Lighting

katfish · 07-08-2003, 02:33 PM

I have a new tank. It is 55 gal. I am new to raising plants. I have 2 plants so far. I bought a shop light from Wal-Mart that hangs over my tank. It only puts out 80 watts of light. I have ordered low light plants. Is this enough light? If not how can I acheive more light?

**GulfCoastAquarian** · 07-08-2003, 02:51 PM

Your low light plants will survive in that light, but never thrive. Get a second fixture just like the one you bought and fit it with some Sylvania Gro-Lux bulbs and you should be able to grow just about anything. It might be a tight squeeze over a 12" wide 55 gallon tank, but I've done it many times.

katfish · 07-09-2003, 02:00 PM

Where can I get theses bulbs and and a fixture. Also what wattage should I use?

Wasserpest · 07-09-2003, 03:16 PM

You said you got one from WalMart, so that's a good place to start. Home Depot has a good selection, and K-Mart has some cheap slim ones that might fit it well. Same for bulbs, WalMart has some nice "Sunlight" or so, not sure how good they are for plants, but the packaging looks good :lol: they also have the P&A bulbs which have been mentioned positively here many times, or get the ones GulfCoast suggests.

The T12 bulbs are 40 or 34 Watts in their 48" length, while T8's are 32 Watts.

07-08-2003, 02:51 PM	#2
GulfCoastAquarian Planted Tank VIP (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 3,577	Your low light plants will survive in that light, but never thrive. Get a second fixture just like the one you bought and fit it with some Sylvania Gro-Lux bulbs and you should be able to grow just about anything. It might be a tight squeeze over a 12" wide 55 gallon tank, but I've done it many times. __________________ - Sam P - plantedtanker in limbo - all tanks currently in storage

07-09-2003, 03:16 PM	#4
Wasserpest Are these real? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (140/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 14,669	You said you got one from WalMart, so that's a good place to start. Home Depot has a good selection, and K-Mart has some cheap slim ones that might fit it well. Same for bulbs, WalMart has some nice "Sunlight" or so, not sure how good they are for plants, but the packaging looks good :lol: they also have the P&A bulbs which have been mentioned positively here many times, or get the ones GulfCoast suggests. The T12 bulbs are 40 or 34 Watts in their 48" length, while T8's are 32 Watts. __________________ All my tanks Autodosing Water Change Temperature Monitoring Cheap Filter The Wasser-Controller

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07-08-2003, 02:33 PM	#1
katfish Newbie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 4	I have a new tank. It is 55 gal. I am new to raising plants. I have 2 plants so far. I bought a shop light from Wal-Mart that hangs over my tank. It only puts out 80 watts of light. I have ordered low light plants. Is this enough light? If not how can I acheive more light?

07-09-2003, 02:00 PM	#3
katfish Newbie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: oklahoma Posts: 4	Where can I get theses bulbs and and a fixture. Also what wattage should I use?