Will Marineland Double Bright LEDs Sustain Plants?

[Coltrane9]

In one of my tank I've decided to scrap and start over, from African Cichlids to more of an Angel tank with a school or 2.

I have a 55G standard 48X12X20 tank, and I still have the stock hood and bulbs it came with.
But, I've been using a Marineland Double Bright for a while now, and I'm wondering if I can put some plants in there.

Is that enough to support/grow plants?
It says it's 1W 6000K, and that it's "Similar to twin tube florescent bulb lighting"

Could I do some simple "beginner" type plants?

Thanks for the help

 

[fort384]

I think it would support some low light plants, like java moss, java fern, anubias.

 

[Coltrane9]

That's really all that I've ever seen available locally anyway...
So that may work.

The stock lights seem more bright, but more yellow.
Bright isn't the best word, but the LEDs seems less bright, but more crisp.

I wouldn't mind getting a different lighting setup, but I don't want to spend more than like $100.
So not sure if it's worth switching for that.

 

[fort384]

Well, I think you could do well for under $100.

T5-ho 4ft / 2LAMP Aquarium lighting <--That fixture would allow you to grow a lot of low and medium light plants.

What is the stock fixture you have? (type of bulb, color temp of bulb, wattage of bulb)

 

[Coltrane9]

Well, I think you could do well for under $100.

T5-ho 4ft / 2LAMP Aquarium lighting <--That fixture would allow you to grow a lot of low and medium light plants.

What is the stock fixture you have? (type of bulb, color temp of bulb, wattage of bulb)

They're just white, and the back says that they're 17W each.
On that link, that setup is better than the double-brights I have I assume?

 

[fort384]

ok. I think the ML Double bright is a better option than the stock light. You might have good luck if you can fit both of them on the tank and run them together... otherwise that T5HO fixture I linked, I think you would be very pleased with. LEDs are great, but those ML fixtures aren't the best. Most of the good LED fixtures are DIY builds, unless you want to pay big money for something that is decently powerful off the shelf.

 

[Coltrane9]

On that site, the Color Temp for the white bulbs doesn't change the price at all it seems.
I'm not really familiar with the color temp, is there one that people would usually pick?
6,700
10,000
14,000

Also, I wonder what the 1White+1Pink would look like...

 

[fort384]

For a planted tank, I would go with 1 6700 K and 1 10000K... but that is personal preference. Any combination of pink, 6700K and 10000K would be acceptable.

I ran 1 of those pink bulbs with a 10000K bulb for awhile... I liked it. 2X 6700K is a bit yellow for my taste (though many would argue it provides the most PAR/usable light for plants).

 

[Coltrane9]

Ok, thanks.

 

[Coltrane9]

I guess I just had in mind not using the stock-hood for whatever reason, but could I just get better bulbs for that?

It has one of those florescent starter things, so would they have to be florescents?
I guess I could just buy more wattage or better quality right?

 

[fort384]

well, unfortunately the wattage is going to be the same. Florescents aren't like incandescents in that you can just buy a much higher wattage bulb and use it in the same fixture. The starters and ballasts are designed for a certain wattage bulb.

 

[Coltrane9]

Oh...
I see

I'll have to see what a few stores have in stock I guess and either go with the double bright or get something like in that link.

 

[giggalz]

i'm about to recieve this light..(tomorrow) for my odd 55 g tank...i've bought a mixture of low to high plants...so far okay but we will see