Suggestions on 36G Bow Front Build

[TheHamr]

Hello all,

I am starting a 36 gallon bow front build. This will be my second tank (The first being a 10 gallon w/ false bottom, waterfall, etc. It is currently set up and is being used strictly for plants at this time), I learned a lot from my first build but have a few questions.

1. The dimensions of the new tank are as follows 30WX15DX21H. I created a water area on the right side of the tank with a running waterfall and a land area on the left side. I chose not to do a false bottom on this build and simply divided the tank. Water stays on the right and is seperated from the land side with a egg crate divider covered in GS and triple siliconed before covering it in coco fiber. For the land side I will lay down an inch or so of LECA, cover it with screen mesh and then top it off with a couple inches of substrate (I ordered some from NE Herpetoculture). For the water side I will simply put in a 1/2" layer of black aquarium gravel to cover the bottom. Does anyone see any problems with this plan?

2. For plants I ordered the following to get me started. Peperomia Orba, Phalaenopsis Orchid, Selaginella Kraussiana, Ficus Pumila, Wandering Jew, a couple Tillandsia Bulbosa, some moss (also from NE Herpetoculture) and I have a couple more small orchids I picked up a Lowes locally. I will be looking to also grab some small Bromeliads. For a background I siliconed the tank and laid down a layer of GS, which I will silicone over and cover in coco fiber. In the background I mounted numerous 2" and 3" net pots, a few small to medium sized pieces of Mopani Wood, and on each side a 1'H X 4"W piece of Cork Bark, so I have lots of mounting and planting options, which brings me to my questions. Is there anything I should consider as far as plant placement? Are some better suited to being planted low in the tank versus others which should be mounted or planted high in the tank? The tank came with a strip light, I don't have it in front of me but it is a single flourescent tube approximately 24" wide. What would be my best bet as far as a bulb is concerned? I see a lot of talk about 6500K range bulbs, which I have in my 10 gallon and it seems to work well. I have an orchid in there thats growing well, it even has a new leafy shoot coming off it at the base. There are pitchers and some type of mossy fern I found at Lowes that are also doing well. For this tank however I figure I need to be careful about wattage as it is much deeper. Any suggestions there? What wattage, brand and source? BTW: I did order a bag of leaf litter to lay down in the land area.

3. Since there is a decent sized water area in this tank (approximately 1/3 of the tank surface) I assume humidity will be ok. The tank has a full plastic top which I will seal in around the sides and back. I am contemplating a way to add extra humidity however without having to use a hand sprayer as I work weird hours and want to automate this as best as possible. Options I am considering are: putting a ultrasonic fogger in the tank, submersed in the pond or plumbing in an external ultrasonic humidifier. I think I would prefer the fogger as it would be self contained. Would this do what I want and is it a good option for this setup?

4. Eventually, I plan to put PDF's in this tank. Ultimately I would prefer a species that would do well in groups as I'd like more then a couple. I'm not necessarily looking to breed them but don't want to exclude that option in the future. That being said ... any recommendations on a species that would be good for a beginner, that I could have in a group of say 5-6 and would do well together in a tank this size?

5. For the water area I do plan on planting some aquatics. I really like the idea of some Riccia and Salvinia natans. Would I need to heat the water for these to do well? I live in Arizona so temps are usually 80 degrees in my house at all times, all year round.

6. For the non-epiphytes that will be going in my tank, that I will be planting in the net pots mounted in my background. Should I plant them in coco fiber or use the substrate I ordered from NE Herpetoculture?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions you can provide a newby!

Aaron

[beckdg]

1) no, but it's early and i'm exhausted...
2) for plant placement you'll want to wait for one of our plant guys. for lighting... a dual bulb t5 ho fixture should do you real nice. one made for fish like a coralife or nova extreme fixture or even a retrokit in a diy hood will be great. you could go with power compacts too but expect to have to ventilate them. if you're willing to wait till april you can pick up a 36" t5 fixture from fishneedit.com.
3) in tank humidifiers can hurt animals. i'd go the other route and plug it into a controller and set my humidity first. there's other options though. you can have a mister set on a timer, a water fall or otherwise moving water stirring up the surface, air stones releasing humidity into the air, an air exchange unit pumping moist air in, etc..
4) all darts will do well in a tank that size. our dart guys will have to answer your dart questions though.
5) you may have to cool your water... which is a lot more expensive...
6) either or, or mix them... cocofiber alone would probably be your less desireable option since it really is unfertilized. location would play a big role in choosing also. if it is going to be getting water from your pond area it might have enough organic waste to fert the plants sufficiently. i wouldn't bet on it though.

you're welcome aaron... i assume at least aaron will be along shortly to help you out.

as for suggestions... pics, pics, pics.... we like em' and sometimes, just sometimes they help us help others.

[TheHamr]

Thank you for taking the time to help with my questions, it truly is much appreciated! I will get some pics up in the next couple days. I should have documented the entire build but I neglected to start taking photos till after the coco fiber was attached to the background. The water feature was already installed, the dividing wall, the background was foamed in already etc. It's close to a finished product now, assuming no one tells me I need to change anything

[TheHamr]

what do you think of this fixture?

T5 Fluorescent Grow Light Systems for Plants from ACF Greenhouses

I'm looking at the "Jump Start T5 Light Fixture" 2ft fixture w/ T5 bulb (24 watts & 2000 lumens)

[Epiphile]

Here I am, ha ha. And here are my two cents:

As far as your divider, people around these parts haven't had the best luck lately with this method, I'm afraid to say. That's not to say it won't work, I guess, but keep an eye on it.

