how much light is needed[watts]

fishyboy · 11-30-2003, 08:15 PM

ok i have a goldfish tank ...75 gallon. it has the glass hood. so i'm wonderin ghow much light is need to grow low light plants in this tank... and goldfish eat fast growing plants so i'm going low light . o and i'm not using CO2 prob. but i'm using fertizers. FOR filters i have fluval 4 plus[boooo], rena filstar xp3 [

] , and a emperor 400. i have air pumps and that ...would that hurt the plants?

Wasserpest · 11-30-2003, 08:57 PM

Depending on the quality of the reflectors and the type of bulbs, you will need between 100 and 200 Watts. With decent reflectors, I would shoot for 130 to 150 Watts to grow low light plants.

fishyboy · 11-30-2003, 10:24 PM

here are all the ones that i' ve been thinkin of
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...;N=2004+113030

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...;N=2004+113030

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...;N=2004+113030

and on the last one i'm not buying the big version it would be the smaller one. cause first i don't want to spend that much and i don't really want to use that kinda of watts[energy][ my dad hates the tanks and says they waste to much electricity] i dunno why though

fishyboy · 11-30-2003, 11:07 PM

i think the all-glass ones would be good ...120 watts??

fishyboy · 11-30-2003, 11:12 PM

o or one of those CF from all-glass. which is $103 and uses those GE bulbs that all you guys like

Wasserpest · 12-01-2003, 12:20 AM

I don't like the triple tube thing. With 3 tubes so close together you are loosing a lot of light, since they block each other out. I would prefer a CF fixture like the one in the third link you posted, even though it seems to be less wattage, it will direct more light into the tank than the 3 T8 bulbs. Plus you can add another one of those later when you want to grow more demanding plants... Remember to check out other vendors like Big Als, and to specify a suitable bulb, not a 50/50 or actinic.

fishyboy · 12-01-2003, 01:00 AM

what about the aga CF one which is 110 watt

Wasserpest · 12-01-2003, 01:11 AM

Hopefully someone with more experience can chime in... not sure which one is better, from the pic the coralife seems to have a better reflector, but it's hard to say. You should check out AH Supply as well, they have supposedly the best reflectors known to mankind. Finally, in another thread someone posted a cheap source of the famous 55W GE bulbs, half as expensive as from the source you mentioned.

fishyboy · 12-01-2003, 01:57 AM

ya the aga CF one comes with two of those bulbs

11-30-2003, 08:15 PM	#1
fishyboy Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: central IL Posts: 793	ok i have a goldfish tank ...75 gallon. it has the glass hood. so i'm wonderin ghow much light is need to grow low light plants in this tank... and goldfish eat fast growing plants so i'm going low light . o and i'm not using CO2 prob. but i'm using fertizers. FOR filters i have fluval 4 plus[boooo], rena filstar xp3 [] , and a emperor 400. i have air pumps and that ...would that hurt the plants?

11-30-2003, 08:57 PM	#2
Wasserpest Are these real? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (140/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 14,648	Depending on the quality of the reflectors and the type of bulbs, you will need between 100 and 200 Watts. With decent reflectors, I would shoot for 130 to 150 Watts to grow low light plants. __________________ All my tanks Autodosing Water Change Temperature Monitoring Cheap Filter The Wasser-Controller

12-01-2003, 12:20 AM	#6
Wasserpest Are these real? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (140/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 14,648	I don't like the triple tube thing. With 3 tubes so close together you are loosing a lot of light, since they block each other out. I would prefer a CF fixture like the one in the third link you posted, even though it seems to be less wattage, it will direct more light into the tank than the 3 T8 bulbs. Plus you can add another one of those later when you want to grow more demanding plants... Remember to check out other vendors like Big Als, and to specify a suitable bulb, not a 50/50 or actinic. __________________ All my tanks Autodosing Water Change Temperature Monitoring Cheap Filter The Wasser-Controller

12-01-2003, 01:11 AM	#8
Wasserpest Are these real? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (140/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 14,648	Hopefully someone with more experience can chime in... not sure which one is better, from the pic the coralife seems to have a better reflector, but it's hard to say. You should check out AH Supply as well, they have supposedly the best reflectors known to mankind. Finally, in another thread someone posted a cheap source of the famous 55W GE bulbs, half as expensive as from the source you mentioned. __________________ All my tanks Autodosing Water Change Temperature Monitoring Cheap Filter The Wasser-Controller

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11-30-2003, 10:24 PM	#3
fishyboy Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: central IL Posts: 793	here are all the ones that i' ve been thinkin of http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...;N=2004+113030 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...;N=2004+113030 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...;N=2004+113030 and on the last one i'm not buying the big version it would be the smaller one. cause first i don't want to spend that much and i don't really want to use that kinda of watts[energy][ my dad hates the tanks and says they waste to much electricity] i dunno why though

11-30-2003, 11:07 PM	#4
fishyboy Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: central IL Posts: 793	i think the all-glass ones would be good ...120 watts??

11-30-2003, 11:12 PM	#5
fishyboy Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: central IL Posts: 793	o or one of those CF from all-glass. which is $103 and uses those GE bulbs that all you guys like

12-01-2003, 01:00 AM	#7
fishyboy Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: central IL Posts: 793	what about the aga CF one which is 110 watt

12-01-2003, 01:57 AM	#9
fishyboy Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: central IL Posts: 793	ya the aga CF one comes with two of those bulbs

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