Im having a problem and I need some help. I have a 120 gallon tall planted tank and I need to get a light for it. I have been looking around everywhere for anwsers on what I need and I just have been hearing different things. I was told for the size of my tank I would need 96 watts. Im looking at getting a four bulb fluorescent compact, but everyone that I have found is either 65 watts, or I has 2 actinic bulbs. Now i have heard that I dont need actinic bulbs for my tank because it is freshwater, but I have also heard that it would be good to have the actinic bulbs because it cause my low light plants from burning. I need some info. Also is it better to go with a dual compact or a 4 bulb compact.
Lighting
- Thread starter Koopa_34
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With that size tank I doubt that 96 Watts is going to let you grow much. Maybe low light plants at the very most. Here's a great article that estimates how much of each type of lighting you would need to reach the various light levels. It's an in progress theory but appears to be pretty close.
Actinics may help to provide bushier growth but should not be counted in the total wattage when determining your lighting level.
Actinics may help to provide bushier growth but should not be counted in the total wattage when determining your lighting level.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
Is it a 48" tank? I have the 4 65W bulb fixtures, they are awsome. I'd start by using just 1 row (130W) til you get used to the dosing, etc. Then after that, you can experiment with higher light with both rows on. I have 2 fixtures on my 75G, I'm currently running 265W regular and 130W actinics. The last row is just a spare if I have any bulbs burn out.
PrettyFishies
Aquarium Advice Addict
Soory to thread-jack - But I have a question about lighting too - I have a 20 gal and a 65W PC fixture. The light doesn't get to all parts of the tank consistently strong - the back get's more than the front. Should I worry about that and get another fixture? Isn't that the same as doubleing the wpg? if so, I think 6.4 wpg is too much for my tank....Please help
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you have a glass top, just center the fixture. Don't get another fixture, would be way too much.
What do you mean about dosing. How deep is you 48 in Tank, because my tank is 24in deep. I was thinking would it be better to do 1 48in light fixture or do 2 24in fixtures with 65watts with 4 bulbs in both compacts. Im just trying to get answers, because i know its going to be a lot of money and if Im going to put the money in to it, I just want to do it right with out screwing anything up.
newfound77951
Aquarium Advice Addict
Dosing means adding fertilizers to your tank to help the plants grow and to ward off algae. There is lots of good advice on this in the stickies at the top of this forum. I would suggest reading everything you can first before making any decisions, but ultimately there are several ways to accomplish the same result, particularly with lighting. I have 2 96 watt power compacts (they do exist, but are harder to find than the 65watt bulbs) on my 55 gal, which gives me about 4 watts per gallon (pretty darn high). My lighting was DIY-installed (not by me), works great and was probably a lot cheaper than buying an off the shelf setup. Keep reading AA...some of the older threads helped me out a lot, too!
So what type of lighting should I get 65watt or 96watt for 120 tall tank and what company should I get my light from and also should I do 2 24in compacts with 4 bulbs in each or should I do 1 48in compact with four bulbs I forgot to add that Im going to be putting a CO2 Injection system on my tank as well.
Wizzard~Of~Ozz
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you are going Co2 injection then the best hood I can think of is 4 x 96w which will get you into high light. ( Here is one example )
The alternative would be a 4 x 65w, but you may need to add more light down the road for light demanding plants.
The alternative would be a 4 x 65w, but you may need to add more light down the road for light demanding plants.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
I use 2 of these on my 75G. Cost is realitively cheap as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/48-inch-JEBO-HI...ryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/48-inch-JEBO-HI...ryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Wizzard~Of~Ozz
Aquarium Advice Addict
It will get you effectively to about 3WPG, I figured you were aiming more for 4..
I just wanted to add that I only have the cheap plants in my tank. The one's that I was told that would live off of just my single light strip that I have. Im not going to put any of the expensive in the my tank any time soon. So will the a 4x65watt work for my tank. And in addition I will be running 40 watt light strip that came with my tank along with the compact that I'm going to get.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
Actually, under the 4x65, you can grow quite a bit of plants.
Wizzard~Of~Ozz
Aquarium Advice Addict
I find the low light plants are usually more expensive then high light plants.
You shouldn't have a problem growing most plants with that setup (stick with the freshwater fixture or 4 x 65w 6500k bulbs, not the one with 2 10k and 2 actinics. along with your current striplight you will get some really good growth from most plants.
You shouldn't have a problem growing most plants with that setup (stick with the freshwater fixture or 4 x 65w 6500k bulbs, not the one with 2 10k and 2 actinics. along with your current striplight you will get some really good growth from most plants.
