Lighting - How Many Watts Does This Count For?

[Gryph]

I'm so confoozed.

I'm new at this planted thing, but I do my best to get lights and lightstrips that give me about 2 wpg and plants that don't think high light is necessary for life. My husband is buying me a new large tank (either 60 or 75 gallons, depending on what's on sale that week), and I would love to plant it.

Looking at light strips, I found a place with a good deal on what they called a "130 watt strip". However, I noticed that the light bulbs are two 65 watt power compacts, one for each half of the tank. It looks approximately like this:

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Terrible ANSII picture, but you get the idea.

So...how many watts does that count for? My guess is 65, since it's 65 on each half of the tank. But I've been wrong before. Would that figure give 65 watts, thus only one watt per gallon, or 130, and approximately two?

Thanks for the assistance!

 

[krap101]

you divide how many gallons by the amount of wattage. 130/65 would be 2 watts per gallon

 

[rich311k]

That is a solid two watts a gallon. 65 over 35 is close to two and with a pc its going to be two.

 

[Gryph]

Well, darn me if you aren't right. I forgot to divide.

That'd be a good thing, since I cannot afford pressurized CO2. Could I do two DIY setups, one on each end?

Thanks so much for the replies!

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Yes you can, and it would be at least helpful to run Some form of Co2 in your tank. Seachem Flourish Excel will probably also help out with the plants.

 

[Gryph]

Flourish Excel is what I use for my current setups. I'll toss a DIY CO2 setup on each end and call it good. Pressurized hurts my wallet, and makes it cry.

Thanks a bunch! That's exactly what I need to know!

 

[workfortheman]

Pressurized hurts my wallet, and makes it cry.

Maybe so, but after a few months with 2 DIY setups I'd be willing to bet that you get real sick of mixing sugar and yeast and your wallet won't be so stingy

If you are serious about plants and will have them for years, pressurized really does pay for itself compared to DIY. It only takes about a year I think, maybe 2.

 

[rich311k]

I would love pressurized but I dont think changing bottles is that big a hassle. Much better than cleaning the litter boxes everyday. It takes me maybe ten minutes to switch out a 2 liter bottle.