Lighting

[Sillyfishies]

This is the one I meant to post http://www.aquatraders.com/20-inch-4x18W-T5-Aquarium-Light-Fixture-p/52302p.htm

 

[candymancan]

Ah ok.. yea but that's much too short for a 36 inch tank.... unless he hangs it high in the air lol

 

[Sillyfishies]

Ah ok.. yea but that's much too short for a 36 inch tank.... unless he hangs it high in the air lol

I think it has enough lighting for the tank. So if he's willing to hang it or put it on a glass top.

 

[CanadianWaters]

Thanks for all the links and replies! I hate to do this but from what I gather it might be a little out of my price range to do a hight tech tank now. I was planning on buying a lot of the important equipment lightly used but now that isn't going to work out.?
Do you think it would be possible to do a similar tank except dose Seachem Excel? Or do you think it would get too expensive?
I guess I am probably changing plans to a low tech with excel(?)

 

[Sillyfishies]

Thanks for all the links and replies! I hate to do this but from what I gather it might be a little out of my price range to do a hight tech tank now. I was planning on buying a lot of the important equipment lightly used but now that isn't going to work out.dde1f
Do you think it would be possible to do a similar tank except dose Seachem Excel? Or do you think it would get too expensive?
I guess I am probably changing plans to a low tech with excel(?)

If money is an issue,

Get 3 work lights from lowes and 3 CFLs (swirly bulbs). Make sure the CFLs are in the 5000k-7000k spectrum.

 

[CanadianWaters]

It's not a big deal but I do have a limited budget. I will be able to afford a light system but probably not a Co2 thing. I guess I could try a DIY one.

 

[Sillyfishies]

It's not a big deal but I do have a limited budget. I will be able to afford a light system but probably not a Co2 thing. I guess I could try a DIY one.

Rivercats had a 100% planted tank using liquid carbon. U can get a gallon jug of metracide-14 and dilute it with a gallon of distilled water. And then you'd have 2 gallons of Excel.

 

[CanadianWaters]

Ya I was quite impressed when I read about her tank...doubly so when I saw pictures of her tank!
That's a good trick too! I will probably be doing a low tech tank and dose excel, makes my life a little easier I guess.
Lighting isn't quite as important now am I right?

 

[candymancan]

You don't need CO2 if you don't have high lighting..

 

[Sillyfishies]

You don't need CO2 if you don't have high lighting..

But plants would enjoy it.

 

[CanadianWaters]

So...mid level lighting and maybe every other day doses of excel?

 

[candymancan]

Question... your saying you cant afford that $45 duel T5HO light ? $45 isn't that bad and duel lights are more then enough lol.. Certainly way better then your single T8 light..

 

[Fishperson]

So...mid level lighting and maybe every other day doses of excel?

So, what fixture did you decide on?

I know you said you have a budget but I'm just saying if you change your mind then this fixture is cool looking, LED (doesn't use much power) and doesn't need to be replaced for a long, long, time. It might even be cheaper in the long run, and it'll give you medium light, around 50 PAR. Amazon.com: Finnex Ray2 Aquarium LED Daylight, 36-Inch: Pet Supplies

This one is similar, but it will give you less PAR, just under 40, so still medium light. It is also LED but is less expensive. Amazon.com: Finnex FugeRay Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights, 36-Inch: Pet Supplies

If you want to go low light than don't choose either of those, but if you're willing to spend a little extra $ to go medium light than those are 2 good options. The first one will give you solid medium light and the other will get you light closer to the low-medium range.

 

[Fishperson]

Oh and I forgot, if you want to get more info on those fixtures here's the link I got my info from, it shows the PAR values for the finnex fugerays and finnex ray2s. Finnex RAY II & FugeRAY PAR Data

The general consensus on low, medium, and high light based on PAR values is something like this:

Up to 30: Low light
30-60: Medium light
60+: High light

For low light, a bit of excel or glut is enough as far as co2 goes. For medium light, DIY co2, if done right, will be fine, but pressurized is recommended. If you are at the low-medium range for light, like 30-40 PAR (exactly what a 36" Finnex Fugeray, the second link in the above post, would give you) than in my opinion dosing a lot of glut or excel would be enough. For high light, glut or excel isn't really a good option, and pressurized co2 is definitely the most common co2 dosage, but I suppose if you did a combination of well-done DIY co2 and lots of glut/excel, you could escape with minimal algae problems.

Hope this helps!

 

[CanadianWaters]

Question... your saying you cant afford that $45 duel T5HO light ? $45 isn't that bad and duel lights are more then enough lol.. Certainly way better then your single T8 light..

I can afford the light...but shipping it up to Canada is where the cost is at, but I am still looking at it.

Thanks for all the help! I will probably spend my next few days thinking over the different fixtures and options.