FishProfiles.com Message Forums

also how do you order things off the All-Glass website??? can you??? i would like to look at prices at least. do they sell that stuff at Petsmart or Petco???

i am considering the Strip Light Twin Tube 24" oak trim. http://www.all-glass.com/products/hoods/index.htmland the 24" Versa Top Twin Tube for 20H gallon tanks. http://www.all-glass.com/products/hoods/index.html

this will work for a tank with the dimensions 24" long, 12" wide and 16-17" tall that is 20 gallons???

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

i just looked at my aquarium and on the back of the hood it says that it is an All-Glass product so it should work.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

kj fishy-fi,

You are truely in love with All-Glass

OK, so I will give up on convincing you that the Current Fixture would be better and I move on to answer your questions:

- All-Glass does not sell directly. The question if you can buy their products at Petco or PetSmart can be answered with yes, but I have only seen their lights on tank kits at my Petco (but I don't look for light units in stores anyway, so they very well be there). Your original link to the 55W unit (way up in this thread) is to PetSmart and shows you an All-Glass fixture. See the photo below left is from your link, right is from Big Al's for the All-Glass 55W PC unit. Now, it still could be that they only sell it online at PetSmart.

- Albeit your links in the last thread don't point to a particular item (tricky website as they run the details in a frame which doesn't update the URL bar), I know what you mean. I don't know specifics for the 55W unit, but the twin tube for sure requires the Versa Top glass cover that is made specifically for twin tubes, aka has a wider glass middle section and a narrower front flap section.

I hope this helps,

Ingo

Attached Image:

55W Unit from All-Glass

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

i am going to my LFS to try and return some angelfish that they wouldnt take on April 8 because their fins were red at the base and i treated them this week. if they do take the fish and i possibly get some fish then when i replace the gravel would it be better to have less fish or more fish in the tank??? does it even matter how many fish you have when you cycle a tank anyway??? the tank wouldnt even be really cycling for the first time though so it would be different too. would a blue ram be sensitive to that or should i wait until i change gravel and it settles to add a blue ram??? hurry because i have to leave soon.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

also if i were to get the fixture that holds 2 fluorescent lights that are 18 inches long and 15 watts each that is 30 watts total. that makes the tank 1.5 watts per gallon. i would like at least 2 watts per gallon, but with a light for growing plants and a normal light to make viewing nicer then does it really matter on the wattage if the light for plants is in there???

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

kj fishy-finn,

Sorry - I haven't been on for the last 6 hours, had to do family things

About all your questions:

General Rule: when in doubt, act on the cautious side.

Now I hope that is what you have done. Sure are less fish better than more when a tank is going through a cycle, even when the cycle is a mini cycle. And yes, Rams need very good water conditions, there are not for any newly modified tank, I would only recommend them for settled tanks.

And the light: If you want at least 2wpg then get the power compact fixture, either your beloved 55w or the 65w. In either case get a 6,700K bulb for it. If you want your mixed light (nice for the human eye and plants - to some degree) then get the twin tube fixture, but plan your plant species so they grow happy in this rather low light.

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

could you tell me more about the Coralife Freshwater Power Compact Light that has a 65W bulb that is 6700K??? what kind of top does it sit on??? (i mean something like the versa top from all-glass) what does it look like with the leg things??? could you take a picture for me to show me what you mean by it stands it up more. my tank also has a ledge that the top sits on and then the light fixture. would the light fixture from Big Al's that is 24" long sit on the ledge fine or would the legs help stand it up a bit??? is that the only color it comes in, because my tank has the oak wood looking finish on it.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

my current light fixture is 22.75" x 4.25" x 2.75".

where is the link to see your 65W light in action??? i cant find it. nevermind i found it.

could you give me the measurement of the light fixture please??? that would be very helpful. without the legs.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

kj fishy-finn,

The light fixture I have is for a 29G, means a tank that is 30" long (longer than yours). My fixture, and I think that counts for all the short Coralife fixtures, is silver. My unit sits on legs over a Versa-Top glass cover that is designed for the double flourescent fixture, this way the light can penetrate the tank without being blocked by the plastic strip that separates the middle glass and front flap.

If you want me to then I still can take a picture of it, but it has to wait until tonight as the fishies are sleeping now and I will be at work during the day.

