40g long lighting

[Dmiller383]

I was thinking about starting a new 40gallon long tank some time soon and was wondering what lighting and how much I should get and no co2 I know for a fact I will have ludwigia sudwassertang amazon sword and micro sword what would you recommend trying to stay under $150 if possible so with that price I take it I will need t5s

 

[Old Scales]

Zoo Med makes a T5HO that would work on your 40l without costing a lot. The reflector shape is not as efficient as the high priced units but this is what you would want for medium light. Petco is where I saw them for sale. If you have a glass top, the mounting brackets require an easy modification. If you get one I can explain how to make it work just fine. Odessey also makes a light unit about the same price I believe. OS.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

LEDs are a great option, too. Consider Current Satellite LED+ or Finnex Fugeray Planted+. No need to replace bulbs annually coupled with reduced electricity consumption makes these more appealing to me.

 

[Old Scales]

+1 to Brian's reply. I was thinking of lowest cost to buy on theT5's. But the LED's would be cheaper in the long run. OS.

 

[Dmiller383]

What kind of led lights would you recommend?

 

[Dmiller383]

And how many watts?

 

[Old Scales]

LED's aren't rated by watts for their lighting power so much, They are measured by PAR. Photosynthetic Active Radiation(or something like that). It's a measurement of how strong the light is at cetain distances below the light. It's posted somewhere in AA but I don't remember what the values were. Hopefully someone has it handy to post soon. I think the LED company's websites may have the info also. OS.