150 planted tank..Need help with selecting hardware

[Bryan Casalegno]

I'm looking for some guidance as to the best set up solution for a 150
gallon tank.That is very deep
18w X 27H X 72L...
I want mostly plants, but fish also....
I plan on 2 150w MH and two 96w PC ...ya or na
I also am thinking of the substrate coil heater....?
any thing else.
also where is the best place to buy large amounts of
plants
drift wood

what kind of filter.
canister/wetdry?


Bryan
I'm switching back from salt to fresh....
thanks in advance for all your help!

[Bruce Geist]

I know little about MH lighting; I know it has very good penetration. I
think you could certainly all CFs if you wanted-- even if your tank is 27
inches deep. That is only a couple of inches deeper than mine, and I have
used CF lighting to good effect. MH might be better though-- I'll leave
this question to the lighting gurus.

As for heating cable, I can only tell you that in my 135 gallon, I installed
a heating cable. It worked for a couple of weeks, and then quit. Of course
it was under waranty, but I did not want to break down the tank do get it
out for return. Frankly, it was a pain anyway, because it was hard to keep
the tank temp down during the summer with all the lighting I had. I have
survived quite well without it, and am still irritated about how quickly the
darn thing gave out on me. I say, don't waste your money. IMHO, I have had
a good looking tank going now for a couple of years, all without benefit of
cable heating. Use a qaulity substrate (flourite) and you will be fine.
(Now, my cable is beginning to surface because it has been "uprooted" as I
have replated. Its a pain to try to keep burried.)

I got my drift wood and lava rock from a lfs. Where I am, Petsmart has a
lot of that kind of stuff, and it is usually pretty well priced. (Drift wood
probably needs to be evaluated piece by piece according to your needs and
preferences, so on-line ordering may not be ideal for this purchase.) -Bruce
Geist


Bryan Casalegno > wrote in message
news:emeN9.257935$pN3.19853@sccrnsc03...
> I'm looking for some guidance as to the best set up solution for a 150
> gallon tank.That is very deep
> 18w X 27H X 72L...
> I want mostly plants, but fish also....
> I plan on 2 150w MH and two 96w PC ...ya or na
> I also am thinking of the substrate coil heater....?
> any thing else.
> also where is the best place to buy large amounts of
> plants
> drift wood
>
> what kind of filter.
> canister/wetdry?
>
>
> Bryan
> I'm switching back from salt to fresh....
> thanks in advance for all your help!
>
>

[Bryan Casalegno]

Thanks Bruce.
I found some drift wood localy, and have scraped the idea of of the
substrate heather.
Is it true that 150 watt MH tar ballast can run 175 watt bulbs?
I just got a pair of very nice lights. But need 50 more watts just to be
safe.
I read some where on the net that all i have to do is change the base out
and I could run 175 watters?
True of false?

Bryan


"Bruce Geist" > wrote in message
...
> I know little about MH lighting; I know it has very good penetration. I
> think you could certainly all CFs if you wanted-- even if your tank is 27
> inches deep. That is only a couple of inches deeper than mine, and I have
> used CF lighting to good effect. MH might be better though-- I'll leave
> this question to the lighting gurus.
>
> As for heating cable, I can only tell you that in my 135 gallon, I
installed
> a heating cable. It worked for a couple of weeks, and then quit. Of
course
> it was under waranty, but I did not want to break down the tank do get it
> out for return. Frankly, it was a pain anyway, because it was hard to
keep
> the tank temp down during the summer with all the lighting I had. I have
> survived quite well without it, and am still irritated about how quickly
the
> darn thing gave out on me. I say, don't waste your money. IMHO, I have
had
> a good looking tank going now for a couple of years, all without benefit
of
> cable heating. Use a qaulity substrate (flourite) and you will be fine.
> (Now, my cable is beginning to surface because it has been "uprooted" as I
> have replated. Its a pain to try to keep burried.)
>
> I got my drift wood and lava rock from a lfs. Where I am, Petsmart has a
> lot of that kind of stuff, and it is usually pretty well priced. (Drift
wood
> probably needs to be evaluated piece by piece according to your needs and
> preferences, so on-line ordering may not be ideal for this
purchase.) -Bruce
> Geist
>
>
> Bryan Casalegno > wrote in message
> news:emeN9.257935$pN3.19853@sccrnsc03...
> > I'm looking for some guidance as to the best set up solution for a 150
> > gallon tank.That is very deep
> > 18w X 27H X 72L...
> > I want mostly plants, but fish also....
> > I plan on 2 150w MH and two 96w PC ...ya or na
> > I also am thinking of the substrate coil heater....?
> > any thing else.
> > also where is the best place to buy large amounts of
> > plants
> > drift wood
> >
> > what kind of filter.
> > canister/wetdry?
> >
> >
> > Bryan
> > I'm switching back from salt to fresh....
> > thanks in advance for all your help!
> >
> >
>
>

[Marvin Hlavac]

"Bruce Geist" > wrote
>
> As for heating cable, I can only tell you that in my 135 gallon, I installed
> a heating cable. It worked for a couple of weeks, and then quit. Of course
> it was under waranty, but I did not want to break down the tank do get it
> out for return.


