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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #1045
krandall at world_std.com wrote re: Reasonably Priced Lighting????
>(BTW, if you
>want a model number that I like, try GE's F40SP65... but I'm sure there
>are others that work as well) Either way their plants will grow well.
Personally I've used 4-F40D's in two $9 shoplights with great results in a
planted 55 tank for several years now.
BTW, what's this T-8 lighting you were refering to? Is it the same as the HO
and VHO I've largely decided against even looking into due to cost?
-----------------------------
"Harold G. Walters" <hgwalters at halnet_com> wrote re: Sand/Gravel Size
>I have seen references to sandblasting sand but I was unable to locate
>anyone in my area who sold it in the sizes I was looking for, so I don't
>know if the table below applies to that type of sand.
My understanding is that sandblasting grit size numbers refer to the diameter
of the particles in mm. Thus #1 grit is aprox the same as your #18 Sieve Size
and #2 grit is aprox the same as your #10.
After a year-long search when preparing to set up my planted tank, and requests
to over two dozen sand and gravel yards, I finally found the "mythical" #1
sandblasting
grit I was told to use. It is certainly not 1" in diameter, but is a rather
fine, but
not yet dust like, grain size. There is a certain variability, but not much.
I think
it finally cost me $10 for a 50 pound (~23 Kg) bag. (But then, I'd probably
spent well
over $100 in gas, postage and phone calls alone to locate it!)
I layered this over a mixture of soaked vermiculite and dirt. No additional
fertilization
was necessary for over a year. When algae over took the tank, I added 25
ottocinclus cats
and when they failed to get the algae under control, started using
houseplant fertalizer
spikes pushed well into the substrate directly under the largest plants. Now
there is a
little algae, but the plants are back to growing well and I just had a
couple of swords
send up flower stalks and am thinking of setting up a small hydroponic
system to start
the seed pods for maximum germination.
Anyone have any thoughts on this last part?
-- dj