wattage

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Aylmer

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Jun 15, 2007
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hiya,I have a 65g net volume tank with plants or rather am trying hard to keep em healthy and growing. According to what I have read over the net, the lighting for medium intensity should be around 3watts/g. This amounts to 195w. I think there is something I am missing. I have tried a 25w flourescent and the tanks bright. I cant imagine what it would look like with 195w approx. Also the general scoop is that fish do not like or rather are disturbed by very high intensity lighting. This is contradictory. some clarity would help:-) thanks guys
 
Low is 1-2 Medium is 2-3 High is 3+ according to what I've ready. I suppose that it's really a misnomer saying that Medium is 2-3 when 3 is actually high. Maybe, 1-1.75 Low 1.76-2.75 Medium 2.76+ High would work or something similar.

Yes, some fish don't like the bright light needed for medium-higher light plants, but we can plant in such away that the plants provide cover for the fish the same way that nature does.

Our perception of brightness and plants' needs are two completely different things.

This might help you with plant choices.
http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-list.html
 
Yeah thats true. Follow nature. I would try replanting to provide more shade. I realise the two perseptions are different, but consider the difference, 25w(which lights up part of my room thru the tank) and 195w or 130w(for 2w/g), I would have to wear glares LOL. If I would then keep the fish in mind I would have to have a lot of floating plants n/or long creeper like plants which would provide the shade so to speak. the only thing is I have not seen any tank pics showing something like that.
 
do you have a reflector? the thing with good lighting with good reflectors is they light is angled into the tank more. less light is getting bounced around the room and gets more into the tank.
i would look at lights from ahsupply.com

Sure the shop lights gave better coverage in the tank and into the surrounding room but the AH Supply kit basically blows the light straight down into the tank where it belongs. A simple experiment will show you what I mean. If you have a room in your house that you can black out you can take the shop light and hang it in the middle of the room and turn it on. See how nice and bright the room is? See how much light there is spread around the room? That's because shop lights are made to (surprise!) light up shops. Now take a AH Supply 2x55 watt kit and hang it in the room. See how bright the light is under the light? See how dark the rest of the room is? That's because the AH Supply kit is made to light up aquariums. I realize that not everyone can afford or obtain AH Supply kits. But there are better options than shop lights.
Click to expand...

http://www.rexgrigg.com/light.htm
 
well, i have to learn a lot about lighting, will take your tips. A reflector is what I need though. However according to what you guys say, the wattage calc is fine though and the fish would not be troubled with the same. Lets see how it goes
 
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