Advice Please...Lighting

[FSEMTB2]

Hello Everyone,

My question is, would a triple bulb fixture with t8 bulbs(each bulb is 25 watts) be enough light for a 45gl bow front aquarium? Will this support a variety of live plants or not? Thank you in advance.

Ken

 

[gheitman]

That amount of light will support some low and medium light plants like various anubias and cryptocoryne species as well as dwarf sags, compact swords, African ferns, etc. I have less light in most of my tanks. The success you have with plants also depends on the substrate you use, the types of plants and how and when you fertilize them.

 

[FSEMTB2]

light

Does anybody have suggestion on an upgrade then? Currently using a single bulb(30w), but I want to be able to upgrade to a appropiate light. I have natural substrate about 3 inches all around. My pit fall is my light set up, and I dont want to purchase this triple bulb unit if it will not be enough to support my wants.(I like to get some carpeting plants).

Will this work?



High light output compact fluorescent light fixture and LED Lunar Light in one. Simulate natural 24-hour day and night light cycle or provide custom light periods to suit the specific lighting requirements of your aquarium inhabitants. Two switches and three power cords allow independent light control simply by plugging the power cords into timers. Built-in fan (except 12" Model) provides additional ventilation to extend fixture life and increase performance. Advanced electronic ballast ensures consistent high performance and low energy consumption. Features an acrylic splash guard to protect bulbs and a durable low profile aluminum housing for years of reliable use. Moon White Lunar Light produces a crisp white glow that simulates nocturnal light conditions for optimum nighttime viewing. Includes Dual Daylight 6,700°K/10,000°K and Dual Actinic 420 nanometer and 460 nanometer bulbs. Square pin system.

To view compatible bulbs for these fixtures, click here.

Length Bulb(s) # of
Lunar
Light(s)
12" 2-18 watt 1
20" 2-40 watt 1
24" 2-65 watt 1
30" 2-65 watt 1
36" 2-96 watt 1
48" 4-65 watt 2






Thanks Again,
Ken

 

[Vmax911]

Are you planning on doing pressurized CO2 injection? I'm not an expert on lighting (or anything aquarium related for that matter), but I have been looking into lighting as well. According to the sticky, T8 lighting is about 1.58 times as efficient as normal output (T12) fluorescent. So, your 3 x 25 T8 watts equals 3 x 25 x 1.58 = 118.5 NO watts. 118.5 watts / 45 gallons = ~2.6 wpg. From what I understand, you pretty much need CO2 injection over 2.5wpg. Not sure if DIY injecyion would work for a 45 gallon, but I'm sure more experienced members will chime in.

 

[JohnPaul]

Just FYI, you're likely to get more responses (and perhaps from people with more experience in planted tanks) if you post this in the "Freshwater & Brackish - Planted Tanks" forum rather than the "Freshwater & Brackish - Getting Started" forum.

If you ask nicely, you might be able to get one of the forum moderators to move this thread for you.

Also, you definitely should go to the planted tanks forum and read the sticky "Read this first: resources and references," which has links to a number of great articles and threads, including several that very specifically discuss lighting for a planted tank.

 

[FSEMTB2]

john

JohnPaul, I am just on the "getting started" forum to get advice from fellow hobbist. I didnt think it mattered where and how I asked. I appreciate everyone elses advice on this topic. Thanks for being so helpful and friendly on here to all that has helped me out.

Thanks Again,
Ken

 

[jsoong]

Are you planning on doing pressurized CO2 injection? I'm not an expert on lighting (or anything aquarium related for that matter), but I have been looking into lighting as well. According to the sticky, T8 lighting is about 1.58 times as efficient as normal output (T12) fluorescent. So, your 3 x 25 T8 watts equals 3 x 25 x 1.58 = 118.5 NO watts. 118.5 watts / 45 gallons = ~2.6 wpg. From what I understand, you pretty much need CO2 injection over 2.5wpg. Not sure if DIY injecyion would work for a 45 gallon, but I'm sure more experienced members will chime in.

The relative light output of T8 vs T12 in that sticky refers to 4' bulbs. The shorter bulbs do not have as high output per watts as the 4'. The 3x25W would still be low to medium light.

If you want to get into high light tank, the best bang for the buck would be CF's (Try AH Supplies for some pretty reasonable retrofit kits). In addition to the Watts, you also want to look at the reflectors. You can lose half of the light if you have a poor reflector. For a "carpeted" look, I think you are looking at 4-5 Wpg and pressurized CO2 & other high tech goodies.

Do look at the stickies at the planted forum for some really good info.

 

[gheitman]

Ken,

A 46 gallon bow front tank is 36" across. The lighting fixture you listed the specs for is designed for saltwater tanks and the dual actinic bulb would be virtually useless for plants. I would suggest instead a 36" fixture with a single 96W power compact bulb which would provide the high light you want for plants that carpet the bottom of the tank. One example of such a light can be found at the link below.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...fefreshwateraqualight36powercompactlight1x96w

At this lighting level you would definitely need to inject CO2 with either a DIY or pressurized system to limit algae growth and help your plants grow.

 

[Purrbox]

Definately read the through the information in the sticky if you haven't already. There is a ton of great information there that will help you get everything figured out and may answer some questions you didn't even realize you needed to ask.

As to why it's a good idea to post plant related questions in the Planted Tanks forum, it's to ensure that you get the best help possible the soonest. For those of us that are most interested in planted tanks, we may not always make it out to read the other forums. By posting in the thread we make a point of reading you're enabling yourself to get help faster. It also helps other people that come in after you, because they can search one forum for plant related questions.

I would echo jsoong that for most carpets you'll need 4+ WPG to get the results that you are looking for. Avoid Actinic bulbs if you can, since they're all but useless to plants. This can be helpful when tweaking the amount of light over a tank, but not when you're trying to get as much light as possible. If you end up selecting a fixture that comes with an actinic bulb you'll need to replace it.

You'll definately need to inject CO2 with that amount of light, or you'll likely just end up farming algae with poor plant growth. I'd highly recommend Pressurized CO2, as it will save you a lot of headaches especially with that size tank.

Don't forget to have all of your Ferts on hand (both Macros and Micros) before you get everything going. Without the proper ferts, you'll likely end up farming algae as well.

 

[FSEMTB2]

Thanks

Ken,

A 46 gallon bow front tank is 36" across. The lighting fixture you listed the specs for is designed for saltwater tanks and the dual actinic bulb would be virtually useless for plants. I would suggest instead a 36" fixture with a single 96W power compact bulb which would provide the high light you want for plants that carpet the bottom of the tank. One example of such a light can be found at the link below.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...fefreshwateraqualight36powercompactlight1x96w

At this lighting level you would definitely need to inject CO2 with either a DIY or pressurized system to limit algae growth and help your plants grow.

Hey All, Thanks Again. I just needed a push in the right direction on which product to look for. And the link and example explained a lot. i did read all the stickys, but after awhile it all gets confusing to a newbie. But a special thanks for this post.

Thanks Again,
Ken