flatlandy

Hi guys,

New member here! Glad to have found this place.

I'm looking to get into the planted tank hobby and have been searching around for a used tank. I have found a great deal locally for a 100 gallon tall (48x13x32, LxWxH).

Would this be a good tank to use for a planted set up or is it too tall? I'm looking to do a low light setup, with some sort of carpet/carpet looking/moss floor plant and anything else that is somewhat simple to grow.

Let me know your thoughts!

Drew 43920

Depends on wattage of lights. That high or deep I would want 2 watts per gallon for low light plants,

flatlandy

Thanks for the suggestion. I figured it might be something like an increase in WPG.

Any cost friendly suggestions for a 200w+ lighting setup? I took a quick look and it seemed like metal halides would be the choice because of their wattage output.

Nate McFin

Andy,
Yes Halides would be your best option. Even at 2W per gallon it will be tough to get the carpet look your would like to go for. Tall tanks are not ideal for carpets though some mosses might work. Hemianthus Calllitrichoides, Micro swords, dwarf hair grass and other popular carpet plants require high light of 3-4 watts per gallon. Also remember the higher the wattage the larger the need for Co2 injection.
Personally I would pick the plants you want and design the lights and system around it. It avoids spending extra money on upgrades in the future. I would go to plantedtank.net and research some of the members aquriums and what plants appeal to you before spending your $ on lights, substrate, etc.
Regarding cost effective lights, ahsupply.com has great lights and is used frequently on plantedtank.net. Note some DIY knowledge may be useful if you go this route.