Question about lighting.

[Biohazards]

I'm just starting to venture into the world of fishkepping, and already have a question.

After doing a little research I decided to buy a 75 gallon tank. It came with a stand, all-glass hood, and light strip. I was just checking out the light strip and noticed it had a 32W 48" long bulb. Now I want my tank to have real plants in it, not plastic ones. (Nothing super fancy just the one's you find in petsmart, superpet etc.) Is this bulb/lightstrip going to do the job? The reason I ask is because I read you need 2-3W for every Gallon...Is that just for really heavily planted tanks?

It has a premium reflector if that matters, it can be seen here:
http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Single-Tube-Strip-Light/dp/B0002AS6WW/ref=sr_1_11/104-6255599-5681556?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1180587609&sr=1-11

If it's not enough, what should I look for when I trade it in?

Also, hello to all. This looks like a great place. I'm sure I'll enjoy it here.:)

[BrkD]

2 watts per gallon would be the least for a planted aquarium. you can go lower but the plants will not thrive. www.rexgrigg.com heres the link to rex's guide. it should answer all of your questions on planted tanks. good luck.

[hitman12131976]

Yeah, you would want more than 2-3W.

Welcome to AC

[Mgamer20o0]

no its not going to do the job no mater how good of reflector you have. you might be able to get away with 2X55w compact fluorescent from ahsupply.com. you should be able to grow low light plants and some medium light plants but i would look into the 3x55w or something.

[amosf]

I have 2 36w 48" tubes (domestic) on my 200l and I recently had to prune over half the plant growth. The plants were taking over (mostly the wisteria and hornwort).

Plants also grow okay in the 190l with 2 18w tubes... But they don't go mad like in the other tank.

I have very crappy reflectors.

I don't use CO2 tho.

[Aries]

2-3 Watts per gallon is more of an idea/suggestion than a rule.

However, .42WPG will not grow much of anything - not even the low light plants live java fern or anubias.

The amount of light you want depends on the plants you want. I know at one of my petsmarts, they have high light plants for sale. But they have not switched over the the prepackaged plants yet.

For low light plants such as Java Fern and some types of anubias, shoot for 1.50 WPG. This is so you dont have to does co2. So look at 55watts x2 for a total of 110 watts. Wisteria will take over your tank no matter the lighting it seems and hornwort is another good lower light plant.

The reflector does matter, in a sense. Opt for a non flat top reflector that is mirror like (not white). This will make your lights ever so more effecient. AHSupply is good for retrofitting your existing lights to more powerful ones.

As with everything, milage will vary depending on many variables.

Good Luck.

Aries

[Biohazards]

...OK, thanks for the links. I'm not much of a DIY person though. Are there any hoods available that can have the amout of light I need. (Im assuming i'll have to get one that has room for two 75W bulbs.?)

I thought the lighting would be the easy part :)

[Nolapete]

Lumens the measure of light output is a better guide than watts. You also need to consider the color spectrum of the bulb used. A daylight bulb is going to produce a more appropriate spectrum than a cool white like you find in shop lights at Home Depot. Kelvin is another measure of light temperature /intensity. You'll see it listed like 10000K, 8500K, 5500K.

[phanmc]

Look for a fixture that supports 2x55w of CF lighting, something like this:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3773&N=2004+113345

This puts you under 2wpg which is fine for low light plants, the kind beginners should start out with anyway. You hit the 2wpg range and you'll have to think about additional ferts and CO2.

As for the bulbs themselves, CF lights don't come in the lower kelvin ratings and you'll be fine with just about any bulb. Stay away from the blue actinics, those are for saltwater tanks and aren't useful for a planted.

[Mgamer20o0]

you can also think about shop lights. adding more t8 48 inch bulbs should work. ahsupply is better but shop lights can work.

