planting a 29 gallon high after cycling?

[Mr. Limpet]

ok so if i stayed with low lights i couldnt upgrade at all id have to stay with the current light (this isnt a all in one hood it has a hood and then a fixture over glass

You could buy a new fixture and get a higher wattage for high light plants, but you can't just change the wattage of the bulb. Does that make sense?

Basically, if your currrent bulb is rated at 20 watts, you can put any bulb you want in that fixture, but it has to be 20 watts too.

 

[allaboutfish]

why? i dont get that if it fits in the fixture why would it have to be the same watts?

 

[allaboutfish]

so this would do?
Coralife 20,000K High-Intensity Purified Super Daylight Lamps at PETCO

 

[allaboutfish]

or this
POWER-GLO Fluorescent Bulbs by Hagen - Lighting & Hoods - Fish - PetSmart

 

[allaboutfish]

i think i've decided on this one bc in a review someone said it did good for their 30 gallon and it has the same watts and length(the second one)

 

[Mr. Limpet]

why? i dont get that if it fits in the fixture why would it have to be the same watts?

Because the ballast is made to charge a certain rated/wattage bulb and there's no way around it.

You could put an 18w bulb in and it would kinda work, but it'll burn out in half the time (besides why put a lower wattage bulb in, right?). Try to put a higher wattage bulb in and it'll flicker for a while before either the bulb fails or the ballast does.

It's just the way it works. That's why I use old light hoods and do DIY replacements and can jump my lights from 17-20w to 89w (relative) for about $50. If you want to do that, check out my DIY thread.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/ah-supply-55w-strip-light-kit-diy-build-review-145745.html

 

[Mr. Limpet]

i think i've decided on this one bc in a review someone said it did good for their 30 gallon and it has the same watts and length

Do you mean the Hagen?

The K factor is a bit high but it should work and the price isn't bad.

 

[allaboutfish]

yea the hagen. and what factors does the kelvin play on plants?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

yea the hagen. and what factors does the kelvin play on plants?

Basically there's a certain range that the light spectrum produces a color and the K factor represents that. Plants can use light from 4200K to 10000K best, with 6700K producing the best red and blue hues that plants utilize. Now even though the one you want is beyond that range it should still be OK. Wattage is kinda the biggie, more wattage means more power, means more growth.

 

[allaboutfish]

so leave it on for about 12 hours a day?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

so leave it on for about 12 hours a day?

You could and then adjust as you see fit. I do 2, five hour photoperiods and it seems to work for me.

 

[allaboutfish]

ok

 

[Aspencer]

You could and then adjust as you see fit. I do 2, five hour photoperiods and it seems to work for me.

I have a timer so I could do that....why do think it is better than on 9 hour period...just like nature??? Trying to fool Mother Nature into doing 2 days work in one???

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I have a timer so I could do that....why do think it is better than on 9 hour period...just like nature??? Trying to fool Mother Nature into doing 2 days work in one???

I actually do it for selfish reasons. I like to see them in the morning when everyone is getting ready for the day, so on at 7am and in the evening so on till 9pm with a break in the middle of the day (lots of sunlight, so it's not really dark during the break). Yes, I use a mechanical timer on every tank.

As for fooling nature, we already do that by putting them in a glass box, don't we?

 

[allaboutfish]

would this be good for low to medium?

Zoo Med AquaSun T-5 HO Double Light Linear Fluorescent Hood at PETCO

 

[allaboutfish]

but id wanna use 1 blue and oe white would that be ok

 

[Rokuzachi]

By blue light do you mean an actinic one? If so, those are beneficial for corals as I understand it, but not for your typical live plants.

 

[allaboutfish]

i mean the oes that shine blue so that you ca turn them o at ight and your fish dont scatter i think it's like moonlight

 

[Mr. Limpet]

would this be good for low to medium?

Zoo Med AquaSun T-5 HO Double Light Linear Fluorescent Hood at PETCO

I'd do some looking around online, because you could probably get a better light for cheaper, and the doesn't come with bulbs so you looking at another $30+ for them.

but id wanna use 1 blue and oe white would that be ok

You could do a plant bulb and a blue bulb (looks cool, not useful to plants), but if you want to get into some better plants you may not want to waste 24w just on looks.

 

[allaboutfish]

oh ok can you recomend a sight that has a light fixture for cheaper