135 gallon planted tank ?s

ive never done a planted tank looking for some good info. i ant african cichlids.
the tank is 72" i have a 48" 4 bulb ts light. will this work?
whats the best substrate?
what should i use for filtration?
what should i dose and how?
what should i use for water movement?
any other info/advice would be great.

 

I think a 4 bulb 48 inch fixture for a 72 inch tank would be too much concentrated light for a plnanted tank. The middle of the tank would be extremely bright and the ends would be extremely dim.
1.Eco-complete is a great substate
2. I would suggest a canister filter, but depending on your stocking a big HOB could work
3. I dose the flourish 'line'. I use flourish, flourich excel, flourish iron, flourish potassium, and flourish trace.
3. Water movement is really up to you. Plants dont need mich movement.
I wouldnt suggest cichlids in a planted tank. It could be done, but your plant options would be very limited.

 

Here is a build thread for one of the best planted tanks that I have ever seen!

http://www.3reef.com/forums/planted...pdated-11-25-11-new-pic-page-35-a-103367.html

I would just PM John as well with any questions.

I wouldn't go with cichlids either. I would do tetra's and discus myself lol. Just my personal preference.

 

The cichlids might rip out plants to

 

one of the best local fish stores has a planted tank with cichlids.