Overkill on the lighting?? 72W for 21 Gallon

[Screwylui]

Hello i'm new to this forum and have been reading around for some time in regards to retrofitting my existing canopy with some new lights. i came across this sight through this forum and it looks promising.. just wondering if it was over kill. i have a DIY CO2 reactor and a 21 gallon tank. i was thinking of putting the dual 36 watt set up from this site: http://ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm. so that would put me to about 3.4 WPG for a freshwater planted tank. Too much ? any experience with these guys ? one more thing.. does anyone recommend anywhere to get a good heat resistant aquarium cover to protect these lights?

 

[Aquaboy]

I have a very similar problem. I got 130 for my 29 gal.

 

[Guest]

Can't recommed a place for heating resistance but I can tell you that with a diy co2 and 3.4 wpg that would be just about perfect wpg for growing almost any plant. (even a glossostigma carpet ground cover.)
HTH
-Stewie

 

[kagentx]

with the high lighting, high CO2 should be present. If you don't mind mixing sugar and yeast every two weeks, then it'll promise you beautiful plants.

 

[Screwylui]

Thanks for the input!! damn i need to stop spending money on this hobby...

 

[malkore]

ITs not overkill, but it will definitely be a high maintenance tank. Pruning at least once a week. Fertilizer dosing several times a week. And CO2 levels will be critical in controlling algae (aim for 25ppm...and it's better to go over that, say to 35ppm, than to dip too low and only have 15ppm).

 

[travis simonson]

Malkore is dead-on. You will need to fertilize in addition to your CO2 supplementation or you will burn up all of nitrates quickly. Zero nitrates equals pea soup. Check out www.gregwatson.com for potassium nitrate and monopotassium phosphate along with Plantex CSM+B for traces. And you thought you were done spending money