Good lighting solution for a small high tech tank

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fort384

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Hi all... looking for a lead on a decent lighting solution for a 5 gal high tech planted tank. I currently have a 27W clip on the back CF fixture. I am thinking I want to just about double that wattage. The tank is only 14" wide. It is hard to find decent looking fixtures to fit the tank.

The current fixture is just a tad underpowered for what I want to grow, and I also think on account of the bulb only being about 8" wide, I am not getting enough lighting in the tank end to end, even though it is suspended a few inches above the tank.
 
I tried to light a similar tank awhile back, and didn't find many options. I think at that size you almost have to build your own fixture to get descent lighting and coverage.
 
Yeah that is kind of what I was thinking. I did look at the ADA lighting system for the tank I have. At over $200, I don't think it is worth it. It is still only 27W but the coverage looks like it would be better than the current fixture that I have on the tank. There are some MH options out there, but I am thinking that might be overkill. 100+W over a 5 gal tank seems like it might be more suitable to cooking plants than growing them :)
 
How about a light from catalina aquariums? This particular one will fit your tank with a custom mounting leg bracket or you can suspend it over top. Just request some 6500K bulbs from them instead of the actinic one.

Catalina Aquarium Economy Nano Hood - 1x13 watt

Remember that its not just based on a watts per gallon. A 5 gallon isn't very tall and your plants will get good coverage.
 
Chizer, thanks for the link. Had forgotten about Catalina aquarium. Got it on the WPG... pretty useless for my nano tank. I already have over 5WPG and am looking for more ;).
 
Yeah I didn't realize that I could view your photo album, then I realize what a sweet setup you already have. Just a question for you. Why not put the SMS122 on the back wall of the stand so you can view it more easily? Do you also find it easier to glance at the drop checker rather than calculate by testing the KH?
 
I don't know. I kind of threw the underneath part together. It is not really organized at all. I am going to install an eheim 2211 canister filter on the tank next week and get rid of my AZOO HOB to further minimize visible equipment. I may look at mounted it on the back then. I really never look at it though. It is such a reliable system, I haven't touched it in over a year (to include filling the co2 tank, it lasts forever on such a small tank). I just glance at the drop checker to check CO2 levels and it is always a perfect green. I haven't checked pH/KH in a long long time.
 
Do you adjust the slope on those units when you calibrate it or are you only setting the ph to 7.01 as per their instructions? I know this is a up in the air topic but people seem to be mixed on it. I personally only set the one point, not the slope.
 
I set it at 7.01. I don't think 2 pt calibration is required to get accurate measurement for the small ranges we are dealing with in a FW tank. It has always worked out ok... my CO2 always seems to stay in the 30ppm range.
 
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