MANY lighting Q's HELP

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vcorey04

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
146
Location
Hollywood, CA
i need to replace my turtle light for a new light fixture that will help my freshwater fish aquarium.
here are my newbie questions:

what is the difference between a T-5 and a PC? and what are these?

Why do you have two different bulbs? at different wattages?

i went to the Dr. Foster and Smith website, but i'm hesitant because there isn't anyone looking over my shoulder...

i'm trying to spend no more than $150 on a lighting fixture for my tank.

"the guy at the fish store" told me he didn't like to use flourescents.
any reason?

he encouraged me to get a "canopy" type thingy for $90. but i wanted to ask all of you before i did anything...

also, i have questions regarding how long they should be on... blah blah...


if anyone reading this has any suggestions on lighting my 24 inch tank please let me know!


keep in mind i don't know anything, and want whts best for my budget.

please help

thanks
;)
v
 
The type of light for your aquarium will depend on your goals.

If it's just a matter of getting an appropriate bulb for viewing fish instead of over a reptile aquarium, then just pick up a bulb in the 5000K-10000K range that will fit your current fixture from the local hardware store. The stock lighting that comes with most aquariums is designed to view fish without encouraging algae.

I believe I've seen you posting in the Planted Tank forums as well. If your goal is to grow plants, then it becomes a matter of deciding what type of planted aquarium you want. Are you looking for a fairly inexpensive setup that will let you grow a few plants and is easy to maintain, or are you looking for a high light aquarium with all the bells and whistles that will allow you to grow any plant you want? If it's that high light aquarium, then you'll need to keep in mind that it's not just a matter of upgrading the lighting, you'll also need to inject CO2 and fertilizer.

T5 Fluoresents are very similar to Compact Fluorescents as far as light output, but they are slimmer since they aren't bent into a U and there is a bit less restrike as a result. Compact Fluorescents tend to be a bit easier to find for smaller aquariums at the various lighting levels, but T5 Fluorescents seem to be preferred by most that have used them to grow plants.

If you are interested in having a planted aquarium, look at the sticky in the Planted Tank forum you'll find that there is at least one link to information on light, and some links to the articles some of which cover lighting for planted aquariums.
 
i was originally just going to change the bulb, but the sales guy swaded me differently and explained this was an "old skool" method.

he suggested a $90 canopy of flourescent lighting, i'm not sure if it had T5's. i just know it was better than mine.

should i pay attention to wattage?

what does the 5000-10000K refer to?


no CO2 in this tank, i just want the live plants i have in there to do well.

i only run the light in the early morning to early afternoon, and then we're dark so as not to burn the plants. 6 hours of fake light.

i was posting in the planted tank forums because i figured these people knew a lot about lighting and would be able to help me find a happy medium between what they have which is AWESOME and what i have which is not sufficient. :cool:

i want to have red tiger lotus plants that can shoot all the way to the top like lily pads. can i maintain these reds without a CO2 setup?

what is "restrike" ? and how does it effect my plant growth?

also, my substrate consists of larger pebbles. would you recommend to change it to a smaller/finer gravel?
1) so my plants will root easier
2) so my clown loach has something to sift through


i just est. the tank and would rather not, but after reading about loaches... i don't think my tank is set up properly for him lengthwise and substrate...
he seems happy swimming all about in the fast current, but before i get him friends i want to know if he's alright like this.
i hear really loud click clacking every now and again, is that him eating snails??


v
 
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You're going to want to aim for no more than medium light based on your goals. If your aquarium is at least 20 gallons, then that would be approximately 2WPG or less. The 5000K - 10000K refers to the Kelvin rating and is an approximation of the color that the bulb produces. Most bulbs in that range work well for plant growth (and some outside of that range). Restrike refers to light that is lost because it strikes another part of the bulb and is absorbed instead of making it into the aquarium. You'll want to have your lights on somewhere between 8-12 hours. More to grow out plants less to maintain the scape or when dealing with an algae outbreak.

