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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Plants and T8's

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16 Oct 2010 03:37 #1 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Hi folks. A while back I broke down my planted setup. The setup was under T5's and all was well until I expanded my marine setup so it had to go. I recently picked up a Lido 120 after moving on my Oscar and his tank as I wish to keep some Tiger barbs again and was wondering is there anything other than Anubias that will survive long term under T8's in a Lido 120? The tank is deep enough for its size so I think I will throw some reflectors on the bulbs but Im wondering will it be more worthwhile looking for a T5 unit for it? Thing is, I want to keep expenditure to a minimum...upgrading the marine again ;) . Any input is appreciated as its been a while since I had some green in a tank. Cheers,

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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16 Oct 2010 08:53 #2 by Ma (mm mm)
Replied by Ma (mm mm) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
Have been lookin at this mysewlf as I canned all my T5s after huge electricity bills, all my heaters and filters pumps ect didnt compair to running 3 sets of T5s for 12 hours a day, leccy bill practically halved over night.

Aponogetons and ferns.

Cryptocorynes as long as parameters remain stable, as in if you use T5s and switch to T8s it will die but if you are consistent with T8s and a decent reflector it will be fine

From doing a bit of research, some plants will do better with a heated substrate and T8s, even without a fert substrate and just the normal fine gravel or sand, again stability of parameters is important.

Riccia obviously, christmas moss


I think with lower light all of the other factors in their growing needs need to be at their optimum

Mark

Location D.11

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16 Oct 2010 09:28 #3 by Ma (mm mm)
Replied by Ma (mm mm) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
You could also suppliment your T8s with some cheap different light spectrum lets too I guess.


Mark

Location D.11

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16 Oct 2010 09:46 #4 by bart (Bart Korfanty)
go crypts
specially aponogetifolia, spiralis, cordata they love moderate to low light and stable hard water
sand or fine gravel is enough, just a little bit of micro elements fertilisation and easy carbo
in fact most of crypts will thrive in this
bacopa, ludvigia, heteranthera, ceratopteris they are fine for lowish light as well
i setup one of my friends 60l juvel recently with plants like that and they are surprisingly well with that miserable one 15w bulb
good luck

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16 Oct 2010 10:18 #5 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
A ballast with one small T5 would work perfectly plus, there was a modification of a Juwell here some time ago , follow the link...

www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/2655...ing-juwel-light-bar/


Kev.

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16 Oct 2010 10:19 #6 by Gavin (Gavin)
Replied by Gavin (Gavin) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
most of the hygrophillia sp. will do well under t8,cabomba and limnophillia aquartica grow like weeds as does elodea.

you should have a look here for some real inspiration jay.

www.tropica.com

all perameters are discussed on the profile page.

dont make me come over there.

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16 Oct 2010 10:21 #7 by Gavin (Gavin)
Replied by Gavin (Gavin) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
..also i've been growing cuba (for the first time ever without c02) in the little nano on my dest at work.Easy carbo is my new friend.it's a remarkable product.Any one else found it good/bad?

dont make me come over there.

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16 Oct 2010 10:26 #8 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
Yep, trouble free and works even in Shrimp setups , Flourish on the other hand , while it's excellent, dosage must be spot on if there are Shrimp etc present as it contains Copper and WILL wipe all and sundry out over night !!

Kev.

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16 Oct 2010 12:55 #9 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Apologies for the late response, up to me scones setting this thing up. Thanks a mill for all the detailed replys lads. Have a lot to think about...

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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16 Oct 2010 12:55 #10 by Ma (mm mm)
Replied by Ma (mm mm) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
Easy carbo worked great for me, excellent product

Easy carbo and fert
File Attachment:



Mark

Location D.11

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16 Oct 2010 13:57 #11 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Ive heard nothing but good things about EasyCarbo. Will def give it a whirl when this thing is planted. Thanks again lads ;) .

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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16 Oct 2010 15:28 #12 by Jim (Jim Lawlor)
Replied by Jim (Jim Lawlor) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
Easycarbo is definitely a miracle in a bottle. I started using it a few weeks ago and all my halfdead plants grew new shoots, any green water cleared up and I haven't had to clean the glass since.

It perks up all the plants and they outcompete the algae. I wouldn't be without it in a planted tank.

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16 Oct 2010 20:38 #13 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Thanks for the input Jim ;) .

@ Gav, that site is fantastic. An excellent reference. Ideas flowing now...

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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16 Oct 2010 20:42 #14 by stretnik (stretnik)
Replied by stretnik (stretnik) on topic Re:Plants and T8's
Bottle waiting for you here if you want it Jay.
Gratis of course.

Kev.

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16 Oct 2010 20:49 #15 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
stretnik wrote:

Bottle waiting for you here if you want it Jay.
Gratis of course.

Kev.


You are a gent Kev. I will avail of that offer ;) .

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.

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16 Oct 2010 23:12 #16 by NosIreland (Andrius Kozeniauskas)
Easycarbo is great but be careful with dosing.
It's ok for shrimps with small doses but higher dose would kill shrimp and snail population.
Also some plants and mosses don't like it.
As regards to the low light plants: Crypts, anubias, java fern, vallis will do fine. Also moss does not need much light just don't forger to trim it or it will start rotting at the bottom. For foreground you can use monosolenium tenerum(Pelia). It's a low light plant that ataches it self to objects but is painfully slow growing. Cobomba and egeria densa will grow but will not look nice.
Less light means slower growth, lower maintenance and less problems :)

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18 Oct 2010 08:58 - 18 Oct 2010 09:02 #17 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes)
Thanks for all the input so far lads. I have come up with a list that I think should do well under the contitions that I will be providing. Let me know what you think.



Background

Im going to try to stick with the one plant for the back and sides and I would like it to be one of the following...

Vallisneria nana

Vallisneria spiralis 'Tiger'

Vallisneria americana (natans)

I especially like the look of the Vallisneria spiralis 'Tiger' because of the striped leaves ;). Is this easy to get? Also, do you think they will be tall enough in a Lido 120? Dimensions are 61x41x58cm.


Midground

Microsorum pterops

I have some rocks and driftwood in the setup that would make great attachment sites for the fern.



Foreground

Anubias bartei var nana

Anubias barteri var caladiifolia

Monosolenium tenerum (Pellia)

I prefer the caladiifolia over the nana. Again, is this easily found? I have some smooth round pebbles that would make good attachment sites for the Monosolenum tenerum. Is this easy to come by?


Do you think this will work? I think it will look well and I chose these plants in the hope they would contrast well against each other but would like some opinions on it. Cheers guys,

Jay

Location: Finglas, North Dublin.

Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.
Last edit: 18 Oct 2010 09:02 by Viperbot (Jason Hughes). Reason: ommision

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