Tank Specs!

I had promised myself, I would post the specs and gadgets installed in my planted tank.

Here goes:

The tank is 30 inches long, 27 inches tall, and 26 inches wide. All 12 mm, high polished.

Lighting is a total 220 Watts, thats supplied by four 55 Watt PL Lamps @ 6500 Kelvin, driven by 2 Electronic ballasts that can drive upto 110 Watts each. These are all enclosed in a cieling mountable fixture, and placed inside the tank. The lighting goes in 3 inches to the tank, and rests on the support strips placed along the length of the tank.

Filtration is handled by an Eheim 2213. I do know I could have installed something more powerful, but this is doing its job, and I have no complaints, so let it be!

CO2 is supplemented from a pressurized CO2 cylinder, thats controlled by a Dymax Regulator, and needle valve, and it has a solenoid built in too. This is connected to a CO2 reactor thats powered by the output of my Eheim. Works like a charm. Yes, I said CHARM.

Substrate is layered, with laterite in the base, and unwashed river sand, alongwith washed river sand to compact it. On top of this, I used the standard 2 to 3 mm gravel, that I normally use. I did use a few commercial substrate enrichers, but I dont particularly attribute the growth to them, so am omitting their names here. I seriously believe laterite for plants is like viagra. Havent really seen the former in action, but guess I conveyed the message.

Water is from the tap.

The lights and CO2 are on timer. The Co2 comes on 1 hour before the lights come on, and switches off one hour before the lights go off.

Dosing is done on a daily basis. Micronutrients, and Iron supplements are added daily. Potassium nitrate and Potassium sulphate are added to new water during my weekly water change. And of course a generous dose of Sodium bicarb too.

Plants are Eriocaulon cinereum, Micranthemum umbsosum, Blyxa japonica, Glossostigma elatinoides, Anubias nana, Java moss, Willow moss, Bilbitis heudolitii, Nymphaea sp. I do have one more plant thats growing on briftwaood, that I dont know the name of!

Fish, currently I have marbled hatchets, Cardinal tetras, Rummy nose tetras, and ottocinclus.

Thats thats for now!