[amosf]

As said, 1.5 wat/gal will grow wisteria and hornwort and anubias quite well with no need for CO2. You do need to add quite a bit of fertilizer tho... I run more like 1.3 w/g

[Biohazards]

:wall:

Having a planted tank is a tad more complex than I had initially thought :duh:

So lets say I get the light fixture phanmc (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/member.php?u=6320) vbmenu_register("postmenu_917060", true); suggested (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3773&N=2004+113345) (110W)

I'm just going to stick with low light-medium low light plants. So does that mean I can use plain ordinary gravel? Would fertilizers be needed, if so could you recommend some/brands. (reminder: it's a 75 gallon 48"x18"x20")

I realize this looks like I'm lazy and not researching, but I assure you I am. All the various forums and web sites I read say different things. Use 4 inches of this, get a canister of that. My LFS says I need tablets and liquid fertilizer with a canister filter??? (I planned on using 2 HOB filters on each side of my tank(aquaclear)...)

I'm also not agaist reading/spending a little money, if you guy's know a good book or article that would help me, please do tell.

All your help is greatly appreciated.

[Mgamer20o0]

just a little. yes you can use plain ordinary gravel. you prob want 2-3 inch min deep of gravel.

i would go with ahsupply.com lights. i think they have the best reflectors. best bang for the buck. you prob wont need ferts. if you were to do ferts i would do dry ferts.

first just dont ask your lfs. they are just looking at you as a big pay day. they will try to sell you everything under the sun. if your doing low light plants and no co2 you prob wont need ferts. if your running hobs you wont want co2 because it will just gas it off.

http://www.rexgrigg.com/index.html

[phanmc]

Canisters, CO2, ferts, more work and complexity is what you have to deal with for a high light tank. For beginners with a low light setup it's much simpler.

For your size tank, the 2x55w hood is perfect for a low light setup.

Special gravel? Not necessary for alot of plants, some don't need gravel at all. I'll list some out for ya:

java ferns & moss
Anubias, any kind
hornwort
anacharis
water wisteria and most other hygrophilas
water sprite

The following plants will do better with a plant substrate, but you can give them a shot:

Crypts, any kind
aquatic clover (marsilea)
dwarf onion plant

Any filter will do. Canisters are prefered in a CO2 injected tank because it allows you to control the amount of surface agitation, which can gass off excess CO2. Since we're not dealing with CO2, we don't care about surface agitation.

Do you need fert tabs? No, it can help crypts and marsilea but isn't necessary.

Do you need liquid ferts? A low light setup may get away with no ferts but I like to have some on hand just in case the plants start yellowing or developing holes. For large tanks, I recommend dry ingredients. Check out www.rexgrigg.com to learn more about planted tanks, ferts, and you can also buy them from him.

If after reading up on ferts you are still scared of using dry ingredients and would rather have something namebrand, I recommend Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, Flourish Potassium, Flourish Nitrogen, and Flourish Phosphorus.

Do I eventually need CO2? Not in a low light setup but CO2 would help increase growth. Don't mind the slow growth? Don't need Co2.

[Biohazards]

Ok, So say I get a plant substrate like eco-complete (that is a plant substrate right?) Does it need to be replaced after a certain amount of time. Also, could I use the Python no spill clean 'n fill device to clean it?

mgamer: I know they are trying to sell me everything under the sun, thats why I asked here :). The attack like vultures when I walk through the door now too, sort of like car salesmen :D

[phanmc]

Eco-complete is a plant substrate that has some very small grains that can be sucked up using a python. You can use a python, just gotta be a little careful not to dig too deep with it. Other alternatives are Flourite, Onyx Sand, Soilmaster Select and Turface (used on sports fields), and Schultz Aquatic Soil used in ponds. Plant heavily enough and you don't have to worry about a gravel vac.

[BrkD]

the coralife fixture would be better in my opinion. it has polished aluminum reflectors and built in cooling fans unlike the aga fixture. its also cheaper too. all you need besides the coralife fixture is mounting legs. how much light do you want? low light and grow a limited species or high light to grow about anything you want?

heres a link for the single strip aqualight. make sure NOT to get the saltwater one.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9871&N=2004+113345