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Re: setting up my first real planted tank
> I am setting up a 40 gallon discus tank that has the dimensions of 28"long x
> 18" x 18", and after an insperational aritcle is the april edition of aquarium
> fish magazine, I've decided to grow primarily red plants, so my current plant
> list includes: alternanthera rineickii, echinodours tenellus(will try to get
> the red var.)or other good, cheap, fast growing foreground plant, Tiger lotus,
> Barclaya lotus(mentioned in the article, sounds intringing), rotala macranda,
> and a echinodours "veronica", a similar, but smaller sword to "rubin". This
> will probably fill up my front half of the tank while I will have driftwood
> and roots in the back. I plan to light it using one single 96 watt compact
> flourescent light from www.ahsupply.com, here's my questions: Is this enough
> light for the plants?
Yes. I have 100w of T8s over a 45 that is deeper than yours and I've grown
red plants fairly easily. Your 96w CF should do as well or better. Just be
sure to plant your taller plants so they don't shade your e. tenellus and
other shorter plants once they grow larger.
> This tank also has an inch and a half soil substrate.
Double that at least if possible. Four to six inches is even better.
> I have an apontagen blub that seems to doing okay despite that the tank is
> unlighted(it receases an hour or two of direct sunlight on good days), and has
> african cichlids(small) picking at it.
Get rid of the African cichlids.
> I plan to go with the DIY yeast route.
That is certainly feasible, but you will be mixing yeast every month or even
every two weeks. I did this for a while and got tired of it, so I bought a
metering valve rig. Second only to lights, it was the best money spent on
the tank.
> Another question: can anyone give me a price estimate for tank or for most
> plants incase I change my mind? or do I need two?
Not sure what you mean. Two of what?
Dan Dixon