Does this fixture have to sit on legs? Sure not, but there are advantages to it. Spending the extra $7 gives you:

- No worries about overheating of the fixture because it can circluate air all around (these untis don't have a fan).
- The ability to have the light on while having the glass removed to do some minor maintenance tasks in the tank (like pruning a dead leaf, catching a fish, even adding one or the other plant)
- No worries at all about fixture length and width as its legs rest on the top frame.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

well when i looked at the picture of the legs it looked like they attach on side and then stick out farther to side which would make it longer than the tank. what are the exact measurements for the light fixture with and without the legs? that would be nice if you still did take a picture just so i could get an idea of what it looks like better.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

kj fishy-finn,

I am so sorry

The company I work for decided to have a crisis (over nothing) and I got home from work really late, so I have no photos yet. I will try to take some tonight.

The fixture with legs will not expand the width of the tank, except for the tiny piece of plastic on the leg feet than anchors the fixture so it doesn't move sideways. I know this is hard to understand (and explain), I really will try to be at home in time tonight (as I hate overtime) and take some detail shots.

Thanks,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

that is OK. as long as it is by the end of May because i am going to do it in the summer when school is out and i dont have to play golf for high school. it is going to be my summer project along with golfing.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

kj fishy-finn,

Ok, here is a full shot of the Coralife fixture over my 29G tank:

Attached Image:

Light I

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

And here is a close-up that shows you the details of the leg and how far it reaches over the side of the tank. As you can see, pretty much not at all.

The legs also come in clear and that would be the ones I would recommend, they just look "lighter" than the black ones.

I hope this helps, fire away if you need more info,

Ingo

Attached Image:

Light II

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

so from the picture it looks as if you can place them as far in as you want. is your top a versa top??? could you still give me the exact measurements of the fixture with and without the legs??? (height with legs)

how long is the light bulb? and where can you find replacements of the internet, do they have there own website?

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

kj fishy-finn,

Girl - you are persistent

Ok, maybe tonight I have the chance (more likely tomorrow night) to measure my unit. But up-front, I cannot check how heavy it is as I don't have a scale

Seriously, the only measurement that for sure would be the same for your tank would be the distance from unit to glass as the legs are the same. Otherwise, you may have forgotten that my tank is longer than yours, 30 inches. My bulb is the same than the one you would have, so I will measure that one as well, plus the length of the socket etc. as I assume you wonder how they pack the 65W bulb into a unit that is only 24 inches long.

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

LF,

I guess I will help you out a littel bit. I don't have the little guy but I have the 48" model.

Top of the tank to the top of the fixture: 4"
Bulb: 21"
Fixture: 2.5"

Girlfriend! You can find just about anything online! Just go to google.com and type in 65W Coralife. I am sure something will come up.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

i was just wondering about the measurements because on Big Al's it say that it is 24" long.

from the picture with the legs it looks as if you can put them back as far as you want along that groove thing that they hook into. is that right???

i dont need the weight of it. i never said anything about that.

LITTLE_FISH is your top a versa top???

sorry that i am so thorough before i buy something that i have not seen in real life. i have to make sure that it will work before i ask my parents and order it online.

also going back to switching gravel - if i had my tank stocked with just 6 harlies and 2 bandit cories that would be small enough when doing a mini cycle again, right??? i would have to get rid of my angelfish and clown pleco first.

also where would you find a replacement bulb for the Coralife fixture that i am going to get eventually and hopefully???

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

from the picture with the legs it looks as if you can put them back as far as you want along that groove thing that they hook into. is that right???

Yup but you want it to sit at the edge of the tank.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Kayla,

I truely understand where you are coming from when you ask all these questions, I was just pulling your strings a little when I mentioned the weight issue (it was a joke).

The legs don't hook into a groove, they simply sit on top of the frame and have a little ledge on the outside that avoids that the unit moves sideways. Yes, you can move them back and forth over the tank, as long as the legs are still resting on the frame. In general, I would suggest a position pretty much in the middle of the depth of the tanks so that all plants get equal light. I move my unit backwards when I do some pruning and vacuuming so I can still see what I am doing and also have the freedom to reach with my hand/equipment into the tank.

Yes, I have a Versa-Top on my tank. It is the one that is designed for a Double-Fixture as it has a wider middle glass plate. This way, the light can hit all plants in the tank without being blocked by the plastic strip that connects the front flap to the glass.

