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Old 02-21-2007, 05:03 AM   #7
MyraVan
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
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20W of *usable* light (as JustOneMore20 points out, a 50/50 doesn't give very useful light for a planted tank, becasue the blue bit provides very little light) is a heck of alot. It will require careful fertilization and CO2 addition to avoid it turning into an algea soup. The Flourish Excel that several people mentioned is one way of adding CO2 in liquid form.

You said you were looking for a lower maintenance tank. Well, what you're heading towards here is a fairly high-tech planted tank setup, which does not make for low maintenance. You first have to make sure that your lighting and nutrient dosing is all balanced, and then you have to prune like mad because your plants will be growing so fast.

If you're looking for a lower maintenance planted tank, then shoot for more like 2 watts per gallon, so something like 11 or so watts. Then you don't have to worry about dosing carbon (CO2 gas or Excel), you have to add little to no ferts (the fish add most of the ferts), and the plants grow much more slowly, so less pruning. Yes, you will have a more limited selection of plants, just like with reefs: the more light and current you have, the more demanding corals you can keep. But it's a good place to start with planted tanks, and it's a good place to end, if you want a nice-looking, easy maintenance tank.
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