Lighting Question

[Alonergan11]

I need advice on whether or not to purchase an additional light for my plans. I would like to grow a carpet of some sort (Pearlweed, Dwarf hairgrass, or another suggestion), but I'm worried that I don't have enough light. I currently have a Finnex Planted + and since Prime day is tomorrow on Amazon it will most likely have a discount. My tank is 18" tall (29 Gal), with black sand as a substrate (Nutrient tabs added to sand and I dose with other nutrients).
I'm worried that since the light is 16" from the ground (2 " of substrate at my planned planting area) The carpet will not survive. Should I get another Light fixture to double my PAR?

Thanks

 

[downloader]

Yes you should all carpet plants will grown ok with good lighting, but will flourish with great liighting.

 

[rufioman]

Carpet plants thrive in high lighting. I probably wouldn't go medium, especially if there are other large plants in the tank.

 

[dougall]

Any more light and you'd better be injecting CO2 and have good balanced ferts/nutrients.

or, you could look into something like C. parva, it grows really slowly, but doesn't have high lighting needs.

 

[FreshyFresh]

The Finnex LED fixtures intended for planted tanks look pretty nice. Having a decent amount of lighting intensity reach the bottom of a 29 is always going to be a challenge. Doubling the Finnex fixutres might give you more light up high than you need. You'll have to experiment with staging the plants you intend to keep and adjusting your CO2 and fert adds like Doug suggested.

On my 29g with black sand, I have anubia and a huge bunch of java fern. Lighting is a basic Perfecto 20L/29g T8 hood fitted with a 24", 17watt ZooMed FloraSun tube. It maintains these plants OK.

 

[Gregg]

My suggestion for high quality "high light" would be the GroBeam 600 strips.

These are definitely worth the money as they have a 5 year warranty and put our more light required by your carpet plants than most other on a watt per watt used basis.

Ref.
http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2012/03/pur-vs-par-in-aquarium-lighting.html