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Is my lighting adequate?

1K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  fishyboy 
#1 ·
Hello all. I've just recently converted to real plants, and I'm not sure that my lighting is adequate. In my 72 gallon tank, I have 2 compact flourescent bulbs, 55 watt. In my 29 gallon, I have 1 cf, also 55 watt. I bought both of these at my lfs, along with glass canopies, to replace the cheap hood with the built-in light that the tanks came with originally. These are the bulbs the guy at the fish store recommended to me, but after reading the basics on this site, I'm afraid my 72 gallon tank is inadequately lighted. Any advice? Thanks!
 
#3 ·
My 72 gallon is 22" deep. Right now I have what the petshop called foxtail growing, and it is thriving. It is a fern-like plant, very tall, bright green except for the topmost growth, which is pink/red. I also have a plant that has a rosette of lanceolate leaves with ripply edges. It sent up two stalks that got so long they lay on the surface of the water. Eventually these stalks bloomed with tiny white flowers. It doesn't look very good now, but I keep accidentally digging it up with the gravel vac (these are my first real plants). Anyway, I'm not sure what I'd like to grow. The tank is all Rainbowfish, except for one pleco and 6 zebra danios. The pleco is for the hair algae which is growing out of control and the danios were my test fish for the newly set-up tank. Ideally, I'd have plants found in the same habitat as the Rainbows. That's what I'm doing with my 29 gallon kribensis tank. Still, I don't mind starting with more common, easier care plants even if they aren't 'authentic' if that's all I can grow with my lights. On the other hand, Christmas is coming and I just finished paying off my credit card....
 
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