40 gallon breeder low tech lighting.

[GrumpyGills]

I'm really excited to start my first tank soon and since everyone seems to say that planted is the way to go I want to include plants.

More than anything else though, figuring out what lights to buy has been the most confusing part of researching how to setup my tank.

If you buy a basic tank and then buy a light, do you then also have to go and purchase a special hood? Or can you buy light fixtures that are built into hoods? Do you just set the strip on top and have the water be open to air? Most aquariums I see come with a black, opaque hood. Can these generally be fitted with a light for a low tech tank?

If someone could actually just tell me what to buy and provide an amazon link or something, I would be really grateful. The cheaper the better, as every time I learn more about aquariums it seems like there is yet another product I need to buy before I can start. I just want some nice green plants to fill out my tank, it doesn't have to be a masterpiece.

 

[Triton]

I'd personally say either open top or glass lid are they best bet.

The stock black hoods aren't very good at keeping heat in and the lights for them are very low. For a tank 18" front to back a low light won't reach the front and back

 

[GrumpyGills]

I like the look of a glass top and they actually don't seem too expensive (~$20) so I am definitely down for that.

 

[Triton]

For a 40 breeder they are about $35 around here... But it leaves the options open for future lighting expansion without needing to replace the lid