# Planted bowl help please:)



## sacme (Apr 3, 2013)

Not my pictures, I don't claim to own them. Got them off the internet


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

a 60W bulb is too much, get a 13w CLF 6500k bulb. Those are microswords he has in the front and some type of moss (probably java moss) in the back.


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

aluka nailed it with the 13w bulb, i have a bowl currently and have a 13w over it, plants respond well. Do you have a picture of your bowl? When i started my bowl i threw in a couple ramshorn snails right away and was doing 50% water changes every other day. I was checking the water parameters every other day to. So as a couple weeks went by i went form doing 50% water changes to maybe30% water changes every other day and then today was water change day and i tested the water and the water was perfect, no need to do a water change today. Ill still monitor the water every other day as there are a bunch of ramshorn snails, like 10 shrimp and 2 black molly fry (which i regret putting in as i cant catch them) i dont want them in there anymore. They are fun and easy to keep under control as long as u stay on top of it


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

Generally these types of bowls goes into a stage where you just top off the water and chance it every 3-6 months. But you have to condition it to that point. 

Like tattooedfool83, add some residents (snail or shrimps, i won't suggest fish unless its one betta), water change every other day for about 2 weeks, then every 3 days for 2-4 weeks, then once a week for 3-6 weeks, then once every other week, so on and so forth. 

This is without testing the water. You can do it with much better accuracy if you test the water before every scheduled water change to see if you can skip it or not.

This only works if you have appropriate amount of plants. Meaning you have to have enough plants that can consume all the waste produce by your residents.

Of course if you are looking to have a sparsely planted bowl, then you should stick to a more rigorous water change schedule.


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## sacme (Apr 3, 2013)

Thanks guys, you've helped me out before tattooedfool, so thanks for that. When I went to homedepot I was looking for bulbs but I couldn't find anything that said how many k's the bulbs were, maybe I didn't look hard enough. I'll go see if I can find that 13w 6500k bulb, is CLF a brand?

I'm planning to do shrimp in it as well. I'm guessing shrimp excrete waste at a different rate? Still trying to learn about them.


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

Cfl is a type of bulb, compact fluorescent bulb. 6500k is the temperature rating. Some Home Depot don't sell that, might have to go to Lowell's or something.


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## comet (Jun 10, 2006)

The tall stem plant looks like Pennywort. Dwarf Sagittaria would also work for a grass like look. 
Any CFL light bulb, 10 or 13 watts will do. Try your local Walmart.


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## idleivey (Feb 12, 2009)

Ohh, last one is mine :icon_cool

The bottom carpet is micro sword, which grows like a weed so it works well in a bowl but will take over. Lighting wise I used a 9 watt 6500k CFL. No ferts or anything like that. Like comet said the stem is pennywort, clumps of java moss and it's hard to see but in the back there is a red tiger lotus.

edit: here is the thread for the bowl which, alas, is no more.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=178267&highlight=


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## sacme (Apr 3, 2013)

idleivey said:


> Ohh, last one is mine :icon_cool
> 
> The bottom carpet is micro sword, which grows like a weed so it works well in a bowl but will take over. Lighting wise I used a 9 watt 6500k CFL. No ferts or anything like that. Like comet said the stem is pennywort, clumps of java moss and it's hard to see but in the back there is a red tiger lotus.
> 
> ...


 
Its beautiful  Im going to need the right bulb. I happened to have Java moss and micro swords laying around, so that makes me happy. How do you keep the water warmer? Im planing on shrimp


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## aluka (Feb 2, 2013)

Shrimps prefer cool water, under 75


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

My bowl stays between 68-72 degrees. I had a thermometer in it for a week


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## idleivey (Feb 12, 2009)

I just run room temp, your temps should be fine for neocaridina's.


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## sacme (Apr 3, 2013)

I'll have to check the temperature today. Will tiger snails good for starting the cycle? Or should I get something else today?


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## idleivey (Feb 12, 2009)

By tiger snails do you mean nerite's? If so that's fine, although I find their eggs annoying and no longer use them. Up to you though.


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## sacme (Apr 3, 2013)

Do they tend to breed often?


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## idleivey (Feb 12, 2009)

sacme said:


> Do they tend to breed often?


They lay a lot of eggs but can't actually reproduce in fresh water so you end up with what looks like sesame seeds strewn about the tank.


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