; and controlling it is nearly impossible. Other than green spot algae, I did not have much problem with other varieties. I added lights and used dark tinted glass on the top sunny side and I had better control of the lights, and the algae problem under control. I wish to continue the same light system ie. sun through tinted glass and also artificial lights.
I have been reading up what all of you have been talking about when it comes to the spectrum of light to be used. I find that there is a great variation of opinion. So I did some experiments on my own with multiple light sources and mixing several types of bulbs. I neither own a spectrometer nor any PAR- meter. So it is an extremely amateur experiment. Broad results show that a flat spectrum is the way to go for plants to attain colourful attire.
In a sense it is the EI-principle. Give the plants each colour band light that they need without any colour band becoming the limiting band and let them pick and choose what they want. So I have decided to use 3X 150W MH 3000K, 2X 150W MH 10 000K, 4X 36W PLL 6500K spread over the top of the tank.
The tank dimensions are L-65 inches, W-37 inches, H-25 inches. Yes it will have CO2. I am still in the process of completing the tank but need to order the light fixtures and therefore invite you all to this discussion. To give you all a better idea of the actual tank I am adding the following attachments:-