| fish tank lighting |
planted tank lighting
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| ‘Brightness’ matters to see fish / colours. |
Strength and colour spectrum critical for plant growth and coloration. |
| Applicable measure: Lumens / Watt. |
Relevant measure: Umols of PAR. |
| Stock lighting that came with the tank works, fishes will not complain about light quality. |
Much larger range of products to choose from, with large price variance – with very different outcomes. Potentially expensive. |
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fish tank dimensions
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planted tank dimensions
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| Dimensions fit size and number of livestock. |
Dimensions must fit size /number of livestock, plants as well as hardscape. |
| Greatly increased scaling of costs & maintenance with tank size. |
| Cost of hardscape and light often cost much more than tank/filter systems. Newer aquarists always underestimate costs and buy overly large tanks with little budget leftover for proper equipment. |
| Certain tank dimensions are more suitable for certain aquascaping styles. Tank dimension must match lighting system so that sufficient light can hit substrate level. |
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fish tank substrate
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planted tank substrate
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| Impact on water parameters important (eg. Alkalinity / Acidity). |
Impact on water parameters important to plants as well. |
| Capture point for floating debris. |
Horticulture considerations – ease of planting, nutritional content. |
| Aesthetic value. |
Aesthetic value in aquascaping; does it match the rocks and hardscape ? |
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Aquasoil/soil is commonly used rather than gravel/sand, and require specific knowledge to clean and maintain in the long term. |
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fish tank filter
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planted tank filter
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| Sufficient filtration capacity important to livestock health. |
Sufficient filtration capacity important to livestock health, but may have a little leeway as plants absorb ammonia directly. |
| Filter is often the main source of water flow in a planted tank. Flow is critical as it provides carbon dioxide and oxygen for plants and circulate nutrients. Dead-spots and poor flow lead to algae issues, which is the number 1 pain of planted tank hobbyists. |
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fish tank maintenance
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planted tank maintenance
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| Water changes, substrate vacuuming, servicing of filter. |
Plants require regular fertilisation. |
| Feeding of fish. |
Regular trimming and replanting required to prevent over-crowding. |
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Trimming and removal of old deteriorating growth to prevent algae issues. |
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Water changes, substrate cleaning, servicing of filter. |
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Checking and tuning of CO2 injection system if used. |
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fish tank water parameters
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planted tank water parameters
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| pH, KH, GH, TDS impact livestock health. |
pH, KH, GH, TDS impact livestock health and plants. |
| Water quality impacts livestock. |
Balance between needs of livestock and needs of plants. |
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Water quality affects livestock health, plant health and algae. |
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fish tank aeration
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planted tank aeration
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| Sufficient levels of oxygen matters to fish/ livestock. |
Oxygen levels important for livestock, especially when CO2 levels are elevated. |
| Carbon dioxide matters a lot to plant growth as 40-50% of plant mass is composed of carbon. |
