75g Lighting Requirements?

[roundar]

I recently got a 75g tank that I'll be doing some aquascaping in. I'm going to have a low carpet plant on most of the aquarium, but one side with be planted with some various taller plants. I really don't know much at all about lighting and I was wondering what would give me medium-bright lighting. The tank is 48" long. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[mfdrookie516]

To get most plants to carpet, you have to have high light. High light means co2. I'm going to say you'll need 3-4 54w T5HO bulbs over that tank to get what you're wanting.

 

[jetajockey]

A high quality 2x54w fixture is plenty to do a carpet. The more lighting you add the more of a balancing act it will be, so it really depends on what you are willing to work with.

I've read that the dry start method is best to get a good carpet going, but I've not tried it myself.

The charts on here might help you, these are actual tested values

PAR vs Distance, T5, T12, PC - Updated Charts

 

[roundar]

Thanks, those charts are a big help. A quick search priced it at anywhere from 119-150. Do you guys know of any place where I can get the most bang for my buck so to speak? Possibly even a DIY article?

 

[jetajockey]

If you want to stay on the ultra cheap, go with a 2x54w oddysea fixture on ebay. Hard to beat that price, but then again, you get what you pay for. The reflectors are so-so, but those that have them say they work good and are worth the money. I've not tried them yet, but at half the cost of a standard fixture, it will be the next on my list.

48" T5 HO Aquarium Light Strip Hood Plant 6500K 108W | eBay

Note that the PAR chart (I think) is based on having a decent reflector so you can calculate your intensity a bit less than you would normally.

 

[roundar]

I almost wonder if it would be worth going with 48" T5 HO Aquarium Light Hood Freshwater Plant 216W New | eBay instead. It would cost the same as most 2 bulb fixtures but includes a little more products and features in addition to the obvious benefit of increasing or decreasing the lighting as necessary.

 

[rich311k]

I have never heard of the brand, but that would do the job. You will need CO2 if you run all those bulbs.