# LEDs



## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Possibly looking to convert my two 3 gallons into NPTs. They have LED lights. Is this possible to do? Would I need shrimp to sift the sand?

Edit: I should add, there are two west-facing windows directly across from the tanks, so they also get afternoon sun.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

My plants do pretty well under LED's and my tank is next to a window. But I have noticed that where my HOB filter is not much light makes it under. The plants in that area don't thrive as well. So I am going to add in some LED strips to make sure I do not have any dark/low light spots. Here is list of my plants

Compact Swords
Moneywort
Water wysteria
Anubias
mondo grass (it was hidden in my last plant purchase)
crypt root (also hidden in my last plant purchase)


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

Some LEDs are ok, some aren't. A lot of them aren't bright enough or in the right spectrum for plants. If you stick with low light plants though, it should be fine. 

You don't NEED shrimp to sift anything. Shrimp are cool, and they do eat leftovers, but they're definitely not a necessity. If you're concerned about aerating your sand, nothing is better for that than Malaysian Trumpet Snails ... just be prepared for a large population, because they tend to breed quick and easy. They burrow in the sand and keep it stirred up.


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

I just started my NPT on Saturday with a Deep Blue Solar Flare Mini, so I only have short term info. 

My plants love the LEDs. I have to trim almost everything today, except my tiny dwarf pennywort and a teeny crypt. Both have grown, they are just still teeny. 

If anything, I need to go to a shorter photoperiod.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

i was under the impression that snails poop a lot. is this an issue in a 3 gallon?


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

how do plants do in just gravel? i.e. not a npt.

what are some good low light plants? i would prefer to keep my leds. i love the look of them


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

they can do fine in just gravel, but you will need to fertilize the plants either with root tabs or a liquid one low light plants are like java fern java moss the moss balls and tons of others......


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

If you are very heavily planted, and you're watching your water and performing water changes when needed, I wouldn't worry about pond snails, etc ... they are good plant fertilizers. 

Do NOT over-fertilize a low light tank or you will have serious algae issues. I wouldn't start any fertilizers (not even root tabs) unless you notice problems with your plants, or they're not growing "fast enough" etc.

Good starter low light plants:

crypts
most mosses
java fern
anubias
dwarf sag

All of those are very hard to kill ... I'd start there.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

my bf would life a cost estimate. I'd probably be getting the plants from Petsmart. snails too of they have them. anyone have a rough estimate i can give him? 20? 30?

edit, sorry for typos... the Swype on my phone doesn't like me


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

I found the selection at Petsmart and Petco to be pretty rough. It varies store to store, but lots of stuff mislabeled, and selling lots of nonaquatic plants as aquatic. The plant tanks were ill kept, as well. I am a big believer in starting with plants in great shape, that are suited to your specific conditions. 

If you can, order online. There are lots of places like Planted Aquariums Central that have great plants. Watch out on shipping costs, obviously, and try to bulk order if shipping is spendy. Also, every forum (including this one! yay!) has a classified section with folks selling their plants. I have found them to be usually reasonably priced and in great shape, and you usually get more than you pay for.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

i will browse the classifieds here. maybe someone will take pity on me and sell me a package of low, light, easy plants so i don't have to make any decisions. will snails or shrimp do okay with gravel?


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

Petsmart is ridiculous on their prices, and Petco is notorious for selling non-aquatic plants as aquatic like a previous poster said. Some of their plants are $10 - $12 that you can buy for literally a buck or two online. 

The package that acidcitydweller posted that you responded to yesterday is a good deal. PandaBetta here on the forum seems to have some good options also.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

lilyth88 said:


> i was under the impression that snails poop a lot. is this an issue in a 3 gallon?


yes, you will be like a maid vacuuming after them at least twice a week.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Otterfun said:


> yes, you will be like a maid vacuuming after them at least twice a week.


do i need them if i go the gravel route? would shrimp be better?


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## tekkguy (Jan 28, 2013)

lilyth88 said:


> do i need them if i go the gravel route? would shrimp be better?


You don't need shrimp or snails. They can be helpful clean-up crews, but they can also be pests (the snails can be pests, the shrimp aren't pesty). Mystery snails / apple snails are much larger than pond snails and they're the ones that generate all of the mess.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

lilyth88 said:


> do i need them if i go the gravel route? would shrimp be better?


Mystery Snail is not picky with substrate when pooping.
shrimps have poop too but not as much, id' say the regularity is almost the same as a fish or snail.

it's up to you whatever substrate you choose, gravel, glass marbles, soil, no substrate, you still have to vacuum or at least pick up the poop with a turkey baster. incidentally, my boss told me that you can keep the vacuumed water & waste and use it as fertilizers for your garden or other plants, he said they are really good ferts.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Otterfun said:


> Mystery Snail is not picky with substrate when pooping.
> shrimps have poop too but not as much, id' say the regularity is almost the same as a fish or snail.
> 
> it's up to you whatever substrate you choose, gravel, glass marbles, soil, no substrate, you still have to vacuum or at least pick up the poop with a turkey baster. incidentally, my boss told me that you can keep the vacuumed water & waste and use it as fertilizers for your garden or other plants, he said they are really good ferts.



never thought of using it like that. maybe I'll add it to my compost.


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

I have been growing my plants in black betta sand that I purchased from Petsmart. The plants I listed in my other post are doing fine in it.

With my snails I do a once a week cleaning just to stay on top of the mess. The snails I have are listed in my signature.

p.s. Recently I noticed that one of my swords wasn't growing as fast as the other. The only difference is my floating betta log is always on that side of the tank. So I moved it in hopes that the other plant will grow. I still plan on adding in more 6500K LED's for more and better light. I will post a picture later tonight


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## InfiniteGlory (Dec 17, 2012)

Here is a pic of my tank. the sword plant on the left is noticeably smaller then the one on the right due to my floating betta log blocking the light. I am going to add in more led's for more coverage and better light penetration. You can see that my tank sits near a window and that my HOB filter blocks the middle of the tank. So more light is needed to balance it all out


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