[Killietalk] planted tanks - off-topic, but need some input

[ed_dantes at linkline_com]

Off-Topic Planted Tank Question 

Things seem to be a little slow around here so how about help me out with a 
new tank set-up. 

I have a 180 gallon tank 72x24x24 that has the following equipment;
canister type filter with integrated uv
pump
2 in-line 300 watt heaters
4 VHO 36 inch light bulbs
Automatic R/O auto water changing built in. 


Here is the rub, I would like to set this up as a plant tank. 

I do not know what type of filtration to put into the tank and what type of 
substrate to place in the tank. 

1st the substrate; I would like to put something like lateralite into the 
tank so that the plants can have it to sustain them.....are there any cheap 
sources for this stuff?  3 to 4 inches across the bottom would be really 
expensive. 

2nd the filtration.  I have been paranoid over the years about dead spots 
and ammonia buildup so I have used under-gravel filters with very good 
success. 

Here is what I was thinking of doing.  Since I already have the water pump I 
was going to pump water into the tank and run a grid-work of pvc around the 
outer edge and make a sort of lattice of pvc every 6 inches or so through 
the tank.  I would drill this lattice with holes on the bottom so as to let 
the water out and let it peculate up through the gravel lateralite mixture. 
My calculations would suggest that I would have about 24 feet of pvc (3/4 
inch btw) to take the pressure off of my pump.  The water would peculate 
through fairly slowly (I think, I hope). 

I would then plant the tank with crypts, and vals, and anubias as well as 
anything else that wants to try and live in there. 

What do you think?  Will this reverse flow under-gravel filter work?  Or is 
there a better idea for getting rich plant growth? 

Sure would appreciate some input. 

Allan
AKA 00122, SCKC 

 

killie content - you know how many killies I could put into this tank - 
awesome..... 

I could probably grow diapterons up to be the size of.........They would 
need a lot of fertilizer  ;o)> 

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