Big Al's says this unit is 24" long because this unit is 24" long . They don't speak about the bulb length, they mention the length of the entire setup. And, given that your tank is also 24" long, this should be a perfect match.

I am not an expert beyond the things you already know about switching gravel, so I cannot help you with that question.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

hey i found this great site with an article about changing gravel in another section: http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/qa/l/blqa2008.htm

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

I need a quick 101 on plant fertilizers, please???

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

LIITLE_FISH where did you buy your Double Fixture Versa-Top??? Since you live in the US, did you buy it from Petco or Petsmart or your LFS??? Just wondering.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

Kayla,

To answer your questions:

I got my Double Fixture Versa-Top from the LFS. They sell AGA (All-Glass Aquarium) tanks as well, and as such have for the smaller ones always enough tops in store (almost always), otherwise they can order it. I believe that even the Petco in my area would be able to order it, but I haven't asked. If you have trouble finding it then find out which store in your area is an AGA representative. They should have no problem ordering it for you.

Plant Fertilizer, 101: That is a course of 100 hours, hands-on training not included .

Basically, plants need 3 things besides water to grow, light - a carbon source (often CO2 or Flourish Excel) - and fertilizers. We usually break down the fertilizers into 2 groups, macros and micros. Macros are called this way because plants need proportionally way more of these than of the micros. Macros are made up of Nitrates (N), Phosphates (P), and Potassium (K). Micros are made up of loads of components, for example iron, calcium, and magnesium (plus many more).

What else would you like to know?

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I think I have everything ready for planting my tank this summer and giving it a major makeover.

Light Fixture: http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=29549;category_id=1875;pcid1=1843;pcid2=

Light Fixture Legs: http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=23927&category_id=1875&pcid1=1843

Hood: http://www.all-glass.com/products/hoods/index.html
The 24" long for 20H aquariums that is the Twin Tube.

Background: http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=20257;category_id=2427
What does it mean by: sold by the foot???

Driftwood #1: http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F46DA/Class/Aquarium+Ornaments+Driftwood+Natural/T1/F46DA+0122+0005/EDP/1266/Itemdy00.aspx

Driftwood #2: http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F46DA/Class/Aquarium+Ornaments+Driftwood+Natural/T1/F46DA+0122+0001/EDP/1251/Itemdy00.aspx

Gravel: http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=7658&PC=productlist&Nav=220&N=24%20105%2030%205706&sku=217824&familyID=8177&
If you click More Images under the picture it is the first picture you see. I am getting 6x5lbs bags.

Fish Stock List
1. 1 Blue Ram
2. 7 Pygmy Cory
3. 15 Harlequin Rasbora

Plant Stock List:
1. Cabomba caroliniana
2. Ludwigia repens
3. Cryptocoryne beckettii
4. Echinodorus quadricostatus
5. Cryptocoryne willisii
6. Echinodorus tenellus

Any comments or suggestions on anything I listed above???

What order should I do these things to my aquarium??? I guess the first step would be to get rid of some fish in my tank that I dont want anymore and then do the gravel and add the driftwood. Then I would do the lights and get to the plants. The background would be last or whenever I get a chance.

What fertilizer should I buy for my plants??? What should my fertilizing schedule be with the plants I am planning to buy??? What fertilizers do I need to add??? I would like to use Flourish I believe.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

Kayla,

From top to bottom:

1) Light fixture and legs are good

2) Your link to the hood brings me to the index of all kinds of hoods. What you want is the Versa Top for twin tubes, which is simply the glass top and not a full fledged hood. That is what you mean, right?

3) Good background to get started. It gives you the option of either using the dark blue side (have that on my 29G) or the black one (which is what most people do). You can play with it and if you don't like it turn it around later. Be aware that the blue that you see on an empty tank is much lighter than when the tank is filled up. "by the foot" means that these sheets have a fixed height (the one you linked to is 19" high) and you order how many feet wide you need. I think your tank is 24" wide, so you would order 2 feet. Make sure the hight is not too short for your tank, the 19" would have to be the height between the black bottom and top trims.

