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Cool Upgrade to Eclipse II



I don't know what various people think about the Eclipse II systems but
when my finances collapsed last summer to build my 180 gallon dream plant
tank, I settled for the intrim with a Eclipse II setup and it's turned into
a really cool plant/fish tank.

I have upgraded the lighting to 4 18 inch flourescents by buying these
aquapro T-8 ballasts and siliconing some light clips into the the second
lid of the Eclipse II. I use a variety of different bulbs to bring out
various colors in the fish. I know it's not the most efficient plant light
source but it allows be to have more than adequate light with emphasis at
various points in the spectrum. I currently have a Coralife tri-chromatic
which is a pleasant white full spectrum bulb along with an actinic, a
Powerglo and an Aquaralux. TYhe fish look great under this light and the
plants seem to be thriving. I don't have my CO2 equipment hooked up but the
system seems to be stable and the plants are growing nicely.

I have crypts, anubias red ludwigia, java moss and java fern, an Amazon
sword and some Rotal Indica growing and each plant is thriving.

As far as fish, I have 2 American flag fish, an unknown kilifish, 3 silver
hatchet fish, a zebra hypostimus who seems to never come out and a couple
misc.fish like otos...

I have a variety of different shrimp. 1 flower shrimp, 20 ghost shrimp and
something sold to me as "Algae eating shrimp" I wish I had the scientifc
name. It looks similar to the ghost shrimp except that there are some black
dots and patterns on it.

The system has been running flawlessly for 6 months now. I also do not use
the eclipse filter cartriges. I have a foam block as a prefilter and then I
got a nylon bag full of carbon. I peridocially dose a little Flourish.

Julius