Those look like good plant choices so far- just have a look at their requirements and place them as best you can according to those. Remember that though higher up in the tank the plants can receive more light, it will also be warmer and dryer there. I would make sure to use a well-draining substrate in the mesh pots, and ensure that excess water has somewhere to go. That NE Herpetoculture mix should be fine for any application in your tank.

As always, I'd recommend packing as much light as you can afford into your tank. T5s or power compacts are a great suggestion. There's also screw-in compacts, though you'd probably have to build something yourself to house these...

I'd recommend a drip wall as a good self-contained method of watering, but it sounds like you've already done a bit of work on the background- if it's feasible still, I'd have a crack at it that way.

It sounds like you're off to a good start, anyways. Looking forward to seeing it come along.

[beckdg]

i'd go with this one....

Hydrofarm Light Fixture - Compact Fluorescent - Sale

This fixture offers excellent performance and uniformity with its highly reflective aluminum insert. Features an 8' grounded power cord, on/off switch, and hangers. Just screw a mogul base compact fluorescent bulb into the fixture and plug it into a standard 110/120 volt outlet. Size 19.5" x 12.5" x 7". 2' x 2' primary growing area & 3' x 3' supplemental growing area. Weight: 10 lbs. Light bulb not included. Regular Price $89
Hydrofarm Fixture
Price: $69


OR CLAMP LAMPS FROM A HARDWARE STORE (2 OR 3 AT LEAST) AND CFL'S

OR ONE OF THESE....

Sun Blaze T5 High Output Fluorescent System

This light system utilizes high output T5 fluorescent light bulbs and a highly reflective hood to provide an excellent light source for growing plants. System includes: Sun Blaze fixture (includes on/off switch and 12' grounded power cord), 6500k T5 bulbs, and cable hangers. Requires standard 110/120 volt outlet. 1 1/4. 3000k bulbs can be purchased separately.
- - - - Size & Weight - - - -
Sun Blaze 22: 24½"L x 6½"W x 2½"H (5 lbs.)
Sun Blaze 24: 24"L x 13"W x 2½"H (7 lbs.)

Sun Blaze Systems Complete with Lamps Save over $25
Sun Blaze 22
(2) 2' Bulbs
4,000 lumens
$85
(2) 6500K Bulbs
Sun Blaze 24
(4) 2' Bulbs
8,000 lumens
$125
(4) 6500K Bulbs

OR WAIT IT OUT AND GET A 3' FIXTURE FROM fish need it;lights; food;Sponge

OR A 30" FIXTURE MADE FOR FISH TANKS WITH MOUNTING LEGS LIKE A CORALIFE, ETC. MAKE SURE IF YOU WITH ONE THAT YOU GET THE 30" OR THE LEGS CAN BE MOVED INWARDS TO FIT YOUR TANK

I THINK A SINGLE T5 BULB MAY BE INSUFFICIENT

MY FIRST PICK OFF OF THAT SITE WOULD BE THE SUNBLAZE 22 (2 2' BULBS) BASICALLY FOR PRICE.

[TheHamr]

beckdg:

What do you think of this fixture?

https://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/pro...15/product.web

It has legs, they simply aren't pictured on this web site.

I would also order (2) X 2' 6500K Grow Bulb 24 watts from here:

T5 Fluorescent Grow Light Systems for Plants from ACF Greenhouses

(or)

Would you do this fixture and stick with the included 6700k bulbs?

T5-ho 24" /2 lamp aquarium Light

[beckdg]

i think the nova extreme from that pet place will be your best bet since it will span the entire length of the tank giving you better light coverage. i'm thinking also the lights that come with it will give a decent par reading too which will be good for your plants. should be no problems with penetration that's for sure with a 10,000k tri-phosphor bulb in it. might be a little blue for your taste though.

the down side... it's hard to find 30" and 36" bulbs so you'll have to take what you can get. they'll most likely be good bulbs if you can find them in 30" though. but no, i don't think the bulbs from the greenhouse will do since i only see 24" and 48" unless i'm missing something.

i would just get that nova extreme fixture and make do with the bulbs that are in it until it's time to switch them out or if the plants don't respond well to them.

fwiw i found the same thing a couple dollars less. of course shipping would still have to be figured in. here goes anyway... Nova Extreme HO Light Fixture - 2 x 24W - T5 - Freshwater - 30 in.

[TheHamr]

I assumed that the Nova 30" "fixture" would house 24" bulbs. I looked at the Coralife 30" fixture, which I like but it looks as though it houses some weird off length bulb, something like a 27 1/2" bulb according to reviews I read.

I guess what I'd really like to find is a 30" fixture, that looks decent (don't want a cruddy looking fixture on a tank I spent so much time and money to make look nice), that will mount with legs on the top of the tank (to give room for ventilation and not alter the temp in the tank much), that will house 2 bulbs in the 24" bulb length (easier to find), that I can put (2) 6500k bulbs in (based on what I've read that's the wavelength I'm looking for). I'll have to keep looking I suppose.

[TheHamr]

BTW: I have a full plastic hood for the tank now with a single strip light. I'm looking to replace that with a full glass hood, then mount the light with legs over that. I believe it will look clean if the right fixture is utilized.