[edacsac]

More reading for me about WPG, as I try to figure out how much light is lost when you suspend your light above your tank as opposed to setting it on the top of the tank.

But I was looking at the AGA entries, and it seems that 5+ watts per gallon is the norm for people that enter, and some are even much greater. I think I saw one that had 100 watts over a 10gal.

All I can say is why?

I settled on 3.6 WPG for my 10gal that I'm working on, and I was thinking, along with alot of the discussion here, that is toward the high end of WPG needs.

 

[Overfloater]

On a small tank like a 10G, 100W is not a ton of light. On small tanks you need more WPG to produce the same net plant growth. Larger tanks can use less wattage. I have 110W over my 10G. It's not a problem if you have the experience to handle it.

 

[biowheel]

Check the gallery photos of some great looking tanks. Most of the light ratios there average about 2.7wpg. Think the proof is right there in the pictures.

 

[crazy loaches]

Smaller tanks --> more WPG needed
Larger tanks --> less WPG needed
There was a chart somewhere that calculated the WPG requirement for an AGA style tank.

 

[edacsac]

Shoot... Am I going to be in trouble trying to grow riccia (dwarf and regular), glosso and HC (not to mention the tonina I'd mostly likely kill no matter how much light I have)? I thought I was all planned out and ready to go. I was originally going for a 55watt kit, but was talked into the 36watt when I ordered.

I was just reading something on Rex's site that shows I'm way under lighted. I guess I better order more lights.

 

[fish_lover0591]

uhh would a 2 x 13 watt kit be fine for a 10 gallon to grow lots of plants ? or should i save up for the 36 watt kit ? I will be using a 1 gallon bottle for my diy mixture or maybe 2 x 2l bottles. The diffuser i might be using is a Rhinox 1000 on ah supply the 36 watt and 55 watt kit are the same price but the 55 watt kit is longer

 

[epicfish]

I would go for the 36w kit over a 10 gallon tank.

edacsac: How are you going to fit the 55 watt strip over a 10 gallon tank?

 

[edacsac]

I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing anymore.

 

[fish_lover0591]

I Will stick with the 36 watt kit then