The Planted Tank Forum banner

Lighting Purchase Suggestion

2K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  james1542 
#1 ·
I have a 29g and a 20g long. Both are now moderately planted. I know that my lighting isn't sufficient and I'm researching lights now. There is soooo much information so I thought I would just ask for suggestions.

Would different fixtures be appropriate because of the varying depths? I was considering the Zoo Med Aquasun T5 HO Quad for the 29 galling but that was suggested that it might be over kill from another member.

Presently both tanks have regular single fluorescent light strips. I like lights with the lunar LEDs but I'm on a budget with this so I can't spend more than approximately $100 on each but I would prefer to spend less if possible.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#2 ·
30" tanks are problematic for standard off the shelf fixtures. There are 30" flourescent bulbs/tubes/lamps, but they don't come in the variety one can get in standard 24" and 48".

A single T5HO or two T5NO lamps should suffice for either tank, but will of course be more light, at the substrate, in the 20L.

DIY using four 23 watt, daylight, small size, spiral flourescent bulbs will work fine. If you're into DIY LED is a great way to go.
 
#3 ·
I have LEDs and a soldering iron etc but I'm still not confident about my DIY skills at this point. I think I'm going to go with T5NO on the 20L and the T5HO for the 29. I'm now off to start researching co2.....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#5 ·
Have you looked at the finnex fixtures? the fugeray would work I think for you setups(and be within your budget) assuming you don't add CO2 and the Ray2 fixture should work if you do. Just a thought. I just started using a Ray2 on my 40B so it's too soon to tell you how good it is, but it seems to be pretty good so far.
 
#12 ·
The evo green leaf fixtures using 3W LED's look decent and a pretty good value:
http://www.aquatraders.com/EVO-48-LED-Reef-Bright-p/56234p.htm

Aquatraders doesn't offer too many sizes in the freshwater spectrum though, check amazon and [Ebay Link Removed] That being said I've read some bad reviews on them. Once those LED's fail, maybe you can just replace them? Quite a bit of bang for the buck though.
 
#13 ·
Ok maybe I'm missing something here (wouldn't be the first time LOL!) but that 3w led unit seems like a dumptruck load of light for a planted tank of any normal depth. This other thread talking about 20, 30 and even 40w led outdoor spot lamps...I don't get it...Seems to me that unless you have pretty awesome luck you're just asking for an algae machine.

Someone care to give me the Reader's Digest version of why this much light is desirable?

Thanks!
 
#14 ·
Moose I don't know if this much light would work with the EI, or any water column fert regime-without resulting in algae soup, For me I get away with high light, but my strategy is to have lots of plants, and keep the water column fairly sterile and keep the nutrients in the substrate. Now this may rule out some plant species all together, especially if CO2 is not used. I think being conservative with bioload and photoperiod are also important when playing with fire to keep the right balance.

Consider it a diffrent strategy perhaps. It could go horribly wrong if you are not careful, but it can be done and there are lots of examples on here, even sans CO2.
 
#16 ·
James,

Thank you for the considered answer you gave. I am always being scolded about light/fert vis-a-vis CO2 and so this approach with high light and root ferts interests me, if not for any other reason than that it broadens my education.

I have yet to bring it to the cognoscenti here because I'm afraid I'll get blasted out of the room with why I'm wrongs, but I have a typical pressurized CO2 setup with a cerges reactor on a closed loop spray bar being pushed with a Mag 7 pump choked back enough to keep the tank from looking like 7-Up. Drop checker YELLOW on opposite side of 40b from spray bar. Excellent circulation via FX5/spraybar, etc..

I get BBA GROWING on the CO2 spray bar! I received a batch of plants from someone who was tearing their tank down and with these plants were a few patches of HG that had a tiny little bit of BBA in it. BIGGEST MISTAKE was thinking "oh I'll just tweeze it out" when I put it in my tank. One year later and this stuff is like a 50's monster movie and nothing I have been able to do has curtailed it any.. All I can do at this point is pluck plant leaves and scrape it off walls and fixtures. This is all with three 23w 6500 twist CFLs on about 8.5 hrs a day...

:icon_sad:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top