Hi Guys,
A little history; I've had this tank (20 gallon, long) setup with 10 neon tetras and 5 harlequin rasboras for over a year with a Anubias Nana and plenty of Java moss to go around. So this last weekend I visited a giant pet place a few hours away in Lancaster, Pa (mainly just to waste a day and look around) and bought a pot of micro sword and a bit of Anacharis as you can see in the attached picture. Now I have Aquarium fever all over again!
Now, I'm worried that the lighting I have will not be enough for the plants. I have the stock lighting from my decommissioned 36 gal bow front, which is a 24" T8 17 watt 8000k bulb (from what I can see online) I know that it's definitely 17 watts, but the rest I only gather from checking online. I'm figuring that I will need a new light fixture to really get the growth going in the tank, and I am kind of overwhelmed/lost when it comes to what I need to get.
There is so much information out there that I just don't know what to do. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the 'brightness' or 'color' of the kelvin scale and whether not it's necessary to get between specific ranges for growth or if it's just for aesthetic purposes, or if the wattage matters more than the 'k'.
If someone would help me figure out what I need for my tank, specifically, and would be willing to explain why I need the specific lighting that I do, that would be amazing. I really do want to learn, (I would love to get my 36 gal bow front up and running again this year) and if anyone has any helpful websites that are noob friendly, or knowledge that they would be willing to share with me, I would appreciate it greatly!
Any help would be appreciated!!!!!
A little history; I've had this tank (20 gallon, long) setup with 10 neon tetras and 5 harlequin rasboras for over a year with a Anubias Nana and plenty of Java moss to go around. So this last weekend I visited a giant pet place a few hours away in Lancaster, Pa (mainly just to waste a day and look around) and bought a pot of micro sword and a bit of Anacharis as you can see in the attached picture. Now I have Aquarium fever all over again!
Now, I'm worried that the lighting I have will not be enough for the plants. I have the stock lighting from my decommissioned 36 gal bow front, which is a 24" T8 17 watt 8000k bulb (from what I can see online) I know that it's definitely 17 watts, but the rest I only gather from checking online. I'm figuring that I will need a new light fixture to really get the growth going in the tank, and I am kind of overwhelmed/lost when it comes to what I need to get.
There is so much information out there that I just don't know what to do. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the 'brightness' or 'color' of the kelvin scale and whether not it's necessary to get between specific ranges for growth or if it's just for aesthetic purposes, or if the wattage matters more than the 'k'.
If someone would help me figure out what I need for my tank, specifically, and would be willing to explain why I need the specific lighting that I do, that would be amazing. I really do want to learn, (I would love to get my 36 gal bow front up and running again this year) and if anyone has any helpful websites that are noob friendly, or knowledge that they would be willing to share with me, I would appreciate it greatly!
Any help would be appreciated!!!!!