A substrate that is between 2-3mm is best when dealing with live plants. If your substrate is signification larger you'll want to replace it.

While Clown Loaches do grow slowly, it sounds like you don't have a large enough aquarium for one long term. You'll need to think about returning the loach or upgrading as it grows. They do best in groups, so depending on the size of your aquarium you'll probably be better off taking it back and exchanging it for a loach that doesn't get nearly as large. The clicking sound is the loach "talking". Perfectly normal.

FYI - I think the lack of response was due to posting in other people's threads instead of starting your own. It isn't fair to the original poster to derail their thread to answer unrelated questions, and sometimes your question just gets missed in the main conversation. I'm moving this thread to the Planted Tank forum so that it'll get more attension from the planted tank folks.
 
Here's a decent looking 24 inch fixture. i have no experience with them though so i can't comment on quality. all i do know is i won't buy lights from aquatraders again. i also just posted on your other thread. If you really like the pea gravel you could put that on top of the finer substrate. i did that in my tank since like you i started with that and found it wasn't ideal for plants. you can see pics of my tank in my profile. :)
 
The fixture that FishEggs linked is by Current USA, and a very good brand. Coralife is another good brand.
 
Purrbox-

thank you for that great info. really useful and easy to understand.

my clown loach swims up and down in the bubbles, but obviously doesn't have a length to swim.... he seems thrilled in the bubbles though
i wanted to have a group of three loaches, the one i have right now is 2.5 inches.

<i feel like i am repeating myself from my other post...>
i've decided i am going to change the substrate, the one i have is easily 3-4 mm wide..long wtv + it's dolomite.



i know which post your reffering to, sorry. but, is it ok that i asked if that one guy fell in his 465gallon tank??;)

Fish Eggs:

i wrote you a reply on my other post... <getting hectic in here>

do you use CO2 in your tank?

the only reason i mention inert pea gravel is because someone else mentioned it. i am looking for something that i'll be able to see my frogs in....

yea, i'm def gonna get that light, it's exactly what i saw in the fish store, yet cheaper by $20 ... thanks!:bandit:

:painting:

March Maxima AND Purrbox:

that article is going to def help. thank you so much

with using Flourite ($13.99 for 15lbs.) how much gravel would i need to achieve that 50/50 mixture?

should i buy gravel in person so i am able to see it? as i am shopping online i am not really getting a full understanding of the size of particular substrates.

and does flourite need to be changed out and replaced? or will an equilibrium be reached?




also, i am going to post the same question here that i did in my other post

1. if i want to change the substrate, what do i need to do to preserve the bacteria i've established??

2.where do i keep my fish during the change??

3.Bio Spira??? 50% original tank water? 50% new water?

4. should i poor all the poop (lol) and stuff into the new substrate and wait for it to settle?

5. ALSO can i used my old 90 gal tank for my iguana as freshwater aquarium? that thing has been sitting in my garage for over 10 years.


:confused:

a bunch of appreciation to all of you who reply..

v
 
1. As long as the filter is well established it should be ok. Keep some gravel wet and put a stocking of it in the thank for a weeks to help keep the bio filter going.

2. Bucket, cooler, rubbermaid tub whatever they will fit in. If you are going to be a while you may want to stick a heater in the container.

3. Use all new water. No need to keep old water. If the tank is established no need for bio spira.

4. I wouldn't.

5. If it will still hold water why not? be sure it was designed to be full of water, then fill it up somewhere safe to do a leak test on it. If it is good then clean it up and set it up.
 
Rich has given you great answers for your numbered questions.

