Reddit reviews Finnex Planted+ 24/7 Fully Automated Aquarium LED, Controller, 20 Inch

Finnex Planted+ 24/7 for $80. You don't have to use the 24/7 mode, just adjust it to your liking and put it on a timer.

On my 10 gallon I have this cheap Chinese alternative and it works great, the 24/7 colors aren't as pretty as the Finnex but it's certainly bright and adjustable.

Just letting you know, there are [three of the 20” available on Amazon for the discounted price: $34] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00U0HMWHW/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1&th=1). Just in case that was the size you wanted!

Hey! I run a 10 gallon planted tank that is definitely easy for beginners. It's all super low-tech.

1. Substrate is just new gravel you might want to use. Some folks might suggest soil, more finely crushed gravel, or sand, etc. It's honestly more of a personal choice if you only use more hardy plants. I just use finer gravel I got from the LFS.
   
   
2. Anything petco/petsmart sells would be fine. So anubias, water ferns, etc. I know some bettas love broad leaves, some like thick, tall plants they can hide around/in. There's really no bad plant, imo!
   
   
3. Again, anything that is at a chain pet store. If you go to a locally owned fish store they will have harder to care for plants that will require more intense lighting, C02 dosing, more regular nutrient dosing, etc. The hardiest and easiest plants will be Water Wisteria, Anubias, Java Moss, Java Fern, African Water Fern, Amazon Sword, etc. I'd google low light plants and just pick what you like :)
   
   
4. I'd suggest investing in a full spectrum LED. Plants need "colors" in their lights to survive and full spectrum implies it has white, red, green, and blue light. Most people use lights that have a 6,500K (Kelvins) rating or "daylight" brightness. Anything over 10,000K is for coral aquariums, I think. I don't know my saltwater tanks LOL. Lower Kelvin rating has a more red hue, higher kelvin rating has a more blue hue. Anything less than ~5,000K might not grow your plants well from what I understand. If you have some extra bucks to swing, I'd suggest this light (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U0HMWHW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER) or something very similar to it. This one is cool because it has custom lighting options as well as a day/night cycle. LED is the best way to go for your money in my opinion. No bulb changes, cooler lighting options, doesn't give off heat, etc. You do NOT need to worry about C02 if you have all low tech plants. I don't mess with C02. Low C02 + too much light (over 7,000K-8,000K) will cause algae from what I understand. You can buy a tiny bottle of like seachem flourish if you want to be able to micro dose nutrients like potassium, etc. I'll link to this little guide of plant growth that will show you what to look for in case of a nutrient deficiency. Here (http://aquathusiast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Freshwater-Plant-Nutrient-Deficiency.png)
   
   
5. Just let 'em be! Low tech doesn't need anything special. Have your regular day/night cycle, good 6,500-7,000K lights, and they should be fine. I have the worst green thumb in the world and still manage to have plant growth :)
   
   
6. I would say so. Your tank definitely does. I know of some people who planted their tanks so well they don't even need to do water changes. I don't know how they managed that. Witch craft, probably.
   
   
7. Adding plants shouldn't affect the cycle as far as I know? You will deal with plant debris, biofilm (oily like thing at water surface), etc but it's all natural. Someone else might have more knowledge on this. I didn't see any difference in my cycle.
   
   
8. You don't NEED one, but that cool LED I linked above does have a night cycle ;) As long as they have 6-8 or 8-10 hours to photosynthesize properly during the day they should be fine.
   
   
9. Like for moving to a new house, etc? Bag them in enough tank water that they are submerged. Low tech plants are super hardy, I promise :) Some plants might go into "shock" but will quickly revive with proper conditions again.
   
   
10. They might nibble at them! Especially any hanging plants such as dwarf water lettuce. My little guy doesn't ever "eat" them though.
    
    I think I covered everything but I will add more if anything else pops up in my mind. Getting into mid or high tech planted tanks is a little overwhelming so I'd definitely suggest taking it one step at a time. It's a learning process but it's fun.

Finnex is releasing a new version of the planted+ in May. Built-in, programmable ramp timers, control over each RGB channel, and weather simulations. And priced about the same as their other models.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U0HMWHW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2MJWW1EM95ANO&coliid=I20XL734X2LBF9&psc=1

Lights: One cheap, one expensive. I have the nicrew, it does fine for my 10g (in my post history)

NICREW DeluxeLED Aquarium Light, Full Spectrum LED Light for Planted Tanks, 20 to 24-inch, 18-Watt, 1200 LM, 7500K https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LJKNWS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_xqXQAb6EVJ4YC

Finnex Planted+ 24/7 Fully Automated Aquarium LED, Controller, 20 Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U0HMWHW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dsXQAbP4XB4J


Filter: One cheap option, one more expensive. You could probably downgrade the first filter for less gph (under 100) is probably better.

Marineland Penguin 200, Power Filter, 30 to 50-Gallon, 200 GPH https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009IODZG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XsXQAb35KHD23

Finnex PX-360 Compact Canister Aquarium Filter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VFF8U4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UuXQAbQFZ3NTZ


Heater: Get two of these so you can heat up water for your water changes.

Aqueon Adjustable Submersible Aquarium Heater, 50W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YAJJZS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZvXQAbGD1J83W

I just noticed you said cheap, my b

https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-KL-C30A-Planted-Aquarium-Light/dp/B00U0HMWHW/ref=asc_df_B00U0HMWHW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312134270368&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=219248835464729464&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011807&hvtargid=pla-590274858415&psc=1&th=1

No co2 and I have Finnex 20-inch light on the tank which is a 10 gallon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U0HMWHW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

No problem. Give these threads a read and you will understand PAR sufficiently link 1 link 2

At 10000K you're a bit high for most freshwater purposes. Although it is far worse to be low than high. If you can, aim for around 7000K.

That par is low for plants at your substrate. You want to be at least 30 par at your substrate. This would explain some of your algae problems, as insufficient light can cause algae the same as too much light. Insufficient light leads to an imbalance of nutrients where your plants won't be able to take full advantage of nutrients, which is where opportunistic algae will gladly step in.

I have a finnex planted+ 24/7 on my 10 gallon. The nice thing about that one is the intensity is adjustable. Note that you'll probably need a different length and that generally PAR will increase with length since more bulbs are added.

I just put a finnex fugeray on a 55 gallon, but it is really too early to give an accurate statement to its quality since I haven't had it very long and my tank is not yet established. I basically got it because I was satisfied with my other finnex product. So far it looks extremely bright so I think it will do.

And finally I should just reiterate, you will probably have to drop a chunk of change on a quality light. There are many LEDs out there that look bright to us but don't have sufficient penetration for plants. Yet marketers will gladly tell you they are. Make sure you find those readings otherwise don't bother!

Here are the two:
http://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Planted-Automated-Aquarium-Controller/dp/B00U0HMWHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449806814&sr=8-1&keywords=planted+tank+light

http://www.amazon.com/Finnex-FugeRay-Planted-Aquarium-Moonlights/dp/B00GH9HSC6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449806814&sr=8-3&keywords=planted+tank+light

I am pretty sure this is the one I have but make sure you measure your tank before purchasing one!

Plants use CO2 in photosynthesis, and for the DIY I made it from this website and it works like a charm.

You may have to adjust for your tank size.