Lighting help please

[Pitbullfish]

Well, I've been narrowing down my research and I think I'd like to go with medium light plants. But I heard the wpg rule doesn't work for bigger tanks. I'm getting a 75 gallon tank. What kind of wattage do I need? What kind of bulbs should I use? Also, I'd like to cover the substrate with a short plant like a lawn. (Not nessisarily grass shape, just something that will sread out like that.) Any suggestions about what plant would work? Where do you all get your plants?

 

[Catfish Lover]

My suggestion would be a dual T5 with 6500k bulbs.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

2 or 3 t5 ho 6500k would be sufficient I would think, and there's many carpet plants that do well in medium lighting.
Do you plan on dosing ferts and a source of co2?

 

[aqua_chem]

You'll probably want either a 3x or 4x T5HO fixture, assuming you don't get a high end one. If you're looking to carpet, you should look into CO2 as well.


For the record, WPG doesn't work particularly well on any size of tank.

 

[Pitbullfish]

Thanks everybody!

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

I would do a 4 bulb T5HO on that tank plus pressurized CO2 if you want a lush carpet...also I think DHG, HC, and dwarf sag are good candidates

 

[Sillyfishies]

I would do a 4 bulb T5HO on that tank plus pressurized CO2 if you want a lush carpet...also I think DHG, HC, and dwarf sag are good candidates

If you don't do high light and pressurized co2 dwarf sag is still an option.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Yes, dwarf sag is probably the most least demanding of the carpeting plants

 

[aqua_chem]

It's also probably the least carpety of the carpeting plants.

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

AC is also right, in some tanks it won't carpet very well...my tank however makes a nice little carpet of it if left alone long enough to spread well. If what you mean by that is the look of it, it is a more broad and grassy plant. Most carpet plants looks soft and compact.

 

[JustinKScott]

My tank is 75g, pressurized Co2, ferts, 4x T5HO. Even with brand new 6500K (or 5000K florasun) bulbs I cannot keep HC (baby tears). Pretty much the only plant I can't keep alive however. So maybe they just don't like me.

PS: I also run 84F water and I've never checked their temp range until now (68-82F). So I guess I can't actually give you any meaningful advise. haha!

 

[Pitbullfish]

I'll be using metricide 14 instead of pressurized co2. I will also use eco complete substrate and dry fertilizers. And a big thanks to Rivercars for suggesting those things. After further research I really believe that'll work best for me.

 

[MyanRan]

Sounds like a good setup, definitely interested to see how it progresses!

 

[Pitbullfish]

Me too! Though it will be a while. I can only buy a little bit a week, so it'll be a few months before I can really get started, but I think it'll be worth the wait! Of course, if I get that job painting a mural in a local cave museum, the money from that will probably cover it nicely!