# Converting my 29gal to a planted tank



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Going to convert my 29gal tank in the next week or two to what I would call a planted tank. Right now it has about 40lbs of your standard small aquarium gravel and about 6 plants that have been doing fairly well considering the current light level of the tank.

There are currently 18 cardinal/neon tetras, 2 Platies, and 2 Gouramis in it. I just got a used tank this past weekend that came with 8 neons in it and the water maintains a 7.4ph with CO2 injection and thought that would be a better place for my tetras anyway over the 8.2ph water they are living in. Once I got them moved out the tank would be sort of empty and ready for me to do whatever I wanted to do to it.

So, my plan was to pull out about half the tank gravel and add in 20lbs of eco-complete and about 10lbs of that absorbant clay stuff that was posted about a few days ago. Both are very easy for me to get and I didn't want to completely take the tank down. Otherwise, I would have just done my own BeaslBob build. I was just going to mix it all up and make it look like it all came together.

Is this a good plan? I have a dual tube florescent fixture that I think is inadequate and plan to make my own this coming 3-day weekend.

I got about 12 plants coming to me and will keep 5 or so of the ones already in there. I also have a DIY CO2 standing by for me to add water.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jrman83 said:


> Going to convert my 29gal tank in the next week or two to what I would call a planted tank. Right now it has about 40lbs of your standard small aquarium gravel and about 6 plants that have been doing fairly well considering the current light level of the tank.
> 
> There are currently 18 cardinal/neon tetras, 2 Platies, and 2 Gouramis in it. I just got a used tank this past weekend that came with 8 neons in it and the water maintains a 7.4ph with CO2 injection and thought that would be a better place for my tetras anyway over the 8.2ph water they are living in. Once I got them moved out the tank would be sort of empty and ready for me to do whatever I wanted to do to it.
> 
> ...


sounds like you got a plan.

I would go for 1.5 watts/gallon (flouescent) of 6500k lighting.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Thanks.

I'm going for 3-26w, 6500k fl bulbs in what I make. Going to position them in a way where if I need to not use one it won't leave any shadows in the tank.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

jrman83 said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I'm going for 3-26w, 6500k fl bulbs in what I make. Going to position them in a way where if I need to not use one it won't leave any shadows in the tank.


How about posting a picture of your setup when you get it done?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Not sure when that will be, but will do.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Finished up everything. Did just like I said I was going to do. Tank was really cloudy for a few hours. The safe-t sorb is a little difficult to get rinsed good. Once cleared, I added new pieces of driftwood and the plants. Got the CO2 setup going. Waited about 24hrs, tested water quality. Results were 0/0/5 (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate). Added the fish. Built the new light and put it in place. Just need to stain and treat and I'm done.

Here is a pic of what it looked like before. It was just a bunch of potted plants thrown in there until I decided what to do. They had been in there over a month.


Here it is what it looks like now:


I had plants on order that did not come in, so I had to make do with what I had.


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## saltydad (Jun 27, 2008)

Thanks for the update. I'm converting a 20 long to planted, but so far have done nothing but add some FloraPride for the current plants. Only have a calico angel, a pair of black neon tetras, and 2 cories. The lighting update will be next, as I only have a standard single tube now.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

saltydad said:


> Thanks for the update. I'm converting a 20 long to planted, but so far have done nothing but add some FloraPride for the current plants. Only have a calico angel, a pair of black neon tetras, and 2 cories. The lighting update will be next, as I only have a standard single tube now.


Making the lighting fixture took a little over an hour to construct. If you used the same idea, you would probably need 3-26W spiral CFLs also, give it is longer than a standard 20. The rest of my plants come in tomorrow, but the ones I have in there nownearly all have new growth and have greeened up nicely.


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