how to add more light to my FW tank?

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cinnamaldehyde

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
80
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba
I have a standard 55gal tank that has been up and running for a while. It currently has mainly plastic plants and a few Anubias spp. that are doing okay.

It came as a kit (Aqueon) and although I've since added an AC filter & upgraded the heater, I haven't done anything to the canopy & lights. It's got the standard 48" black plastic canopy with 2 - 20" 15W fluorescent bulbs. So I've got 30W of light for 55gal, and I've been reading & observing that I need more W per gallon to successfully grow other plants.

I want to be able to swap out my plastic plants for live ones, and I would like to be able to grow plants other than Anubias. I've got the fish part down, and I know I sound like a dumb*** but I need some reliable info on lights.

I've seen the LED strips that might work if I removed the plastic flaps that lift up to feed the fish at the front. Is LED good for plants?

PS: I do have a water-loving cat, so while I don't need a lid that covers the whole tank, I do need at least a light that acts barrier to prevent cat from going swimming, as I caught her doing in my QT tank the other day.

Any suggestions or comments are welcome! Thanks!
 
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If you insist on having something covering the tank (and I completely understand why), glass tops are probably going to be your best bet. They are relatively cheap and wont block much, if any, light unless they get dirty. I'd look in to a T5HO setup. LED's are pretty new to the hobby right now, which makes them very expensive. BigJim just did a DIY LED fixture, if you're a good DIY'er. I have purchased my three T5HO fixtures from fishneedit.com. Cheap, reliable, and efficient.
 
Bump. ;)

I'm in the same boat as you... in fact, I have pretty much the same tank setup, (55g, 2-15W fluorescent bulbs, etc.). And, just like you, I'm wanting to switch over from artificial plants to low-light plants. I didn't want to use C02, so I'm trying to keep my lighting around 1wpg and having a difficult time deciding on which fixture to buy.

The fixtures that Mfd recommended are nice and inexpensive btw, and you should check them out, (they're a little too modern for my taste... no offense Mfd ;)). There are also a few other T5HO fixtures that I checked out, but they're just "ok". But then another member shared a little info on their LED fixture. It's a Marineland LED Double Bright Lighting System It's definitely a beautiful fixture and is fairly inexpensive! :D

I'm still waiting to get a response from the member that posted about the fixture and you can follow along here, if you would like. Likewise, I'll follow your thread and see if you get any advice about LED fixtures.

Edit: Oh and I have a cat too, but she knows better than to mess w/ my fish... that and she doesn't like water. lol ;)
 
The fixtures that Mfd recommended are nice and inexpensive btw, and you should check them out, (they're a little too modern for my taste... no offense Mfd ;)). There are also a few other T5HO fixtures that I checked out, but they're just "ok". But then another member shared a little info on their LED fixture. It's a Marineland LED Double Bright Lighting System It's definitely a beautiful fixture and is fairly inexpensive! :D

)

Hmmm... thanks for the link. I do like the LEDs. Will have to do more research! And must find out how much it would be in Canada... often by the time the US stores add more shipping costs and then the duty, it can almost double the price!
 
I have had problems with my cat and couldnt figure out what to do to stop him. now i have a little pressurized gun that shoots minny ping pong balls... he doesnt go up there anymore.
 
Hmmm... thanks for the link. I do like the LEDs. Will have to do more research! And must find out how much it would be in Canada... often by the time the US stores add more shipping costs and then the duty, it can almost double the price!

Double? Ouch! Maybe you could check your LFS or do a search for a Canadian-based online pet supply store, (that is if any even exist)? They might carry the Marineland brand or you should be able to find something similar.

Edit: I forgot to add this. It's a really good read if you were planning to go the low-tech, no C02 route.

I have had problems with my cat and couldnt figure out what to do to stop him. now i have a little pressurized gun that shoots minny ping pong balls... he doesnt go up there anymore.

"No kitty, that's my fish tank!":zook:

You're evil btw. LOL
 
"No kitty, that's my fish tank!":zook:

You're evil btw. LOL

Heheheeeee...

I had to get the water spray bottle out today while setting up a 10gal. Turns out, she thought it was a 20" x 10" litterbox with nice new sand. Luckily, I managed to extract the cat before she actually used it.

Anyone want a 4 year old Bengal (Marbled)?

I'm surprised the spray bottle works. For a cat with that much affinity to water, somehow the spray deters her. This is a cat that gets IN the bathtub with me.

ANYHOW, back to fish!!! Thanks McLumpy for that link. Spent the evening doing lots of reading about lights!
 
Heheheeeee...

I had to get the water spray bottle out today while setting up a 10gal. Turns out, she thought it was a 20" x 10" litterbox with nice new sand. Luckily, I managed to extract the cat before she actually used it.

Anyone want a 4 year old Bengal (Marbled)?

