Lighting for cardinal tetra's in a 30 gal

[23jim]

Any suggestions on 30 gal (36X12X16) tank with a sand substrate that I am intending on planting and filling with cardinal tetra's, black neon tetras, Bolivian rams, and corys plus maybe a pleco or couple otto's.

I currently have 24 inch 20 watt single florescent.

I want to plant heavily with driftwood. I dig all those aquascape type plantings and hope to include Java Moss, Java ferns, etc. I have white sand but will include lots of groundcover type plants plus rocks and driftwood so that only 1/3 of the floor is exposed white sand

I know tetras want lower lighting and shade. Any suggestions on lighting setups and plants. I was thinking T5 dual 30 or 36 inch bulbs.
I would like to not have to do CO2, but would if I need to to get the lush growth I want.

Thanks,

Jimv

 

[aqua_chem]

They only make 36 inch T5HOs.

30 breeder... tough call on lighting. I would be nervous abous t5hos on a tank that shallow. Definitely co2 territory. Are you open to hanging a fixture?

Also, for the nice carpets you see, you'll very likely need co2 and high light, or at least upper medium. Did you have any plants in mind?

 

[23jim]

I was thinking java ferns, java mosses, but I don't know squat about plants yet am just starting with them. Do you have any suggestions. If I don't go with a lot of groundcover I would like to do something like: South American Cichlid, Community Tank [HD] - YouTube

do you think Aqueon Coralife 05619 Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture, 36-Inch (Amazon.com: Aqueon Coralife 05619 Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture, 36-Inch: Pet Supplies) would work for a setup like that in my tank.

 

[23jim]

Does anyone have an opinion whether the light I mentioned would be adequate for a 30 gallon breeder?

 

[BigJim]

The light you mentioned won't be adequate for carpet plants. To get a lush, fast-growing tank with carpet plants, you should step up to T5HO or good LEDs and CO2 injection. If you'll settle for less demanding plants, regular T5s should work, but you might want the 4-bulb fixture to get better light coverage.

Java ferns and java moss don't require much light. If you want to stay with those plants, the light you have will be fine.

As far as tetras go, they adapt to the light. I have several tetras in my high-light tank (30W of LEDs over a 20H) and they're very active and visible.

 

[23jim]

okay I'll probly skip carpet plants but I would like to have medium light plants and dont want a co2 system. Would t5ho at 78 watts for my 30 gallon tank be too much without co2? Would the 48 watts of t5no be better?

 

[BigJim]

I think you'd need CO2 with 78W. Go for the 48W fixture. T5HO packs a pretty good punch per watt.

 

[aqua_chem]

The 48w is 24" (2x24). The 78w is 36" (2x39). Get the one that matches your tank's size.

This is a classic problem why wpg stinks as any sort of metric. Both the 36" and the 24" will have the same intensity of light directly under the fixture. The 24" will have dark spots at the end of the tank.

Oh, and you WILL need CO2 with a T5HO on a 12" tall tank, unless you plan on suspending the light more than a foot above the top of the tank, and then you'll probably still want it.

 

[23jim]

Thanks for the replies, the lights were both 34 inches in a 36 inch fixture. The 48 watt is T5NO, the 78 is T5HO.

My tank is 36 inch wide, 12 inches deep and 16 inches tall.

Thanks again. I appreciate all the input.

Jim

 

[23jim]

The T5NO light I was looking at was a Aqueon Coralife 05619 Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture, 36-Inch (http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Corali...24/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1321664339&sr=8-15)

How would this work for my set up? Would that qualify as Low-Medium light on my tank?

Jim