Re: [APD] Hello/Tank Size/Flourite

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Hieght is a matter of taste but, for my money, the extra
height mwon't by much in aquascaping terms except that it
will be hard to fill in those last few inches on top
without using plants that want an awful lot of real estate
down below. *Or* stem plants that won't look much the same
down below as up top. There are exceptions but that's more
limiting in plant choices and aquascaping than a shorter
tank. I think 18" is a really good height becasue it allows
larger plants without demanding the largest ones. I'd forgo
the extra height and stay with something easier to work in
and work with.

If you cut the Flourite, use sand and not too much, it will
tend to stratify at the bottom and not show and therefore
not detract from the beauty of the Flourite. I did this
once and it doesn't bother me much except right after I
vacuum. If I had it to do over, I'd follow the advice I was
gvien and go for all flourite.

A few bags of Onyx won't hurt but won't help your
carbonates much. While Onyx contains a laot of carbonate,
it doesn't release it easily. If the whole substrate was
Onyx sand and you did very few water changes, then you
would get a bit of increase in KH  -- but the effect will
be negligible with just a couple of bags. Darn nice looking
stuff, though.

I've used both and the lants like them both. As does the
human eye. Very attractive.

Scott H.
--- NYCMags <heavensabvus1 at yahoo_com> wrote:

> Hello everyone--
> 
> Have the read the archives with interest and would
> like a few additional thoughts....
> 
> Tank Size:
> I'm finally upgrading from a 29 gallon planted tank
> with all the wrong stuff to a bigger tank with more of
> the right stuff.  My new stand is 36x18 so I have my
> eye on either a 50 gallon tank (36x18x18 - same height
> as I have now) or a 65 gallon (36x18x24).  I know my
> reach is fine on the 18" high and have stuck my arm
> around in the 24" and can reach there too, including
> the back, just not as easily.  I currently have 60
> watts total on my 29 gallon (too low for what I'd like
> to grow but some nice plants anyway) but will soon
> have 125 watts total that I can put on the new tank. 
> I can upgrade that, but probably not for 6 months.  
> The plants I have now grow out of the water
> constantly, so I had thought to get a taller tank, but
> 24" is more than I had in mind.  I just has to fit on
> the stand (which was a freebie) so sizes are limited.
> 
> Question:  Aesthetically-speaking, do you all like the
> looks of a 18" inch high or 24" inch high better? 
> Which do you prefer for aquascaping?
> 
> 
> Flourite:
> Regardless of which tank I pick, from the calculations
> in the archives, I've figured I need about 6 bags of
> Flourite for 3-3.25 inches, which will leave me a
> little for my 10 gallon.  My water is very, very soft
> and I use some crushed coral in a bag in my Aquaclear
> filter. 
> 
> Second question:  Because my water is so soft and I
> HAVE to use the crushed coral, should I substitute a
> bag or two of Flourite for Onyx, which I understand
> from the archives could help this?  Or should I
> continue with the crushed coral and go all Flourite?
> 
> Thanks for any answers and the excellent archival info
> I've found!


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