Are these lights good for growing plants?

[adammorrill]

Alright that makes it sound a lot easier, so if i go to the grocery store and just get a decent sized jug of distilled water, how much of each fert would i put into the jug of distilled water?

 

[fort384]

Depends on your tank... use that spreadsheet I sent you. It will tell you exactly how much of each to add. You also need to get 2 jugs: 1 for the CSM+B and 1 for the macros (KH2PO4, K2SO4, and KNO3). Decide what size of daily dose you want to add, and it will tell you how much to mix in a given volume (the volume is in liters on the spreadsheet, so if you use gallon jugs, 1 gal = 3.8 liters).

Do some reading on PPS Pro, and use that spreadsheet. You will just need to convert grams to teaspoons to make it a bit easier to measure.

 

[adammorrill]

Ok, Thanks for all you help

 

[fort384]

Any time... like I said spend some time reading tonight - and then come back with more questions. It really will get easier, I promise

Once you have tinkered a bit with it, let us know, and if you need some help understanding the measurements or conversions, I can help you out!

 

[adammorrill]

I definately will ask more questions, but first i have to get the fixture and the ferts so it might be a week or two

 

[fort384]

No sweat!

I really think you can't go wrong with the fishneedit fixture, and starting off with dry ferts. It is a little more difficult upfront obviously, but the savings is dramatic, and the amount of control you have for dosing is also much more dramatic. With the commercial liquid ferts, especially on a tank of your size, you are paying for mostly water. Much better to just buy 'em dry and add your own water... once you understand the proportions and the dosing .

 

[adammorrill]

That fixture does look good but i also need a glass canopy.
EDIT: If I buy the fixture from fishneedit, what bulbs should i get? I'm guessing 1 white, 1 pink?
EDIT#2: The white bulb should also be 6500K, Right?

 

[fort384]

1 White, 1 pink, or both white is fine. The whites are 6500K I believe (don't quote me, they might be 10000K) but any combo is fine - just stay away from the blue/actinic (those are for reef systems).

 

[fort384]

Also, why do you need a canopy? What fish are you planning on adding? I never run canopies on any of my tanks, fresh or salt

 

[adammorrill]

The only fish I am worried about are my rainbowfish, and harlequin rasboras. And the whites should be 6500K, I didnt understand what you meant. Also, the plants wouldnt do any better from a specific combo of lights?

 

[fort384]

so long as you provide the right spectrum, they will be fine, regardless of the specific color temperature. All of those bulbs fall in the right range.

Yeah, rainbows you might need to worry about... I guess I just always choose fish that dont jump because I like open top rimless tanks.

You might find a really cheap glass top at petsmart so you dont have to order one online. They usually carry a good range of sizes of them.

 

[bigbanker]

I'd say one 10k and one 6.5k

I have open tanks with rainbows and rasboras and even had my roselines in there too with no problem. Screen, though dims lighting works just as well and is way cheaper

 

[fort384]

Yeah, true - a screen can work well.

I always try to run a mix of 10000K and 6500K just because I like the color of light that it produces... but I have run all combinations and really haven't seen a noticeable difference in plant growth.

I have seen claims of plants getting leggy as you move away from peaks of red in the spectrum... but I think if you stay in that 6500-10000K range, it provides ample peaks in blue and red, which translates to healthy plants.

 

[bigbanker]

It does come down to personal choice as well... sometimes I do just run my 6500 because I like the way it looks.

 

[adammorrill]

So, getting one 6500K and one 10000K apposed to 2 6500K wouldnt make a difference in plant health? Which combination would make the tank look the brightest?Thanks

 

[fort384]

Brightness would be about equal. 10000k looks white while 6500k looks more like sunlight.

 

[adammorrill]

Alright, i guess i will just get one 6500K and one 10000K. I also, bought the ferts you were telling me about, fort384. My dad is going to help me with mixing them with distilled water and the dosage. Do you know of any big, broad leafed plants that would be ok to plant in my tank once i get the fixture.[BTW i am getting the one from fishneedit]
EDIT: I just found out if i get 2 white bulbs, they have to be the same so I am going to get two 6500Ks, thats goods right?