# 125 gallon too big for a low tech planted tank



## BryanV (Aug 13, 2016)

ve had tanks before with a few random plants and such, but I recently fell into a he'll of deal for a 125 gallon tank. I'd like to eventually convert it to a heavily planted tank and would like some advice. Right now I have cannister and a HOB filter with a power head and weak lighting. I have a local fish store where I can trade my bigger destructive fish in for some smaller ones. I'd like to have a planted tank designed around bichirs. I currently have a juvenile armored bichir. 

I'm going to upgrade to two cannister filters next pay day but am concerned about lighting. Based on recomended watts per gallon it seems like I would need a nuclear reactor worth of lighting on top. 

But I'd like to know if 125 gallon is just too big for a low tech planted tank? And suggestions on decent lighting that won't break the bank? 

My substrate is well established from previous tanks. I left the carbon out of the cannister filter and my nutrients ph and nitrates are within normal ranges. 

Thanks for any advice


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## BryanV (Aug 13, 2016)

Better pic


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## geisterwald (Jul 18, 2016)

No way is it too big; nothing's too big really. Don't have any suggestions for lights as I've never had a large tank myself, but I've seen people have great success with low tech large tanks! Watts per gallon is also not an accurate way to measure how much light you need (as you can probably tell by now). Check out this thread on lighting a tank with PAR: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/184368-lighting-aquarium-par-instead-watts.html


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## thedood (May 30, 2015)

I have a 125 sitting and waiting for me to move. When I set it up it will be a low tech planted tank.


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## BryanV (Aug 13, 2016)

Thanks geisterwald. I'm even more confused about lighting. Haha.


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## Phanasonic (Jul 27, 2016)

A 125g isn't too big for a low tech setup. It does have some good depth on it, however, so you'd just have to make sure you get enough light coverage. Maybe try one of these LED fixtures:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D57OLKO?psc=1

You could always leave your old lights on as well if you find you need more light/growth.

If your filters still work well I'd just keep them and go for the light first. This is especially true if you have a high plant load right out of the gate. The guy from Aquarium Co-op did a great video on filtration here. It's long but has good info in it.

Good luck! I'd love to see pics of the tank when you have it planted!


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Your choice but as I see it, there is no reason to do much of what you suggest! 
Want to keep the current tank and fish? Do it! It just takes a bit of thought and work to fit the pieces together. 
There are many ways to start a tank and that makes it better if we start with what we have and adjust and change as we see how it works for our own personal situation and what we each want. 
Low tech large tanks are easier than low tech small tanks. They are much more stable on all points. Filters, lights and all the other points just need to be adapted to what you want and see needed to get there. 
I see a large tank with small bio-load so adding plants will not make that work any less well. In fact the plants growing will likely tend to suck the nitrate out even better. Depending on what plants you want, the light may need to be bumped up slightly or you might go with the plants which don't need/want higher light. 
I started low tech, went high and now am back to low tech in my larger main tank. 
Swords, crypts, anubia and java fern do all the plant that I want in this 120 African cichlid tank. I have hard alkaline water and only use a shop light and added twisty cfl lighting, no CO2 and occasional ferts with fert pellets under the substrate. 

Stick a sword in a pot and see how it goes? It might work fine but either way, it will show you in what direction you may want to go.


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## Williak (Jun 26, 2012)

Just do a search around the forums. Some of the most beautiful low tech... And high tech Dutch style... Are 6 foot tanks. 

For low tech it'd be rather easy... Get a couple of T5s over top and you'll be set for a true low tech with ferns crypts Anubias etc...

Could also dish out the cash for maybe two LED fixtures. 

Just have to consider the span of a 18" front to back tank. One bulb wouldn't work... Two maybe would if you could get a more hydroponic fixture type where bulbs and fixture are more expansive. 

Oh, and to add. Take note that most 6 foot fixtures come with staggered 4 foot bulbs. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Sometimes we get trapped into a way of thinking that leads us to think too narrowly and that can really limit what we do. How planted tanks should look is one of those where I see so much made of the "proper" way when I truly feel there is no one special way other than what we each like. 
A big tank gives tons of ways to go on almost all the aspects we are concerned about but sometimes we miss that by thinking we have to do this one special way. 
I find it works much better for me if I just do it the way that works for what I have and what I want. I mentioned my tank when running CO2 and higher tech. You can do that and have lots of plants, even though I never really got too far into that thinking as my main thing is the fish, not the plants. 
This is that tank:









But when tired of the fussing and danger I found with running Co2 on the tank with my best fish, I found I could also do all I wanted with far less in this tank. It's impossible to get a good picture of this tank during the day because of window reflections but if you look beyond the defects, you can see that I have cut way back on planting and the fish show better and act more normal for my type fish. 