I'm surprised the spray bottle works. For a cat with that much affinity to water, somehow the spray deters her. This is a cat that gets IN the bathtub with me.

ANYHOW, back to fish!!! Thanks McLumpy for that link. Spent the evening doing lots of reading about lights!

HA! You're lucky she didn't use your tank for a toilet! I've heard of people setting up their tanks w/ sand substrate, leave for a few min's, only to return to, well you get the picture. ;)

You're welcome about the link! :D It just so happens that I was reading that and cruising around on here at the same time. I'm getting good at multi-tasking. lol Oh and while you were reading about lights, I was searching for lights...

I found this 48" SolarMaxHO Double T5 w/ LED Light at a great price! It looks like a really nice fixture and it has the LED Moonlights. The only thing that I don't care for is the LED's are always on. Meh. Oh well, I could look beyond that if they make the tank look nice w/ the main lights off. (y)

I'm seriously considering going with this fixture. It's a little bit more than the HE version, but I believe you can use HE bulbs in an HO fixture, (not the other way around). So, if the wattage is too high, the bulbs can be replaced w/ lower HE wattage bulbs. At least that's what I've read.

Just to clarify, you were wanting to go w/ a low-tech, (no C02), setup, right? I think I just assumed you were going that route by your original post.
 
I have a Bengal as well does yours talk? Or make posessed sounds late at night?
 
I'll chime in on LEDs. Commercially made LED fixtures are still pretty expensive, but if you're handy, you can build your own relatively cheaply. I built one for my 20H and it cost me maybe $20 over a two bulb 24" T5HO fixture, but it only uses 30W at full power. So far I've been able to keep high-light plants like rotala wallichii, glosso, and asian ambulia growing. I've had to start a fert regimen and I'm planning to add a pressurized CO2 system in the near future to battle algae and help with plant growth. There's a link in my signature to the build thread if you're interested.

If you're trying to stay low-tech without CO2, etc., you could build a fixture like mine with fewer less powerful LEDs. The Marineland Double Bright fixture for a 48" tank uses sixteen 1W LEDs and it should be enough to support a variety of plants. By comparison I used ten 3W LEDs over a 24" tank.
 
I have 48 (L) x 24 (H) x 18 (w) tank and was thinking about getting lights to be able to grow low to medium lights plants. Any recommendations?
 
Double? Ouch! Maybe you could check your LFS or do a search for a Canadian-based online pet supply store, (that is if any even exist)? They might carry the Marineland brand or you should be able to find something similar.

So I was in one of my fave LFS today, and they had the Marineland LED fixture... for a mere $229. I guess ordering from the US with shipping and duty might not be so bad after all. I do like that light fixture though.

And shadyfish: yes my Bengal chats. ALL FREAKING DAY LONG. She never shuts up.
 
On the marineland system, will that fit a 55 gallon? I was curious because it looks like an awesome light. It says 36-48", so I'm assuming that it would stretch out and be able to work on my 55 which measures the 48" across. Unfortunately I'm not an electronic DIY nor do I have the time to attempt it so BigJim's way is out.

On personal preference or experience would y'all rather have something similiar to the marineland system or the T5-HO 2 lamp system from fishneedit for general lighting and future low-medium plants.

T5-ho 4ft / 2LAMP Aquarium lighting - 89.99

Aquarium Lighting & LED Lights: Marineland LED Double Bright Lighting System - 118.99
 
I have had problems with my cat and couldnt figure out what to do to stop him. now i have a little pressurized gun that shoots minny ping pong balls... he doesnt go up there anymore.



Hahahahah, that's hilarious








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On the marineland system, will that fit a 55 gallon? I was curious because it looks like an awesome light. It says 36-48", so I'm assuming that it would stretch out and be able to work on my 55 which measures the 48" across. Unfortunately I'm not an electronic DIY nor do I have the time to attempt it so BigJim's way is out.

On personal preference or experience would y'all rather have something similiar to the marineland system or the T5-HO 2 lamp system from fishneedit for general lighting and future low-medium plants.

T5-ho 4ft / 2LAMP Aquarium lighting - 89.99

Aquarium Lighting & LED Lights: Marineland LED Double Bright Lighting System - 118.99

The Marineland fixture will fit a 55g, but I believe the fixture is only 36" and the mounting bracket extends up to 48". I could be wrong, but that's what it looks like from some of the pics of that fixture. I'm still not sure if the Marineland would be suitable for a low-tech setup, but according to MFD, the T5-HO from fishneedit.com would work fine.

My personal preference would be to go w/ the LED. However, when new technology comes out, I always give it time on the market before I purchase. Once the "new" wears off, the price will start dropping, plus, if there are any "bugs", they will get them corrected before it comes time for me to purchase.
 
Ya, I'm not rushing out to buy lighting anytime soon, the marineland system does have a nice look to it though. But there's always time to look around, thanks for replying to my little side jaunt there. Not trying to hijack the op
 
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