Nano tank lighting and a 55 gallon build

[Rnbwfimmy]

So, I have a few questions. First, I've heard over and over again that the wpg rule does not apply to small tanks, but nowhere can I find information on how it does break down. In fact, people seem to disagree in general over even the reason that that is the case.
What is considered high lighting for a 5 gallon? Can I theoretically put high tech plants like dwarf baby tears in a smaller tank for less of a cost than large planted tanks? and will my larger 55 gallon support a fair amount of medium light plants with proper 2 wpg t5ho lights and a hagen biosystem(s?) instead of a pressurized co2 system? As opposed to say attempting a carpeting plant or high light plant under the same conditions.
I've seen many beautiful low tech planted tanks, and I want to reach a middle ground as pressurized co2 systems are far too complicated and expensive on top of all of the other expenses involved in a proper set up. But I am investing in good lights and filters so I can potentially upgrade someday. Any advice on this or plant suggestions?
My final question is just a mildly silly thought I had. My tank sits on a bar in front of my kitchen, the gigantic compact light fixture sits
Not quite directly above it but close. I dont have a lid and the light definitely gets in the empty 55 gallon. Can this contribute to my lighting in any meaningful way?
Sorry for the massive amount of questions, I've done months of research and still have a ton of ideas and questions.

 

[aqua_chem]

So, I have a few questions. First, I've heard over and over again that the wpg rule does not apply to small tanks, but nowhere can I find information on how it does break down. In fact, people seem to disagree in general over even the reason that that is the case.

WPG is a completely defunct measure of light. With the advent of high efficiency lighting, it has become largely meaningless. The best way to imagine light intensity is to consider the source intensity + distance from the light. What we end up having is a largely qualitative system of light levels. In a nutshell, lighting should be considered on a case-by-case basis rather than according to some rule.

What is considered high lighting for a 5 gallon? Can I theoretically put high tech plants like dwarf baby tears in a smaller tank for less of a cost than large planted tanks?

Absolutely. That's one of the benefits of smaller tanks: cheap equipment. DIY CO2 is extremely viable on tanks this size, and lighting can often be household equipment like desk lights or brooder lamps.

and will my larger 55 gallon support a fair amount of medium light plants with proper 2 wpg t5ho lights and a hagen biosystem(s?) instead of a pressurized co2 system? As opposed to say attempting a carpeting plant or high light plant under the same conditions.

I believe that Hagen CO2 system that you are describing is a yeast driven thing, correct? If it is, then it's basically a $20 device for something that should take <$5 to set up. On a larger tank like a 55, DIY CO2 starts to become less practical, requiring 2-3 2L CO2 reactors to get CO2 into the system. Perfectly doable, but a bit of a pain.

I've seen many beautiful low tech planted tanks, and I want to reach a middle ground as pressurized co2 systems are far too complicated and expensive on top of all of the other expenses involved in a proper set up. But I am investing in good lights and filters so I can potentially upgrade someday. Any advice on this or plant suggestions?

As I alluded to before, I recommend you look at DIY CO2. 55g is on the large side for it, but it beats the pants off of non-CO2. Alternately, you can look at using Excel, but it might get expensive to dose a tank that size.

My final question is just a mildly silly thought I had. My tank sits on a bar in front of my kitchen, the gigantic compact light fixture sits
Not quite directly above it but close. I dont have a lid and the light definitely gets in the empty 55 gallon. Can this contribute to my lighting in any meaningful way?

Ok, I'm not 100% on what you're describing here with regards to how the light is positioned. Maybe try to reword it?

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

Hi, thanks for answering my long post.
I use excel in my 5 gallon, I wouldn't really trust it with my larger tank. I just want to know what level lighting would my 15 watt compact flourescent be for a 5 gallon? What kind of lighting should I look at to get in high light category?
The biosystem I'm looking at appears not to really equate to DIY systems, as a lot of people claim to use them successfully for tanks much larger than my 55. I've done a lot of research on pressurized but I'm not ready to invest the money. Especially since I've already been planning and staring at this empty tank for months. If I stick to my current lighting which is a dual output t5ho totaling in 50 watts, what co2 system could I put in there to successfully grow medium light and low tech plants? Can I get away with not messing with pressurized right as I'm starting out?
The question was whether my kitchen light adds anything to my tank, it sits above my lidless tank just a couple of feet back from it.

 

[aqua_chem]

Hi, thanks for answering my long post.
I use excel in my 5 gallon, I wouldn't really trust it with my larger tank. I just want to know what level lighting would my 15 watt compact flourescent be for a 5 gallon? What kind of lighting should I look at to get in high light category?

Is it a spiral bulb, one with three U-shapped things in a circle, or one giant U?

The biosystem I'm looking at appears not to really equate to DIY systems, as a lot of people claim to use them successfully for tanks much larger than my 55. I've done a lot of research on pressurized but I'm not ready to invest the money. Especially since I've already been planning and staring at this empty tank for months.

I'm not really sure what product you're describing. Maybe you could link it to me?

If I stick to my current lighting which is a dual output t5ho totaling in 50 watts, what co2 system could I put in there to successfully grow medium light and low tech plants? Can I get away with not messing with pressurized right as I'm starting out?

Ok, we need to get something clear here. 50w total? T5HO come in three major wattages: 24" bulbs in 24w, 36" bulbs in 39w, and 48" bulbs in 54w. To get close to 50w, you need either two 24W (48W) or one 48" (54W). I'm not sure how you would get exactly 50w.

As far as CO2 goes, that largely depends on how much light you have. With 2xT5HO, you'll probably be ok sans pressurized CO2. I'm personally against most commercial CO2 sources (anything but actual pressurized CO2, not including those little tiny CO2 containers), reason being that they can be made DIY for dimes on the dollar, freeing up money to go to a more worthy source.

The question was whether my kitchen light adds anything to my tank, it sits above my lidless tank just a couple of feet back from it.

It will probably be low light to negligible light, depending on the fixture, distance, bulbs, etc. I know some people grow some very low light plants with just ambient light, so it may be doable, but you'll be seriously limited in plant choice.

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

Oh, I'm sorry I meant to type 100 watts

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

It's a 15 watt tubular compact light. And for my 55 it's two 50 watt bulbs, I meant to say it totaled in 100.
I dont know what my girlfriend was looking at, but you're probably right that it's essentially a prebuilt DIY system. Would DIY be good supplementally just for medium light plants? If im not using high light or high light plants can I just do without the pressurized?
And the room lighting was just in addition to the tank lighting, I was just curious.
Thanks again for helping