4) Driftwood: eh Not too wild about these. Although their shape is very nice, you know that you are not getting exactly these two pieces. Also, this would is on slate as it is not pre-soaked and would otherwise float up. In addition, these pieces are rather short, the tallest being maybe 12". This is barely half the tank height and given that you selected taller plants for the back these woods will dissapear visually in no time (except if you place them close to the front). I would suggest you peruse the LFS for pre-soaked Malaysian (spelling) driftwood that is more unique.

5) Gravel: The darker the better. I have in my 125G the Estes gravel that is called deep river. In the bag it looks pretty dark, but once added to the tank it becomes lighter, too light for my likings (but I am not in the mood to replace 220lbs of gravel either). Gravel alone wouldn't do it anyway, you will need (or should) some substrate fertilizer, for example laterite, as well. Have you thought about Eco-Complete?

6) Fish: Just some thoughts: Rams - Why only one? Also, if you don't have it yet then wait until the tank is way settled (up to 6 months). Pygmy Cories - aren't they NOT bottom dwellers? I believe to remember that this species is active all over the tank, unlike most "normal" sized cories. Harlies: Nice, but maybe too many. Start with a school of 8 to 10 (stock 6 first, then add 2 or 4 later) and see how full the tank gets. My personal experience with their cousins is that, if the tank is too full, they are not schooling that well anymore as there are fish all over the place.

7) Plants: As discussed many times over, just refer to my earlier comments

8) Misc. : About ferts, peruse the various threads (like tetratech's and mine and many other "shorter" ones talking about macros, micros, specific brands, schedules, and what not), it is simply too much to explain the whole thing in one entry.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

With 2) Hood - yes I do mean the glass portion, but we have already talked about this.

With 4) Driftwood - I know I wont get those exact pieces, but like the branchy look. I would redo gravel first then add the driftwood and plant my tank depending on how the driftwood looks. It will involve more creativity to set up the tank and make it more fun that way.

With 5) Gravel - Do I have to have substrate fertilizer or not??? Could you tell me more about the laterite and Eco-Complete??? I would rather not mess with all of this and just have the gravel. With plant fertilizer wont that make up for the substrate fertilizer??? I would like to go the easiest way and not have a tank get messed up like all the ones I have read about. I would like to keep it as simple as possible.

With 6) Fish - I was going with one Ram as a centerpiece fish kind of. Again sticking to the safe track with getting 2 and having them have territorial problems. From the Pygmy Cories I say at my LFS they were all sitting on the bottom of the tank.

I think I covered all of it for now.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

Kayla,

From the Pygmy Cories I say at my LFS they were all sitting on the bottom of the tank

From my limited experience:

- Cories are active fish. If they "sit" at the bottom of the tank then they are most likely intimidated by the other fish in the tank or still stressed from the shipping, or sick, or a combination of the above. I am sure that, if I ever purchase Cories, I will not buy the sitting ducks but the ones that are actively swimming around.

- There are, if I remember that right, 3 kinds of small cories. Only one of them is a true bottom dweller (like the larger ones), the others are midwater fish. And I believe that the ones sold as Pygmy Cories are not that one, but maybe I am wrong. It would in any case be worthwile to peruse the web and learn more about them.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I didnt mean sitting on the bottom not moving, but swimming around on the bottom or relaxing on the bottom like my Bandit Cories do when they are not looking for food. But I didnt watch them too long so from what I saw that is what they were doing. I will try to surf the web when I get a chance this week.

I found this site on Pygmy Cories: http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_pygmaeus.php

For the Driftwood: What if I did this:
1) http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F46DA/Class/Aquarium+Ornaments+Driftwood+Natural/T1/F46DA+0122+0007/EDP/1273/Itemdy00.aspx
and this 2) http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F46DA/Class/Aquarium+Ornaments+Driftwood+Natural/T1/F46DA+0122+0005/EDP/1266/Itemdy00.aspx

The one piece(1) is bigger and one is from my last decision/post. You said that since they were smaller they might be covered up quickly.

Plant Stock List:
1. Cabomba caroliniana
2. Ludwigia repens
3. Cryptocoryne beckettii
4. Echinodorus quadricostatus
5. Cryptocoryne willisii
6. Echinodorus tenellus

Would it look better if I did just the Cabomba caroliniana in the back or would that look funny??? That way I get rid of using the Ludwigia which has the pink hue to it which will make the Cryptocoryne beckettii look nice all by itself with the darker brown/green color it has.

