# 45 gallon



## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

So I've decided to ditch the saltwater tank, and set this tank up as a low-light planted freshwater tank. I plan on moving my dwarf orange crays into this tank, with maybe the scarlet badis or some shrimp. I mainly just want lots of moss and guppy grass, maybe some jungle val.

I need to get a new light, and a new filter for this tank. For the light, I'm thinking that I want around 2-2.5wpg, but the tank is so deep that I don't think a dual-tube strip light is going to cut it. Would pc's be able to penetrate deep enough to get to the plants on the bottom? As for the filter, I would normally buy a canister filter, but with the crays I don't want alot of flow. So I think I am just going to get a big bio-wheel filter and put a sponge over the intake. Sound ok?


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## Coltonorr (Mar 12, 2008)

I'd still go with a canister and cover the intake with a sponge, but to slow the flow I'd drill the holes in the spray bar bigger until you have the flow you want.
I'd also say 2-2.5 wpg is not exactly low-light. I wouldn't go more than 2 unless you want to add CO2. If you get good reflectors you should be fine. I don't know the height of a 45 gal but my 54 bowfront is pretty deep and I have no problem growing some moderate light groundcover like dwarf hairgrass and micro-swords. http://ahsupply.com/ has great reflectors.
good luck


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

The tank is 36 x 12 x 24, and I don't want to do C02. When I had my 38 gallon tank, I found that 3wpg was too much light without c02, but 1.5wpg wasn't enough. So I figured I would try to shoot for somewhere in the middle and hopefully I would be able to keep a variety of low-light plants, but not have to worry about c02. Do you think the reflectors would allow the light to penetrate deep enough for 24"?


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## Coltonorr (Mar 12, 2008)

yes I think good reflectors will help light penetrate the tank. your planning on keeping moss and other low light plants. I think you'd be fine at just under or just at 2 wpg. 
Maybe someone else will post another point of view and recommend 2.5wpg. I'd wait a few days and see where this thread goes.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

...what kind of plants do you want to grow?

1.8 WPG - 2.1 WPG is around low light, getting close to the mid-light levels. 2.5 WPG isn't low light IMO.


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

I liked having jungle vals in the tank, and maybe some rotala indica & dwarf sag. Other than that, just java moss & guppy grass.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Do you have the option of getting a 4x39W T5HO fixture with individual reflectors? That'd give you the penetration you need and it'd give you 2WPG with two bulbs on, and in the middle of the day, you can have some burst lighting with 4WPG. 

If managed and fine-tuned properly and dosed with Excel (or glutaraldehyde), you can probably avoid CO2 and still keep what you want to keep.


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

I can pretty much get whatever I want, I'd just like to keep the price down if possible. I sold my existing lighting for this tank when I starting purchasing the equipment to make it a reef. I figured I'd spend about $100 on a light fixture.


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

Actually, the light that I have right now which I am planning on selling is a Nova Extreme t-5 fixture w/lunar lights that has 4-39watt bulbs.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

MOsborne05 said:


> Actually, the light that I have right now which I am planning on selling is a Nova Extreme t-5 fixture w/lunar lights that has 4-39watt bulbs.


lol. KEEP IT.


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

I'd have to replace all of the bulbs though, and they are $25 each. Should I get the 5500k ones or 6700k ones?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Personally, I like a mix of half 6700K and half 10KK bulbs.

I know with Tek fixtures, you can get T5NO bulbs and the ballast will drive them to near-T5HO levels. And considering you're aiming for a non-CO2 tank, it might be a good idea to try that. If you have a Kill-A-Watt, you can plug in some T5NO bulbs and see how many watts they draw. Not the most accurate way, but it'll work for this purpose.

T5NO bulbs at HelloLights are only $10 each.


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

Awesome, that's what I'll do then. Thanks for the help.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

MOsborne05 said:


> Awesome, that's what I'll do then. Thanks for the help.


Good luck and let us know what's happening next.


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

The NO ones say 21watts. Could I do 2 NO 21 watt bulbs with 2 HO 39 watt bulbs?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

MOsborne05 said:


> The NO ones say 21watts. Could I do 2 NO 21 watt bulbs with 2 HO 39 watt bulbs?


I put 4x 48" 28 watt bulbs in a Tek fixture and it drove them to close to 47 watts per bulb (T5NO = 54 watts)...but I never mixed the bulbs. Overall, all the bulbs were pushed to almost HO levels.

I don't know how it will work if you mix the bulbs. I think if you use all NO bulbs, you might get around 30-32 watts per bulb?


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

30-32 watts per bulb would be perfect then, wouldn't it?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

*nod*

I'd say so.


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## c_sking (Aug 4, 2008)

You could always swap out the ballast. I personally have never tried a HO ballast with non HO lamps either. 
On a side note like the pups!


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

LOL, thanks. I think I'll get 4 -HO 39 watt bulbs, but I won't run them all together except for a short burst. I'll either run 2 or 3 of them during the day, then all 4 in mid-afternoon.


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## skratikans (May 23, 2008)

How are your scarlets and crays doing? What are you feeding your scarlets?


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

The scarlets have been eating freeze-dried bloodworms, shrimp pellets, and whatever baby shrimp they can find because I moved them to my cherry shrimp. I have to say, they are not very hardy fish, and I'm down to 3 of the 6 already. They didn't look too healthy from the start though. Crays are doing good, I'm sure they will like being moved to the 45 gallon because they will have a lot more room than they do now. Maybe that will entice them to breed


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## MOsborne05 (Jan 7, 2007)

I just purchased some Fissidens & Subwassertang from another member, and am trying to come up with a scape. I plan on using Tahitian Moon Sand as a substrate, with lots of lace rocks on the bottom because the crays love to climb on them. So, should I attach the Subwassertang to the rocks, or the fissidens? I've never had either plant, so I don't know how they would look. I'm trying to get a dense mountain/jungle feel that way there is lots of hiding spots for any baby crays or shrimp. 

I also plan on using some jungle val in the tank, and maybe dwarf sag. With 120 watts over a 45 gallon (24" tall), do you think these plants would be ok? I plan on using only (3) 39 watt bulbs.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

I use double quick disconnects to slow the flow from my 2215 in a 20 long through a spraybar. I just choke them each back equally just a bit. Works great. In fact, both times I bought the 2215's they came with the dble disconnects.


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