"Moderate" light over a 29 gallon

[aseradyn]

I am setting up a 29 gallon standard tank. (MTS strikes again - this is all YOUR fault, people) I have my eye on dwarf hairgrass and water wisteria, which I see listed as "moderate" light plants. My goal is just to grow something different than I'm used to (crypts, swords, anubias, ferns) without going all in on CO2 injection and complex fertilizer regimens. (Got no problem with Excel and fert tabs, just not looking to add more equipment)

I have an old 55W power compact fixture that fits this tank, but from Googling around, it sounds like it may be too bright and give me algae problems.

Does anyone have experience with this type of light? Is it too much, or am I over-thinking it?

My LFS still carries PC bulbs, but they're danged expensive. Down the road, I'll probably switch to LED, maybe that Finnex Planted+ people keep talking about.

Would the 30" fixture be enough for dwarf hairgrass and water wisteria?

I think I understand most of what I read about light intensity, color, and PAR, but I have trouble applying theory to the specs I see on light fixtures. Just feeling a little lost today

 

[Nils]

I am setting up a 29 gallon standard tank. (MTS strikes again - this is all YOUR fault, people) I have my eye on dwarf hairgrass and water wisteria, which I see listed as "moderate" light plants. My goal is just to grow something different than I'm used to (crypts, swords, anubias, ferns) without going all in on CO2 injection and complex fertilizer regimens. (Got no problem with Excel and fert tabs, just not looking to add more equipment)

I have an old 55W power compact fixture that fits this tank, but from Googling around, it sounds like it may be too bright and give me algae problems.

Does anyone have experience with this type of light? Is it too much, or am I over-thinking it?

My LFS still carries PC bulbs, but they're danged expensive. Down the road, I'll probably switch to LED, maybe that Finnex Planted+ people keep talking about.

Would the 30" fixture be enough for dwarf hairgrass and water wisteria?

I think I understand most of what I read about light intensity, color, and PAR, but I have trouble applying theory to the specs I see on light fixtures. Just feeling a little lost today

Hey there! Congrats on the new tank!

DHG is a plant that requires a ton of attention and very concentrated nutrients and high light. I tried it in my 5.5 gallon tank with injected Co2, a high light and fertilizers and it still died. I personally wouldn't do it if I were you.

Water wisteria, from my understanding, is a plant that does well under almost all conditions. It's one of those plants that's really hard to kill, so you won't need a high light for it.

Finnex lights are really good and can grow lots of plants. I don't know much about PAR or anything like that, so hopefully someone else can help you a bit more than me.

 

[aseradyn]

Ah, back to the drawing board on plants, then

Water wisteria sounds like my kind of plant. I like hard to kill!

I liked the contrast in textures; gonna have to do some more Googling for a foreground plant!