Are these bulbs enough lighting for low light

30w over a 55g tank isn't enough for plants, regardless of bulb type. You'll want to double the amount of wattage for a low light setup.
 
hmm

Ok, how do I increase the lighting? I haven't seen any 18 inch bulbs that go over 15 watts. Please tell me I don't have to spring for a new hood.
 
Some hoods can be "retrofitted" for new light fixtures--ie. you can often buy a retrofit kit for your existing hood that would hold more bulbs.
 
I dont necessiarily agree with the 30 watts wont work for 55 gallons rule. I have a 55 gallon with 30 watts and plants grow very well. I will try and post some photos tonight
 
rwspear76 said:
I dont necessiarily agree with the 30 watts wont work for 55 gallons rule. I have a 55 gallon with 30 watts and plants grow very well. I will try and post some photos tonight
Click to expand...


Some may not believe me either but I will tell you of a little "plant story".
On my 125G tank, I had a 24" 6500K T5 (24W) and a 30" full spectrum T5 Coralife strip (18W) which produced an astonishingly good plant growth to the point where I had to trim every week. After an incident with ick and a week in a salt bath, needless to say the plants didn't do so well, (all fish are ok! :thm:).
So, I thought I would get the tank back to normal and crank up the lighting and add CO2 to really get a great looking planted tank! WELL......after all the salt has been weined out with all the water changes, I hooked up my new 24" HQI Metal Halide Coralife unit, threw in a Hagen CO2 ladder and planted a bunch of new plants! To this day I have not been able to produce the growth I got with my .33 WPG lights! :huh: The 24" unit has 1 150W metal halide and 2 65W 24" 10,000K bulbs with the 2 1watt "lunar LEDS" hooked up to a digital timer cycling about 10 -12 hrs. of light per day then the lunar lights at night.

Go figure?? :dive:
 
Lighting isn't everything. Lots of light does not necessarily translate into good growth. The ick may very well have been due to an ammonia spike, which the plants eagerly munched on, fueling protein synthesis. Saying "I did it with next to no light" is like saying "I crossed the atlantic in a rowboat." It _can_ be done, not easily, nor is it a suggested method. Now, to the original query... Yoeman, research lighting. Look at all the big online retailers, ebay, and google the term "ODNO" if you are in the mood for a DIY project. Read more threads, there are TONS of people who have asked the exact same question. Once you strap more light, make up a CO2 batch (or spring for the shiny new cylider), and look into EI (estimative index) fertilizer dosing, feel free to come back and ask for clarification on anything you don't understand.
 
actually, I searched this board pretty extensively without finding anyone talking about lighting with a dual hood on a 55 gallon. I did read the stuff on watts per gallon, but didn't quite understand the info on retro fitting and such which is why I made the other thread. This thread was primarily trying to find out if I needed more light for low light plants.
 
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