This also shows how I am better able to adapt the tank to what I want to do. I want less light but that doesn't mean I can't just put a string of light down the middle does it? If we only want a single light, there is nothing that says we need to cover the whole tank with light if there is only a single plant under that single light! 

I force the tank to adapt to what I want. I do not change myself to meet the tank demands! But then I also admit that we both have to make a few concessions on that!


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## dpod (Sep 16, 2014)

No way that tank is too big! If anything, it's a better size because a lot of good low-tech plants grow huge- swords, lotus bulbs, vals, and anubias come to mind immediately. If you want to give it a go and see how things work with your current lights, go get a couple of the larger anubias varieties (anything besides one with "nana" or "petite" in its name, really). Anchor them to your rocks and just like that, you've got the beginnings of a planted tank. 

Also, like everyone suggested watts/gallon is a pretty poor measurement of light intensity in a tank. Your lights are probably fine for Anubias and java ferns.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

There are so many ways to go but we tend to read the same things over and over until we believe them. 
Many suggest we have to go full bore and plant the whole tank to avoid algae. But then does anybody really believe they start out and did NOT have algae when first learning to read a tank? 
I feel it makes far better sense to go slowly and move forward as we learn. In doing that we can avoid the numerous mistakes that are so easy to make as rookies.Things like spending way too much money for lights so that we are then "required" to spend lots more money for pressure CO2, only to find we then have to do even more to add ferts. And we do this while having huge battles with algae! 
I now run with the idea that I can have a tank with some type of light, some form of food and some form of CO2 and work with that. I can add a few plants in pots hidden behind rocks, wood, etc. and see how it goes. I have algae the same as if I plant the whole tank but my spending is much more effective as I learn where and how much of the "big three" I really need. 
At times, I do waste $15-20 on plants that do not survive but then I feel much better about that than having a couple big major things like the big honking LED fixture that might wind up in the closet!


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

Bought a 72" beamswork on e bay for my 125. I have swords, crypts, java fern, and java moss. There are also two low light stems that i have had for years and i have forgotten what they are. Everything is growing fantastically. The stems need a trimming very badly at this point. They are starting to grow across most of the tank. I have not dosed ferts or added CO2 since i started the tank a few months ago. So far no algae either. Minimal water changes as well. Angels, GBR, Apistos, and several other random SA fish are doing great.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

kruzerman said:


> Bought a 72" beamswork on e bay for my 125. I have swords, crypts, java fern, and java moss. There are also two low light stems that i have had for years and i have forgotten what they are. Everything is growing fantastically. The stems need a trimming very badly at this point. They are starting to grow across most of the tank. I have not dosed ferts or added CO2 since i started the tank a few months ago. So far no algae either. Minimal water changes as well. Angels, GBR, Apistos, and several other random SA fish are doing great.


You are probably going to have to supplement that Beamswork light. They don't have much PAR at 18" and their light is a little on the yellow side. Pair it up with a Stingray and you will have nice lighting setup.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

72" Beamsworks are an idea way to span a large tank. Low tech is up their alley for that size. Only cath is the color temp.. at 6500k it is a bit short on red spectrum.
If you are used to those "roseate" type tubes it is a fairly drastic change..

most 72" beamsworks are found on "the worlds marketplace".. 
Or Amazon...
https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-6500K-Aquarium-Light-Freshwater/dp/B01D57OLKO

Bump:


ichy said:


> and their light is a little on the yellow side. Pair it up with a Stingray and you will have nice lighting setup.


pfffttt.. actually a fair assessment except if using the 5 row .5W..
color can be questionable to some.. As I prefer a somewhat warmer tone tank (as you know) not an issue

2x 36" pent. .5w leds.. 
https://youtu.be/VWMMt3TsSuI
another example:
https://youtu.be/HqgB8EoM62U

PAR for the 3 row (not 5 row)



> 30" Beamswork Razor 6500K (EA80):
> Center-----6" off center
> 1” - 250
> 4” - 84
> ...


roughly multiply by 1.66 to get you in the 5 row PAR "ballpark"...



