Lightning Help Please!!!

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Arionardo

Registered Member
May 15, 2006
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I want to set up a planted 55 gallon tank and I've been reading about lightning. I know that I need to have for plant between 2 and 3 watt per gallon, that means that I need something between 110 and 165 watt for my tank.
I've also been looking at the prices for the lights that I need to get that wattage and they seem a little bit high for my budget and when I add the canopy I need it makes it more expensive so I decided that I'm going to build my own canopy but what I still don't know is this.
I'm thinking in putting "Two energy saving bulbs (according to the box, input 13 Watt, output 60 watt, they are those spiral bulbs) and a 48" long and 40 watt fluorescent lamp, that will give me 160 watt (in theory) that's what I need for my tank but I'm not sure if those bulbs really give 60 watt output or if they are ok to use for a fish tank. The 48" long that I'm going to put is one of those with blue light because I've read that I need the blue light also for my tank. I don't really understand too much about that blue light but since I've seen in more than one place I guess I better put it.

Any suggestion would be very , very apreciate it.

Thanks,

Ario.
 

RTR

AC Members
Oct 5, 1998
5,806
0
0
Braddock Heights, MD
You cannot compare light output or watts input from fluorescent tubes and incandescent bulbs - which is what the packaging or advertising for the sptiral fluorescents is doing. Wattage for planted tanks is judged or scaled stricttly by fliorescent light only. The spiraled bulb would be counted as 13 watts only, not the ~60 incandescent equivalent. Many folks do use them on small tanks for convenience and economy, but only as 13 watt light sources.
 
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