Re: 15gal setup recommendations

[- <triax at bellsouth_net>]

If you want to keep the hood, get a compact fluorescent retrofit kit for 
the Eclipse.  This will give you quite a bit more wattage for growing 
plants (I did this with my 37 gallon Eclipse).  If you DON'T want to use 
the hood, then get a glass top and a compact fluorescent strip-light. You 
can go with a cannister filter if you want to spend that kind of money, but 
for such a small tank, I'd go with some kind of hang-on power filter.  I've 
had no problems with the Hagen Aquaclear I  have on my 10 gallon.  You can 
bubble your CO2 into the intake of the power filter so it gets mixed up 
really well.  Connect an airstone to the tubing from the CO2 cannister, and 
place the airstone directly under the intake.  You mentioned 
chemistry...cycling is the same regardless of tank size as far as I know, 
but, smaller tanks are more susceptible to swings in water parameters due 
to their smaller water volume.

-Kirk
>About a year and a half ago, when we knew absolutely nothing about raising
>either fish or submerged plants, we purchased a 15gal Eclipse, recommended
>by a lfs. In terms of plants, this was a complete disaster. The fish
>survived okay, but just about everything else that didn't swim never lasted
>more than a few days.
>
>Now, since our 6 month old 50gal is doing so well, I'd like to start again
>with this 15gal.  I'm assuming that our problems were from the bio-wheel,
>which made the water way too oxygenated and removed all traces of CO2 (not
>that we knew any of this then). I believe the lights weren't sufficient
>either. (and fish load.. I think we did just about everything wrong)
>
>What would you guys recommend in terms of filters, etc. for a small tank? (I
>have a couple of yeast/sugar CO2 cannisters that deliver the CO2 via a tube
>& ladder mounted inside the tank.)  Are there any distinct differences in
>the chemistry or cycling of a small tank as opposed to a large one?  Thanks
>in advance.
>
>Dennis


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