Lighting upgrade, need advice

[V10]

I'm hoping you guys can point me in the right direction for lighting my tank. Currently I have the standard fluorescent bulb that came with my hood, i think it's rated at 30 watts. I'd like to get into the 2-4 watts per gallon range and was wondering if I have to buy a new fixture and bulb? or can I just insert a VHO bulb rated at a higher wattage?

If I have to get a new fixture, what should I get, VHO or PC? When my tank is done cycling, I'm going to be planting a variety of plants that need "moderate" lighting. I will be stocking it with gourami's and rainbow fish. And it's a 46 gallon tank, 20inches deep. See sig for more tank details.

[flipz]

hey v10,
Welcome to AA!

I don't know much about planted tanks, but one thing that I can say is that your fixture is probably only rated for 30w if that's what bulb is in there now, so I wouldn't put a higher watt one in there. You will have to be investing in new fixtures to reach that 2-4 wpg that you want... sorry!

You will get some responses here, but to target the people who could you even more, I recommend posting this in the Freshwater & Brackish - Planted Tanks forum because they will know a lot more about lighting, and about plant keeping.

Good luck!
-brent

[V10]

Hi flipz, thanks, I forgot about the planted tank forum. I'll pm a mod to see if they'll move this thread.

[travis simonson]

V10 - welcome to AA First off, what size is your tank? Knowing this will help us determine what kind of fixture you need to use to achieve the desired light levels.

I can tell you right off that a VHO bulb will not work in a standard fluorescent fixture. They require special VHO fixtures to work properly. You've got two basic options for increasing your lighting: 1] Purchase a PC fixture which will give you much more wattage than the standard Normal Output fluorescent fixture you've got; 2] Overdrive Normal Output lighting by adding additional ballasts to the fixture. This requires some electrical skill but is very cost effective. A search for "ODNO" here on the forums will yield a wealth of information on overdriving NO fixtures.

[V10]

Thanks travis, its a 46 gallon that is 20 inches tall. I'm thinking I might just fork out the cash for a PC system. However I will research the overdrive option.

[Skyrmir]

For simplicity the commercial PC setups are nice. I have one inside the hood for my 30 gallon and love it. On the other hand, if your inclined, you can put together a decent PC setup yourself for probably 50-75% of the cost. How it looks will depend on your carpentry and electrical skills though.

The only real issue with doing ODNO is the bulbs last half as long, and you should be careful about heat buildup when setting things up.

[V10]

I'm pretty good with making things, but I think I'm going to just buy a new strip light. It looks like All-Glass makes a Power compact 110w strip that is designed to go with my hood for around $125.

It has 2 55watt bulbs @ 9325K

I guess that will do the trick. Will it be too bright on my fish? They do have places to hide at while their eyes adjust. It's a wierd feeling to spend $125 for about $30 in plants :P

[Skyrmir]

Shouldn't be too bright at all, if anything you could always turn off one of the bulbs and have moderate lighting. That's what I do on my 30 gallon right now, there's 2x65watts over it, but I keep one of the bulbs turned off. Shop around on the fixture a bit, you might be able to find a slightly better deal with maybe moonlights. They're not needed, but if your going to spend the cash on a nice setup, you might as well have the bells and whistles.

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

4x ODNO = 2x bulb output.

a double strip light 4xODNO will result in about 120w of light putting you right about where you want to be.

If you are going ODNO, then make sure the fixture is not resting on the glass and replace the bulbs every 6 months. you may also want a fan or 2 to blow down the length of the bulbs.

T8 Fluorescent
176W VeryHigh
132W High
88W Moderate
44W Low