[amahnesmith]

I am a newbie with a 36 gallon bowfront. The tank as been set up for my angelfish for about 2 years. I recently switched to a planted tank and currently just have the stock aqueon bulb on. I saw it mentioned that Aquatraders has good deals. Do you guy think that this light would work for me? I am wanting a low-tech tank without CO2 if possible. The lighting aspect is very confusing!

http://www.aquatraders.com/24-inch-2x24W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Fixture-p/52121p.htm

 

[BBradbury]

Low Tech Lighting

I am a newbie with a 36 gallon bowfront. The tank as been set up for my angelfish for about 2 years. I recently switched to a planted tank and currently just have the stock aqueon bulb on. I saw it mentioned that Aquatraders has good deals. Do you guy think that this light would work for me? I am wanting a low-tech tank without CO2 if possible. The lighting aspect is very confusing!

http://www.aquatraders.com/24-inch-2x24W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Fixture-p/52121p.htm

Hello ama...

The light bulbs that come with the tank are good for viewing your fish, but not much else. They won't be helpful growing plants. If you keep to plants that need low light, then remove the light you have and take it to the nearest hardware store and look for GE aquarium plant bulbs. Your tank probably takes a 36 inch bulb. So, a T12 or T8, 6500K bulb will be sufficient. It will cost a few dollars and last for a year or more.

Low light plants don't require CO2 or any high end fertilizers. The ferts the fish produce are good for plants and I dose a little liquid a couple of times a week. Just take good care of the water by removing and replacing half of it every week with pure, treated tap water. Don't feed the fish and plants too much and keep the tank lights on 12 hours every day. A timer would be helpful.

B

 

[Kathyy]

It certainly is confusing! Lucky for you a longer fixture of the very sort you are looking at is on the chart on this thread! See the fourth chart. A 36" long Odyssea T5HO puts out about 35 PAR at 25" and about 50 at 20" Be prepared to raise the fixture or put something to shade the tank like window screening or floating plants and you are good to go.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184368

 

[amahnesmith]

Thanks for the fast responses! The tank is actually only 30" long, with the standard bulb being a 24". That is another area I am having problems with.

The stock bulb is a 17watts T8 8000k. I purchased a GE daylight bulb that is 20watts T12 6500k and it seemed much darker, so I changed back to the original.

I am just confused. Would the bulbs in the link work? Or is there something else I could try?

 

[Kathyy]

The bulbs in the link are fine. They are much stronger lighting than the T8 bulb and the color will be good for the plants and natural looking.