my new setup

redone my tank, now here it is 2 days old...
please post your comments...

Are stemmed plants going to grow en masse at the right background? It'll be nice once it grows in. Driftwood is quite strong though, the lines are too bold for my liking.

I like your midground, perhaps a potential triangular composition here. IMHO, you shouldn't leave the foreground bare. It doesn't suit this setup. Covering it green with stuff like Glosso or HC will complete the picture.

tank spec? what kinda lighting ?

Originally Posted by |squee|

Are stemmed plants going to grow en masse at the right background? It'll be nice once it grows in. Driftwood is quite strong though, the lines are too bold for my liking.

I like your midground, perhaps a potential triangular composition here. IMHO, you shouldn't leave the foreground bare. It doesn't suit this setup. Covering it green with stuff like Glosso or HC will complete the picture.

foreground got tennellus sparsely planted... just waiting for them to cover the empty spaces

tank: 3 x 1.5 x 1.5
filtration: jebao 918
lighting: 2 x 30w FL daylight
substrate: lapis with sera base fertiliser
decor: 2 big drift wood
CO2: 3.2L with solenoid, est 3sec/ bubble, using flipper
lighting durations: about 6 hrs with timer
cooling: 3 PC fan, powered by adaptor

plants: windelov fern, java fern, nanas, red tiger lotus, tennellus, some common red rotala i think not sure about the name. few kind of crypts

water parameters:
about pH 6.5,
temp about 26 degrees

livestock: so far 10 cardinals, but will be adding more to add up to 20+, 3 otos, few yamatos, few malayan shrimps, few cherry shrimps

hi there, i realised that your tank lights are rather low... how do you keep your plants green? I find your centre pc, the DW rather captivating, good if you can add more background plants, like valisneria, etc or some low light plants, then it could add a little depth. Heh, hmmm i think foreground would make it nicer as well. in my opinion, tenellus would be great.

[tcy81]

seems a nicely arranged setup. hope to see the update with the grown stem plants at the background.

a... the 60W light looks pretty bright and nice ...
but since u r keeping those low light plants, should be alrite .

i'm also a 3 x 1.5 x 1.5 , using 2 x 55W , but still not as bright as urs :\

maybe i think i need to change to 10,000k light.

hi bro angmoh,

i think you are using 2 55w PL right? the PL tubes are lined up in such a way that the lie in a straight line right? it is enough to cover the length but not the with. if you understand wad i mean. so in order to be bright enough, either you use another 2 x 55w light or you change to FL.

cause my lights is custom made by myself. DIY. you see the length of the 30w FL tube is 3 feet so it covers the length. so i add 2 tubes.. to cover the width of the tank.

furthermore the light casing i use is too thin to reflect the light to cover the entire width of 1.5feet so i raised the lights higher so that by using 2 FL tubes with diff casing it can cover the width. thus it seems like it has more that enough lights. but as you see i have low lighting plants inside i dun need that kind of strong lights.

and to add, on my opinion, it also depends on wad kind of plants you have, and the position of the lights is also important. using 10k PLs is only used for more penetration of the lights unless your tank is maybe 2 feet deep, 10k is more useful. for height of 1.5, normal Pl is enough.

or you can add another 30wFL to support your lights. btw i used to use 1 x 30w but found it too dark. in the end used 2 x 30w running on eballast. less heat

hmm.. hope you understand was i mean...

well my tank height is about 2ft , inclusive of the casing...

i have 2x55W , one place at the more left-hand side back , and another one more right-hand side front... so i guess it's pretty balanced ... and i have aluminium reflector for both light tube individually.

it's no doubt that FL has better light spread compare to PL . but PL will have more power output

and adding another 2 x 55W ?? total 220 W ? wow that'd be pretty high lighting... i dun think i'll go for it..


maybe i'll change to 10,000k light first and see how .. actually i just do a water change, and found the tank is clearer and brighter.. i guess is bcos the water too dirty gua ... haha