Lighting for a 29g Tank

[HooKooDooKu]

I can't believe the lack of decent lighting systems available without needlessly spending $$$.

What's a good light for a 29g tank and where can you get it.

The research I've done so far finds the most common light system is the Perfecto lights. But their 30" systems only have 24" tubes (20 watts max). For a 29 gallon tank, that's less than 1 watt/gallon. So at a minimum it seems like I would need to at least go with a Perfecto twin tube light. But it's still only 24" tubes (20 watts each MAX), but the final kick in the pants is it comes with 17 watt tubes (WTH?). So trying to use those lights would mean I'd need to toss the lights that come with it and buy more... which is basically a ton of coin just to get another 6 watts.

So what is everyone else using in their 29g tanks?

 

[fort384]

I have a NOVA extreme T5HO 2X24W and I also retrofitted 2 regular T5's (13 W ea) into my stock hood.

NOVA also makes a 4X24W 30" fixture if you want to go with high high light. You are right though - none of it is cheap. Even building it yourself is not inexpensive.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I'm not looking for really high output. Given that it's 30" wide tank, I would be quite happy with a pair of 30" 25 Watt tubes giving a total of 50 Watts. But so far, the closest thing I can readily find in the Perfecto that only uses 24" tubes in its 30" hood, and then for some cockeyed reason preloads them with 17 watt bulbs rather than a more common 20 watt tubes @ 24".

I guess if I had to, a total of 40 watts over a 29g isn't too bad. After all, I'm doing just fine with a 15 watt over a 10g, and we're talking about the foot-print of a 20g Long. So if I'm doubling the foot-print, it makes would see ok to use twice the wattage plus a little extra for the height of the 29g... which is 40 watts. But again, the Perfecto comes with only 17 watt bulbs.

 

[shrek_vn2002]

i'm using 65W current usa . But then have to order a dual 10,000/6700 light bulb because I dont like the 50/50 one.
i can grow lots of plants with this light

 

[q3ick]

I do agree, I spent $300 on my lighting system...

 

[mackdaddy81]

You could try and get an icandescent strip light and put two 20 watt compact flourescents in. I don't know if they sell 29 gal incandescent strip lights, but it's a thought.


Also, you could do a DIY light fixture. I did one for my 29 gallon for pretty cheap (about $40) and it holds four compact flourescents. I bought two ceramic lamp holders from home depot for $1 ea. and two splitters for about $2 ea. This way I could get four lights from 2 sockets. I the bought a cheap extension cord (about $2) and wired up the lamp holders. I buitl a case out of pine to hold the fixture and put some acyrilic in the bottom of the case to keep out the water. It works really well and I am happy with it.

Hope this helps!