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im planning on having real plants in my 10 & 29 gallon tanks. my question is will i need heating cables for the tanks.

IMHO the only thing that's actually a requirement for plants is a light and a decent rooting medium, so get a light before you even think about anything else. Odds are good that 2 watts per gallon or so, plus your fish waste, will get you enough to grow many plants, albeit without having to trim on a daily basis. See how that does for you before you decide to lay out any more - and when you get to that point, you will probably be much better off trying to fertilize CO2 than ripping up your substrate and wrecking your tank so you can stick in a heating cable that may or may not actually do anything useful for you.

Last edited by Silverlight at 24-Nov-2004 21:39

all i asked for was, if i needed heating cables for my 10 and 29. if i needed help on the co2, subtrate, and lighting i would have said so. no offense but ur reply wasnt really helpful.

"ripping up your substrate and wrecking your tank so you can stick in a heating cable that may or may not actually do anything useful for you".

i mess up my gravel on the time when i do my water changes.

Last edited by haRg0wbOi at 25-Nov-2004 00:59

Silverlight was only trying to help.The fact that you asked the question would suggest you are somewhat of a novice to planted tanks. Heating cables are pretty low down the list of priorities for a successful planted tank and that was his/her point.

The short answer is no they are not needed. They can provide some benefit to the roots but are not neccessary for a successful planted tank.

BTW, there is one hell of a difference between stirring up the gravel during water change (something you won't be able to do with live plants) and having to completely remove the substrate to insert heating cables.

---

Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Hi,
The short answer is No, you do not need heating cables
for a successful thriving tank full of plants. Frankly,
in the 10g tanks it would be a waste of money and only
marginally useful in the 29.

If you want more information on this subject, I'd be
glad to respond.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

ill have to agree that silver was trying to help, if i sounded angry or something i wasnt. thx for the replys, if i have any more questions ill let you know frank.

Last edited by haRg0wbOi at 25-Nov-2004 01:35

all i asked for was, if i needed heating cables for my 10 and 29. if i needed help on the co2, subtrate, and lighting i would have said so. no offense but ur reply wasnt really helpful.

I gave you my personal priority order - lights, substrate, CO2, ferts, then heating cable. If the fact that I put the heating cable as a distant last wasn't an answer to your question, then I don't know what is.

"ripping up your substrate and wrecking your tank so you can stick in a heating cable that may or may not actually do anything useful for you".

i mess up my gravel on the time when i do my water changes.

A water change means a minor disturbance from gravel vacuuming that typically results in clouds of dust going up the siphon hose. Installing a heating cable would involve taking out and/or moving all the decorations and then disturbing every single square inch of gravel to get it in. They're very very different operations.

Last edited by Silverlight at 25-Nov-2004 09:34

I would not use cables if you gave them to me free.

I used them for 10 years on 7 tanks.

$ is a non issue for me on this at this point.
They simply do not do a darn thing, no one is 15 years has show me that they do. Neither research nor practical application has suggested they do anything helpful ot growing aquatic plants.

It's a nice way to heat I suppose.
Cables would be about last on my items of things to have.

Do they hurt? Not really
Just the pocket book.

And like I said, I've had them(Sandpoint, Dupla, DIY, reptile pads etc) and for a long time.

Regards,
Tom Barr


Regards,
Tom Barr

all i asked for was, if i needed heating cables for my 10 and 29. if i needed help on the co2, subtrate, and lighting i would have said so. no offense but ur reply wasnt really helpful."

Hi, chill out hes trying to help. As for heating cable if you gave me one for free i would pay someone to take it. THey dont do squat use your money on some better lighting or c02 or something but not a heating cable.

"Hi, chill out hes trying to help. As for heating cable if you gave me one for free i would pay someone to take it. THey dont do squat use your money on some better lighting or c02 or something but not a heating cable."

"ill have to agree that silver was trying to help, if i sounded angry or something i wasnt."

haha, fish1 you crack me up. i wasnt freaking out. N what was the point of your post, everything that was said by you was already said on the earlier posts.