aquarium supplies: Setting Up a Planted Aquarium
, two 24" 20 watt bulbs over the 20 gallon tanks, and two 36" 30 watt bulbs over the 30 gallon tank. Except for the 29 gallon "high" tank, all of the other tanks mentioned can be adequately lit with two bulbs of the largest size that will fit on the tank. This tank is small enough and shallow enough that you can usually get adequate growth of shade tolerant plants using a single 15 watt bulb as long as the bulb is less than 1 year old, and of good quality. Any good pet shop can tell you which size filter to get for your particular tank, but it is better to slightly oversize the filter rather than skimping. Do not use an under gravel filter or other air driven filter in a planted tank. Additionally, the greater distance that light travels through the air, the more it will scatter, and the less that will reach your plants within the tank. Aquarium strip light fixtures come as either double or single bulb fixtures. For the 29 gallon size, you will need three 24" 20W bulbs for adequate light. While some of these are good aquarium plants, most need very strong light, and are a little more sensitive than the species listed above. If you allow the water level to drop, the water returning from the filter will splash down onto the surface, creating a great deal of turbulence. You can use any combination of single or double bulb fixtures that will meet your needs. With a moderately lit tank such as we are setting up here, we need to conserve our resources. Do not, however, go in the opposite direction and keep the tank full enough that the water touches the glass. An exception to this rule is the 10 gallon tank. On a very brightly lit tank, this is a minor consideration. This will drive off the CO2 that we are trying to add to the tank. Many pet stores sell a number of terrestrial plants as aquarium "decorations".