What kind of lighting do I need?

[KristaButler]

I have a 29 Gallon. 30 inches long. I just planted it. It's beautiful, but I know I don't have the right lighting. What would be sufficient low lighting? What would be sufficient medium lighting? I want to compare the two. Thanks. All I have now is the fluorescent bulb that comes in a normal aquarium hood.


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[BBradbury]

Your Tank

I have a 29 Gallon. 30 inches long. I just planted it. It's beautiful, but I know I don't have the right lighting. What would be sufficient low lighting? What would be sufficient medium lighting? I want to compare the two. Thanks. All I have now is the fluorescent bulb that comes in a normal aquarium hood.


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Hello Kris...

I have a two bulb set up on my 20 G short tank. It's low light, so a couple of florescent bulbs is enough. They're 17 watts, T8s and 6500 K. Just right for growing Anubias, Java fern, any of the mosses like Christmas and Singapore and any of the floaters like Anacharis, Pennywort or Hornwort. I even float a piece of driftwood with a Banana plant attached with some cotton sewing thread. The Rosey Danios really like the jungle effect.

B

 

[Brookster123]

In your tank, the single t8 would.be very low light. What are you wanting to accomplish? What's your budget?

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[Fresh2o]

If you are leaning towards LEDs, then there is a PAR chart somewhere...I will try to find it (or if someone has it, please post). It lists the PAR levels that constitute low, medium, and high light. Let's say if low light is between 10-30 PAR (just an example) and you wanted low light then you would look for a fixture with an output in that range at that distance (light to substrate).
Several manufacturers have posted PAR levels for their LED fixtures at various distances. As for brands that come with kits that info may be hard to find (unless someone took a PAR meter readings and posted them).


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[Fresh2o]

Here is a nice discussion of lighting:
PAR instead of watts
PAR levels as per http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=160396 are:
Low = 10-30
Medium = 30-80
High = 80-120
This link describes the PAR levels for some major LED brands. However, it is a few years old and the newer models may not be listed.
Here are the levels (distance in inches/PAR) for a 24" Finnex Planted+. A 30" model should put you in the medium light range on a 29g:
3": 185
6": 117
9": 88
12": 61
15": 45


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[KristaButler]

Well this is great info. Here is a picture of my tank. I want enough lighting for these plants to survive.

There's willow hygro, bacopa, lobelia, crypt wendtii, lud glandulosa, lud peuerensis, myrio mattogrosense, sunset hydrophilia.


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[Fresh2o]

For t5's, a dual t5 NO might work, however, a little on the low side. A dual t5 HO might be too much light.
For LEDs, Finnex FugeRay would work. So would the Finnex Planted+. Only $5 difference in cost for the last two but the latter would produce a low-med light in a 29g and give you more plant options.


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