cinnamaldehyde
Aquarium Advice Regular
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!
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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