Exactly the same experience here with my 90g. I ordered it via an on-line store.
It took time and effort to install it. It worked for a week or two. Now I wish I
never installed it because to remove it now is impossible unless I remove
everything from the tank. I would not recommend cable heating for another reason
as well: I like to fertilize with root tablets and I feel that increased water
circulation would dissolve the tablets quicker.

--
Marvin
hlavac (at) rogers (dot) com

[Robert H]

"Bryan Casalegno" > wrote in message news:<emeN9.257935$pN3.19853@sccrnsc03>...
> I'm looking for some guidance as to the best set up solution for a 150
> gallon tank.That is very deep
> 18w X 27H X 72L...
> I want mostly plants, but fish also....
> I plan on 2 150w MH and two 96w PC ...ya or na
> I also am thinking of the substrate coil heater....?
> any thing else.
> also where is the best place to buy large amounts of
> plants
> drift wood
>
> what kind of filter.
> canister/wetdry?
>


Bryan,

Rather than me give you advice, (since I am somewhat biased) may I
suggest you visit my forums.... Aqua Botanic discussion forums have
over 500 members from around the world, a forum specifically for large
planted aquaria, participation from many of the leading and most
knowledgable hobbyists, over 16,000 posted messages in just three
months. I like to think that the success of my forums is due to the
unbiased participation of it's members...very unique for a vendor
sponsored forum. And if you so choose, Aqua Botanic can provide you
with plants and all the needed supplies.

Best regards

Robert Hudson
www.aquabotanic.com

[Bruce Geist]

I will have to rely on others who have used MH lighting to help you out.

Sorry Bryan, I don't know. -Bruce Geist
Bryan Casalegno > wrote in message
news:wDKN9.86586$qF3.7801@sccrnsc04...
> Thanks Bruce.
> I found some drift wood localy, and have scraped the idea of of the
> substrate heather.
> Is it true that 150 watt MH tar ballast can run 175 watt bulbs?
> I just got a pair of very nice lights. But need 50 more watts just to be
> safe.
> I read some where on the net that all i have to do is change the base out
> and I could run 175 watters?
> True of false?
>
> Bryan
>
>
> "Bruce Geist" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I know little about MH lighting; I know it has very good penetration. I
> > think you could certainly all CFs if you wanted-- even if your tank is
27
> > inches deep. That is only a couple of inches deeper than mine, and I
have
> > used CF lighting to good effect. MH might be better though-- I'll leave
> > this question to the lighting gurus.
> >
> > As for heating cable, I can only tell you that in my 135 gallon, I
> installed
> > a heating cable. It worked for a couple of weeks, and then quit. Of
> course
> > it was under waranty, but I did not want to break down the tank do get
it
> > out for return. Frankly, it was a pain anyway, because it was hard to
> keep
> > the tank temp down during the summer with all the lighting I had. I
have
> > survived quite well without it, and am still irritated about how quickly
> the
> > darn thing gave out on me. I say, don't waste your money. IMHO, I have
> had
> > a good looking tank going now for a couple of years, all without benefit
> of
> > cable heating. Use a qaulity substrate (flourite) and you will be fine.
> > (Now, my cable is beginning to surface because it has been "uprooted" as
I
> > have replated. Its a pain to try to keep burried.)
> >
> > I got my drift wood and lava rock from a lfs. Where I am, Petsmart has
a
> > lot of that kind of stuff, and it is usually pretty well priced. (Drift
> wood
> > probably needs to be evaluated piece by piece according to your needs
and
> > preferences, so on-line ordering may not be ideal for this
> purchase.) -Bruce
> > Geist
> >
> >
> > Bryan Casalegno > wrote in message
> > news:emeN9.257935$pN3.19853@sccrnsc03...
> > > I'm looking for some guidance as to the best set up solution for a 150
> > > gallon tank.That is very deep
> > > 18w X 27H X 72L...
> > > I want mostly plants, but fish also....
> > > I plan on 2 150w MH and two 96w PC ...ya or na
> > > I also am thinking of the substrate coil heater....?
> > > any thing else.
> > > also where is the best place to buy large amounts of
> > > plants
> > > drift wood
> > >
> > > what kind of filter.
> > > canister/wetdry?
> > >
> > >
> > > Bryan
> > > I'm switching back from salt to fresh....
> > > thanks in advance for all your help!
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>