The Planted Tank Forum banner

Lighting suggestions for 29 gallon Low Tech (No CO2)

770 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  Jminator22
I am a first timer and will be starting a 29 gallon planted tank soon. I am not looking to add CO2 at this time, as I would like to start fairly basic. I have been researching different lighting fixtures, bulbs, PAR, etc. I don't have exact plants/fish in mind yet, but will pick out plants that do well in low light.

I have been looking at the Finnex Stingray 30 or possibly the Planted+, but it seems to me that algae could become a problem with the Planted+. I have also been looking at the Coralife dual T5 NO, but read a couple of posts saying this could also cause an algae problem without adding CO2.

I am looking for some suggestions for lighting that could still provide decent growth, without the risk of an algae infestation. I was also wondering if any of the carpeting plants can grow and spread with any of the lighting options you provide without added CO2?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
The Stingray is a safe bet for a strictly low light solution. If you think you'd ever want to dabble with more light and/or CO², you could get the Planted+ 24/7. Without the carbon dioxide, you could either dim the fixture or try different photo periods (like 4 on, 4 off, 4 on). You wouldn't be able to use the 24/7 feature though, but it's an option...
Thanks for the reply, I think I would prefer to use something that I could be comfortable leaving on for a set time without having to experiment to get it right. I may think about upgrading in the future, but if I decide to do that I would probably purchase a new fixture.

The other thing I was thinking is that maybe there is a dual bulb fluorescent fixture that I could only run one bulb on to give me solid low light. And then if I wanted to up it in the future I could add the 2nd bulb. The problem with this is that most of these are 24 inch, and I don't really have a place to raise the fixture. I was hoping to just let the light fixture sit on top of the glass for a cleaner look.
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
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