As far as flourite goes, I'd buy it from where ever you find the best deal. Make sure to include shipping charges in your calculations. I'd take a look at it in person if you can, to ensure that you like the color. Also make sure that you rinse it extremely well. Once you think you're done, rinse it that much more again. You shouldn't ever have to replace it, though you may need to supplement it with root tabs.
 
ok, so i asked my friend about the substrate change, and he said to just leave the fish in there and scoop out the substrate with a fish net.

i asked if they would choke on all the mess that would stir up and he said no...

but....i''m more inclined to put them into a bucket.

as far as my iguana 90 gal goes, i asked him the same thing and his first question was whether or not it had slide in screens, which it does. so he said he doesn't think it was built to hold water.

GOOD NEWS: my two galaxy rasboras are alive and well. lost one, but learned my lesson about acclimation.

as far as substrate goes,

i like the idea of supplemental substrate as long as i am not going to use CO2.

but i understand the 50/50 ratio that needs to be created, should you do this with sand? and get those malayan trumpeter snails? or small smooth gravel?

also, will i need fertilizer or any plant supplements on a monthly basis?

is it better to buy plants online than it is to purchase in person? the fish store i go to has a poor plat selection...
 
I would take the fish out.

Sounds like the ninety is a reptile tank and not made to be filled with water.

Sand is a fine substrate many people use it for planted tanks.

You will have to buy online. You could ask in the classifieds here people are usually willing to help.
 
rich311k said:
I would take the fish out.

Sounds like the ninety is a reptile tank and not made to be filled with water.

Sand is a fine substrate many people use it for planted tanks.

You will have to buy online. You could ask in the classifieds here people are usually willing to help.
Click to expand...


what are the classifieds?

will i need fertilizer?


o, and what do you think about baby tears being in a tank without CO2, i think i've seen them in a tank display before covering the top of the water.. is anyone familiar with this plant? i've seen it advertised as growing on driftwood online...
 
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For the substrate change, you can do it either way. If you decide to use Flourite, I'd probably remove the fish so that you can completely drain the aquarium. This will make it easier to add the new substrate without it clouding the water quite as badly as it would just dumping it into a partially filled aquarium.

What you've probably seen floating on the top of an aquarium is Duckweed. It has a tendancy to take over and clog filters etc. unless you have a fish that likes to eat it. There are two plants that are sometimes referred to as Baby's Tears - Micranthemum Umbrosum and Hemianthus Micranthemoides. Both of these plants tend to require at least medium light, and would do much better in high light. Since you are planning to stick to a non CO2 aquarium, these probably aren't good choices for you.

In lower light aquariums you can usually get away with just a little bit of Potassium and a good Trace Supplement after your water changes, possibly a bit more often if you start to see signs of either Potassium or Iron Deficiency. It is possible with lower light aquariums that are heavily planted and lightly stocked, to reach a point where Nitrate and Phosphate start to bottom out requiring you to dose them as well.
 
ok. got my flourite, got some small pebbles to put on top,

didn't have dolamite just had too big of gravel

waiting for the purchase of sand...

now.

what is the suggested acclimation procedure of new fish?
 
Moonlighting

has anyone every heard of moon lighting?

is it good for fresh water aquariums?

will my fish sleep?

AND

since they are a secondary unit from my primary lighting fixture, how much space will they take on top of the tank?

will this interfere with oxygen flow on the surface??/

v
 
Sand

what are good things to avoid when purchasing sand for the aquarium?

i'm going with black flourite, and black/grey gravel, if you were me, and wanted to be able to see your frogs on the bottom, what color sand would you go for??

white?

black?
 
Moon lights are just fine on a freshwater aquarium. They won't disturb your fish, or otherwise be deterimental to your aquarium. It can be really cool being able to observe the nocternal behavior of your fish. Many fixtures come with them built in. Not sure what the requirements would be to add them to an existing fixture.

You want to avoid sand that has sharp edges, is overly fine (will compact and form gas pockets), or will affect your water chemistry.

I find that a dark substrate the closer to black the better is best for showing off the colors fo fish or other inhabitants in an aquarium, as long as they aren't similarly colored enough to blend in. White is very hard to keep looking clean, and most end up switching after awhile because they aren't saticefied with the results.
 
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