Will the Blue Ram be fine then by itself??? From what I have read it will.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

Kayla,

I guess the discussion if it is a bottom dweller or not is not really important, but I would like to show you This Link (look under Other Comments) to counter yours . In addition, I found another description that states the same - including a nice picture of a school in mid level), and a forum with a rather strong statement by one member pointing out that it is not a bottom dweller. I can provide you both links, but you would have to be able to read German. Anyway, it is not all that important

About the wood, yeah the height seems to be better, but this made it also chunkier. In general, I favor pre-soaked wood as it leaks less tannins. If you have tho option of getting wood at the LFS then you should investigate. Remember, sites always show the most favorable of the possible pieces.

About the plants, sure you can go with less species, you can always add more later if you dont like it. I had Cabomba a long time ago in my 29G and it was ok, but I prefered Ambulia over it, nicer leaf structure.

I assume one Ram would be fine, just as one human is fine. But don't we all strive for a little love ?

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Do I have to have substrate fertilizer or not??? Could you tell me more about the laterite and Eco-Complete??? I would rather not mess with all of this and just have the gravel. With plant fertilizer wont that make up for the substrate fertilizer??? I would like to go the easiest way and not have a tank get messed up like all the ones I have read about. I would like to keep it as simple as possible.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

Laterite is an iron-rich sustance that is mixed into the bottom third of the gravel to allow plant roots to receive nutrients directly. Eco Complete is a substrate that basically has nutrients mixed into it already (and looks nice). Any plant that is almost exclusively feeding from the substrate would need some ferts in it. Some provide these ferts via plant sticks that they stick close to the roots into the substrate.

Most people are convinced that most plants can get by with fertilizers that they receive through the water column though, and as such you could use plain gravel as a base. Of course you have to make sure that you provide nutrients to the water on a frequent and proper (right amount of specific nutrient) base.

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

So basically I dont have to use any of the Eco-Complete or subsrate fertilizer, but have to use fertilizers like the Seachem products to provide plants with nutrients. I can just get by with the plain gravel, right???

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

Right Kayla

Just make sure that you understand how to use these products for the water column, which ones you nees, and how often you have to add them.

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

You are refering to the fertilizers, right???

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

So anyway, I haven't been on forever but my dream to do live plants is still strong and I have started to put my plan into motion.

In August of 2007 I switched the gravel from the colored stuff to a more natural colored one. Note: I will try to get pictures up someday for ppl to view.

I recently within the last week recieved my order of 2 pieces of driftwood from That Pet Place which I didn't know what they were going to look like until I got them in mail. Didn't mind not knowing becuase it made it fun getting a challenge to work with what I was given and make it work in my design for my aquarium which I haven't done yet.

I also just recieved my new Coralife Freshwater Aqualight that is 24" long and also bought a new glass hood for my aquarium to accomodate the light fixture.

I just have to order plants now and decide when to do that.

I am planning on doing:
o Egeria densa
o Cryptocoryne beckettii
o Echinodorus quadricostatus
o Ludwigia repens
o Vallisneria americana

Any suggestions or comments on this choice???

The fish I plan to get are:
o 2 Blue Rams (pair)
o 5 Panda Corydoras
o 11 Harlequin Rasoboras

So any comments, suggestions, ideas or criticism is happily accepted.

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

on the driftwood that i ordered there are screws on the bottom attaching a piece of slate to it. will this eventually rust and harm the fish???

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

No, it will not. My driftwood also has screws in the bottom. I think it is stainless steel, but either way, it's safe to put in the aquarium.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

Thanks because I wasn't sure.

Does anyone have any comments on my plant choices???

How should I go about creating a map layout of where to put plants??? Is there any kind of guidelines to how I should arrange plants besides by height?

kj fishy-finn <*)))><
20 Gallon Album
5 Gallon Album

I am planning on doing:
o Egeria densa
o Cryptocoryne beckettii
o Echinodorus quadricostatus
o Ludwigia repens
o Vallisneria americana

I think you have a pretty good list there.

I see that you have a new light coming. How many watts will you be running on your 20G?

I think that most of the plants you plan on having should be fairly easy to grow. If you decide to use Flourish Excel as your carbon source you might run into some problems with your vals, crypts, and densa. I have melted my share of them using Excel.



55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric