Ok I have one of these fixtures:

Aquarium Lighting Fixture Coralife Aqualight T5 Dual Linear Strip Fixture, 2X14 Watt, 24 inch

If I get a second one where would that put me on getting some plants going? I have a 20gL tank. Would two allow me to grow moderate plants? Or would I still be stuck at low light? Thanks.

I can't decide whether this is actually the one I have or not. It's a coralife freshwater aqualight t-5 with one full spectrum 10k bulb and one 6.5k bulb. It says it's good for plant growth. Anyway let me know thanks.

For a 20long, that light should be "ok" for a good range of low-moderate plants.

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55gallon
Light - 6500K CFL, 23wattsx5 5hr/day
Substrate - Red Mexican Clay, Sphagnum Peat moss, Eco-Complete
Misc- Pressurized CO2, EI Dose KNO3, KH2PO4, CSM-B
Plants -Limnophila Aromatica, Stargrass, Dwarf Hair Grass, Christmas Moss, Baby Tears (HM), Dwarf Baby Tears(HC), Rotala Rotundifolia, Ludwigia Glandulosa, Riccia Fluitans

with two of them I would be at 56 watts. How much would that give me? moderate-strong? or just moderate?

You would be at a high light setup with 56 over a 20l.

awesome, at what point do I have to start injecting co2.. I am worried about doing that as I don't know the risks and such

You can start CO2 at any time. Just because it is not required....your plants will thank you for it.

However, once you cross into the high light range, you should be looking at CO2 and ferts. It's real simple actually so don't let that scare you away.

can you point me to a link of co2 setups as well as some good fertilizers?

I have gravel substrate as of now with natural river rocks as hiding places and decor (properly cleaned of course), so do I need a different substrate all together or can I put something else over it?

As far as plants (to give you an idea) I am probably only going to look at a couple different ground covers (such as dwarf hairgrass, one of my favs) (leaving the rocks exposed) and some taller plants for the back as well as some medium plants between the rocks. I don't want an extremely grown tank. I normally like the look but I am going for something a little different. I have a GBR right now. Idk if they are plant nippers but I have to plan for that as well. I plan on getting one other ram. I am hoping for a golden ram to pop up at one of my LFS's. (unless mixing the two is a bad idea? I have a lot of hiding places but I don't want to freak them out... I just love them so much lol)

Anyway, hints, tips, suggestions, it's all welcome. Thanks again!

as far as lighting gos T5 is like a standard lighting hood right? and for a 10 gallon i should only need a 15 watt for low light to moderate light plants right?

yep..you can grow a nice spectrum of moderate light plants.

Ok...let's see if I can answer all your questions.

We'll start with CO2 and ferts. There are some DIY CO2 links in the DIY section. That's what I would recommend if you're just getting started with it and for the smaller tanks. As for ferts, my recommendation is AquariumFertilizer.com. I would suggest to start with the PMDD pre-mix. This will get you in the routine of using dry ferts. This route will save you money as the liquid ferts like Seachem products can get expensive. Again, don't be intimidated by it....it really is simple once you get in the swing of things.

With lighting you are talking about and the CO2/ferts....your DHG will set in nicely.

As for GBR's being plant nippers...I've never seen nor heard of them doing so.

I used an incandescent hood with 2 15W 6500K spiral lights over my 20g long.

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

with that PMDD premix, how much do I need? Just one bag to start? and do I just lay it over my existing gravel?

The fertilizers I use are from Seachem like what James mentioned. But I didnt know it was more expensive than dry ferts. Ive never seen dry ferts and have never used it. I use Flourish Trace for micro nutrients and Flourish for macro nutrients. I love SeaChem products which is the reason why I buy them. The bottles range from 9$-11$ per bottle at Petco and Petsmart. Since my tank is not big, these bottles last me over half a year or longer.

For substrate, if you are wanting to grow plants then nutrient rich substrate would be best. You can make it yourself. Theres recipes including topsoil, or cat litter, or peat moss and etc. I used to do the topsoil, and my plants grew like mad but uprooting the slightest bit clouded my water. I recommend premade substrate like Eco-Complete. I have very good results with it.

Any nutrient rich substrate should be the bottom layer. The existing gravel should be on top to prevent the nutrients from leaking into the water column.

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55gallon
Light - 6500K CFL, 23wattsx5 5hr/day
Substrate - Red Mexican Clay, Sphagnum Peat moss, Eco-Complete
Misc- Pressurized CO2, EI Dose KNO3, KH2PO4, CSM-B
Plants -Limnophila Aromatica, Stargrass, Dwarf Hair Grass, Christmas Moss, Baby Tears (HM), Dwarf Baby Tears(HC), Rotala Rotundifolia, Ludwigia Glandulosa, Riccia Fluitans

alright thanks I'll look into all that stuff. I have tons of aquarium stores around me so I'll take a look at them and see what I can find.

You could start with a 1lb bag. It will last quite a while.

It's not a substrate additive so don't pour it all in your tank. This is something that you dose daily.

You will mix 1/4cup mix with 500ml distilled water. Gatorade bottles are perfect for this. After mixing, store in the fridge so it will keep longer. For my 20s, I used 3ml. I added it to the tanks in the morning prior to the lights coming on.

My routine is to dose for six days. On day seven, you do your normal water change and do not dose the tank. Start the cycle over again the next day.