> The Razor has 54x0.5watt 6500K


http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/875457-beamswork-razor-6500k-30-par.html

I still think "some" of the yellow is because of tannins.. 

That said, the 10000k/actinic version could be used..AFAICT, only the 3 row is currently available in 72"


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## sadchevy (Jun 15, 2013)

Check out my thread, I'm about as low tech as it gets with my 125g.http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/12-tank-journals/389993-my-125g-makeover.html
also check out the http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/8-general-planted-tank-discussion/399249-6-foot-plus-club.html


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

ichy said:


> You are probably going to have to supplement that Beamswork light. They don't have much PAR at 18" and their light is a little on the yellow side. Pair it up with a Stingray and you will have nice lighting setup.


That's what i thought too but so far it is doing great on its own. Color temp is good for me but to each their own. I have a Stingray on my 40B and i love it but for $67 shipped for a 72" fixture, I couldn't go wrong with the beamswork.

Here are some pics shortly after it was set up about 4 months ago. The rocks on the left side are almost completely covered by the crypts now.


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

kruzerman said:


> That's what i thought too but so far it is doing great on its own. Color temp is good for me but to each their own. I have a Stingray on my 40B and i love it but for $67 shipped for a 72" fixture, I couldn't go wrong with the beamswork...


Kruzerman, I'm glad you report such satisfaction with that light, because I got the same exact one (and same exact deal) a while back and haven't even used it yet, but plan on putting it on my 125 when I get it set up. The tank came with a couple of 36" Coralife T5NO lights that I am planning on using as well, but from what I'm reading about their (lack of) PAR, it seems the Beamswork will be doing most of the work. BTW, I'm planning on a low-tech setup, but would like to lean toward the higher end of the "low light" range, possibly even lower-medium light if I can get away with it, because I'd like to be able to at least sustain most plants I choose, including dwarf hairgrass, but we will see how that goes.

Olskule


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Low tech, high tech? Seems logical that most of us do have to adjust things as we find what we like and what works. 
Two ways to go, possibly. One can start with what he has read or one can start with the equipment he has and then adapt as he might see after he has learned a bit more. 
Since we all may be going to a different spot and in a different situation, I'm not surprised we all may take a different path to get there.

I've got say I love that big healthy angel strutting it's stuff!!!


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

kruzerman said:


> That's what i thought too but so far it is doing great on its own. Color temp is good for me but to each their own. I have a Stingray on my 40B and i love it but for $67 shipped for a 72" fixture, I couldn't go wrong with the beamswork.
> 
> Here are some pics shortly after it was set up about 4 months ago. The rocks on the left side are almost completely covered by the crypts now.


Where did you find that led for such a low price? only one I see near that is a 10000k on e-bay for $69.95
Btw love the huge silver vt(?) angelfish! Mine is the same coloration but her ventral fins are a bit messy.


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## Olskule (Jan 28, 2010)

AquaAurora said:


> Where did you find that led for such a low price? only one I see near that is a 10000k on e-bay for $69.95....


That's where I got mine, same price. Keep watching for it, I'm sure they'll list it again.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

While we are looking at the pictures may be a good time to mention a point that I like about not quite so many plants. I don't know about you folks but I looked at the angel and never spotted the two smaller ones behind and below. Notice how the one pops out at you against the background while the other two are just kind of lost in the background. 
I like my plants and I like my fish but then keeping ratio right is good so that the plants don't ruin the whole idea of the fish.


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## flutterbug (Jan 8, 2012)

If your tank is 6' long you can just get 2 - 36" lights. That's what I was thinking of doing for my 5' tank, except I would need 2- 30" I have searched a lot and there are not many options for 60" lights and I didn't see too many 72" ones either. The few I do see are in the big $$ range, like Geismann fixtures. I went from a 55 gallon with 4 bulb 48" fixture and put it on my 60" tank. I only run 2, but I changed around where they sit in the fixture so they are spaced further apart. When I first started the 55 planted I tried running all 4 for part of the day and It was too much without CO2. It has pretty good light still with the shorter light on it. I just put lower light plants in the corners. l am thinking about trying 2 Finnex Planted + 24/7 next.


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