[mrkrsll]

First Post, great site!!!

I just recently bought a 75g aquarium, resealed it, built a custom stand for it, water tested it and now I'm ready to start exploring my options.

I have a 120 dollar budget for lighting and was wondering if the Aqueon Modular LED Aquarium Light would be adequate for growing Dwarf Hair grass in my 75g tank? I plan on using sand as a substrate and covering at least 60% of it with the Hair grass.


Thanks!

 

[squatingdog]

i have the aqueon modular led lighting system but i dont think it might be your best choice because when you buy it it only comes with one led light strip. it does give lots of light but it might be better if you use the led that comes with it and get the colour max because the colour max has a spike in the red zone and the blue zone so will be better for your plants. just add what ever you want to add into the last slot.

 

[squatingdog]

 

[mrkrsll]

My other option is a Aquatic Life T5-HO Light Fixture - 2 x 54 W - 48".
A friend of mine is letting this go for 150.
Do you think this would be a better choice?

 

[Hjgpoole]

You might try the Satellite Freshwater plus .... Amazon had the 48" for $123.
So far except my Fluval Aqualife the Satellite has been the one I have had the best luck with for my foreground plants.

 

[angelcraze]

I still have t5's on some tanks and I hate them. You have to replace the bulbs every 6 months or so and it's a complete waste of money imo especially when you have multiple tanks. I have a 90g, so a bit taller than your 75g. It will be low-medium light West African. So if I can do hairgrass, that would be awesome too.

I do find hairgrass needs enough light. I mean, without co2, you don't want too much light, it will just collect algae. But in light that's too low, it will hardly do anything, just stay alive, ime.

I live in Quebec, and on Amazon.ca, you can get a finnex ray II for $157ish with tax. If you did this, I think you would have enough par to reach the substrate, and if you found it was too much, you could just suspend it (higher), or add a screen of some sort to dim it a bit. At least, that's what I am going to do. Another good option (I've seen for myself in person) is the Finex planted+. It is $118 + tax on Amazon.ca. It might be enough par for your hairgrass, it might grow slower, but the planted+ will also have reds and blues to accentuate red plants (if you add any) or red fish and blue likewise (not plants,lol) The red leds would not penetrate far enough to do anything for your hairgrass, so if you are doing all green style (irwagmi), 7000k is a good spectrum to shoot for.