# Planted aquarium lighting and CO2 tips?



## shrimpkeepertom (Feb 27, 2012)

Im starting up a 20 gallon FW tank and this is my first go at a heavily planted tank. I really want this tank looking beautiful and have a bit of money to spend so im wondering if anyone has any advice on lighting/ C02 system that would work well in this settup...the tank will be mostly for RCSs if that means anything....also substrate possibly?? Thank you!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I have a 20g shrimp tank with nothing but 1-24W T5HO tube over the tank and with the limited plant types I am growing they have been doing really well. IMO, the main things you'll want are some driftwood and moss. Moss doesn't require CO2 or much light. I would reconsider for such a small tank and if you still wanted CO2, setup a DIY CO2 and use that.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> I have a 20g shrimp tank with nothing but 1-24W T5HO tube over the tank and with the limited plant types I am growing they have been doing really well. IMO, the main things you'll want are some driftwood and moss. Moss doesn't require CO2 or much light. I would reconsider for such a small tank and if you still wanted CO2, setup a DIY CO2 and use that.


+1

I have a 10 gallon tank full of RCS and some dwarf rasboras, and I use no CO2 and a BeamWorks 5W LED fixture, with a mossy log, crypt, and two stems of wisteria. All plants are growing great (especially the moss) with no CO2. I have run yeast fermentation DIY CO2 on a shrimp tank before, and it really is overkill if you ask me, because with a tank that small I had to prune things once weekly. Up to you though.


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