I'd suggest using T5HO bulbs. Go with a halide if you want, but by no means buy any Power Compact lights. They do not produce as much light as T5HO. The shimmer from a halide that Mike is talking about is an amazing thing to look at. T5HO cannot do that, but I'd say everything else is better with them.
A sump is cool, but it wastes a ton of CO2. You will have a hard time keeping your CO2 level at a number good for the plants. But it can be done. Ah yes, it can be quite noisy too.
For the bacteria - empty the canister filters in a bucket. Squeeze the sponges in there too. You will get wonderful dirty water full of live bacteria. Just pour this into the tank. It will cover everything with a layer of mulm, but what you see is not really dirt and it will disappear in a few days. It's the bacteria itself that is now all over your new tank.
10,000K bulbs are allright for a planted tank. The red colors of fish and plants will not show very well, the tank will look washed out. Also one manufacturer's 10K bulb is not like another manufacturer's 10K bulb. They differ greatly. Comparing bulbs using Kelvins is like comparing a performance of a car by using the paint color.
A sump is cool, but it wastes a ton of CO2. You will have a hard time keeping your CO2 level at a number good for the plants. But it can be done. Ah yes, it can be quite noisy too.
For the bacteria - empty the canister filters in a bucket. Squeeze the sponges in there too. You will get wonderful dirty water full of live bacteria. Just pour this into the tank. It will cover everything with a layer of mulm, but what you see is not really dirt and it will disappear in a few days. It's the bacteria itself that is now all over your new tank.
10,000K bulbs are allright for a planted tank. The red colors of fish and plants will not show very well, the tank will look washed out. Also one manufacturer's 10K bulb is not like another manufacturer's 10K bulb. They differ greatly. Comparing bulbs using Kelvins is like comparing a performance of a car by using the paint color.
