What type of lighting should I buy?

[meegosh]

If you replace the bulb in your current fixture you will be limited as to what you can grow (what rookie mentioned). If you upgrade your fixture you can start growing other, more demanding plants. There is a fine line between growing a few more varieties and being required to inject CO2 and dosing ferts. I would try to stay under 2 watts per gallon if you do not want to dose ferts or inject CO2.

There are plenty of nice looking low light plants that will grow under stock lighting but they are all very slow growers.

 

[mandy2936]

Alright, I'm back from Petsmart. I exchanged the 18,000k bulb for a 6,700k bulb. I looked at the fixtures, but they were so vague! They were all the same, but just came in different lengths. There was a 24" one that would fit my tank, but there were no specifications anywhere about the bulb. All it said was the bulb was an "Eclipse Flourecent"...which is not helpful.

So, I decided not to get a new fixture as of now, and came home with only the 6,700k bulb. So now my tank can support a few low-light live plants?? I'll have a look on PlantGeek.com but does anyone have any recommendations? I like Crypts, but I'm not sure if they are OK. Other than that, I guess I can only stick with Anubias Nana and Java Fern?

There are plenty of nice looking low light plants that will grow under stock lighting but they are all very slow growers.

I don't at all mind slow growers. I know with low-lighting you can't be too picky anyway. Again, open to plant suggestions, so feel free to let me know what the "plenty of nice looking low light plants" are.

Thanks guys!!

 

[allie.01]

What lighting should i use for a 110 gallon saltwater setup?

I am thinking about setting up a 110 gallon saltwater aquarium but dont know exactly everything that i would need to get started . Can anyone help me out ? At the moment i have 110 gallon tank and a stand thats empty and a 40 gallon basic salt setup .

 

[mandy2936]

Hi Allie,
I think your posting on the wrong topic. This forum is focusing on lighting for a freshwater tank, so your more than welcome to post a new topic of your own in the saltwater section, where people can better help you out.

 

[mandy2936]

Okay well here's a bump. It's the third week and the 3rd time I'm going to the pet store since I posted this forum. I'm hoping I can get some live plants this time, lol. Anyone have any input on my post? (#22) I want to be very sure on what I plan to get before I make any hasty decisions. Also, I'm not planning on getting anything from Petsmart, they only have plants in those air tubes, many of which are non-aquatic. I'll have to make the 45min drive to my nearest LFS, so again, I want to be sure I know what I want before getting there.
Thanks!

 

[mandy2936]

Duplicate post by mistake.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Can you print off a page and take with you? This site has a great guide to lighting requirements. You can print off the page with low light plants and take with you to make sure you get what will work out for ya.

As far as lighting, IME petsmart doesn't carry anything other than the ridiculously priced GLO fixtures. Youl almost have to order a new fixture online to avoid spending a ton of money.

 

[mandy2936]

Check back in the thread, i think you missed a post or two. I couldn't get a new fixture because it didn't specify what bulb it came with. Every single one in the store was like that "Features an Eclipse Fluorescent bulb" so I just got the 6,700k light. Now I'm looking for the low-light plants.

Sent from my iPod touch using the AA app

 

[mfdrookie516]

I saw that... I guess I got confused since you referred to post 22 which talked about lighting. My bad.

 

[mandy2936]

Ah, I see then, MY bad. I was referring to plant suggestions, I didn't notice I had also been talking about lighting in that post. Sorry about that!
I think I will look through plantgeek.com and write down a few names for when I go to the LFS, either today or tomorrow. Just wanted to know if any of you have suggestions of your own.
Thanks again

EDIT: Okay, so after doing a little searching around, here's what I came up with.

Cryptocoryne Willisii: Most websites say this is a low-light plant, but a few list it as medium light. However, at the bottom of this website it says it can also do ok with poor lighting... does this mean it's okay for my tank, or should I, being a beginner, steer clear from an iffy plant?
Aquarium Hints and Tips - Cryptocoryne Willisii

Hmm I'm really liking the Anubias Barteri Petite. Seems very suitable for my tank, but I'm wondering just how "petite" it actually is. Anyone know it's average size?

Ok, the last plant I think I would get (for now) is the classic Java Fern. These need to be attached to a rock with string like the Anubias, right? Also, HA there's no way that CO2 is an option, so do these plants just need to be fertilized? I've never done this before, so I'm just assuming to can buy like a tablet or something.

Thanks guys for your thoughts!

 

[mfdrookie516]

You'll be fine with the anubias and fern... the crypt will probably be ok. You can certainly try it and see if it works. I doubt you'll even need to fertilize. The water changes and fish waste should give them all the nutrients they'll need considering the slow growth you'll see in the low light.

 

[mandy2936]

Got my plants!!

I am very impressed with my LFS, the guy helping me knew exactly what he was talking about, it was so refreshing compared to the brainless employees I have to deal with at a nearby chain store.
He was a nice guy, pulling several plants out of the tank, inspecting each one, until he found one in the best condition out of all of them.

When I got home, I rinsed each plant as thoroughly as possible, and began to *attempt* attaching the Anubias and Java Fern to rocks. I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to tie the Fern on. I had some old fishing line that would have been great, you can barely see it, but me being apparently incapable I couldn't get it to hold the plant. It just kept sliding off. Then, I tried cotton strings. They were easier to handle than the fishing line, but they too kept sliding off. I eventually did the best i could with the Fern, I had no idea it was so difficult, LOL. For the Anubias, I used a rubber band... Soo much easier.

As for the Crypt, I have it right now planted straight into the sand. I'm not sure how much (if any) of the roots should be exposed? I read something about a "rhizome" but am unclear on what that is.

Anyway, I'm very happy with the outcome, live plants just make such a difference!
Btw, I ended up getting an Anubias nana rather than the petite because they didn't have it. The guy brought it up and said he was trying to get the store to get some in cause he wanted some too. Lol.

Thanks everyone who has helped me so far! Any comments or advice is great at this point. Clarification on the Crypt being planted into the sand would be nice, too.

Sent from my iPod touch using the AA app