Am I past the point where I am meeting the lighting needs of the plants, and just encouraging green water and other pests?
I have 2 Current USA Nova Extreme 48" 2x54W
T-5 (one tube 10,000K, one tube 6,700) x 2 for 220W or 2.9 wpg (I have a 75g, H=20")..
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/...000kfreshwater
I'll have pressurized CO2, filters will both be Eheim 2217 (probably going overboard here too, but you can never have TOO much filtration, and this way I can mitigate possible ammonia spikes by alternating on biofilter cleanings).
Now, I WILL have floating plants (frogbit) for my gourami and cardinals to lounge under..
That will encompass approx 1/4 of the total surface of the tank..
But here are the plants I have in mind for the tank..
Anubias barteri var. Nana (driftwood, rocks UNDER the floating plants)
H. zosterfolia(mid,background)
E. tennelus (foreground)
C. caroliniana (background)
L. laevigatum (floating plant)
Bioload:
25 Cardinal Tetra
10 Panda Corydoras
1 Bristlenose Plecostomus (L-144a)
1 male dwarf gouramis, 4 females
6 otocinclus
I can't say just
how heavily planted this tank will be yet, but I want a "V" in the background made up of the Stragrass and cabomba, with maybe some A. reinekii behind THEM to frame it a bit.. and the focal points being 1 major and 1 minor rock formation, plenty of foreground coverage with the tennelus (though there will be an open substrate area for the corys to forage)..
Kinda like this, but not (see thumb)..
Anyways, enough blather..
Should I stick with just one light strip?
Would 2 be overkill? Would I just be feeding the waterborne algae?
Thanks for any and all comments, and if I haven't provided some other bit of pertinent info, please ask for elaboration..