Change in lighting plans... which plants?

[laurenrocksth]

Ok. I was going to buy a commercial aquarium light for my 55g that would have given me about 2wpg. I am now considering buying 2 shop lights that would house 4 48" 40watt bulbs for a total of 3 wpg. Does this change the plants that would be successful in this tank. I will have no CO2 just ferts. Also, this may be a really stupid question... The fish that I will be moving in to this tank have been in a much lower lighted tank for quite some time. Will the dramatic increase in light be bad for them?

 

[Squawkbert]

Going from (presumably) 110W of PC lighting to 160W of shoplight won't make much of a difference in the plants you can grow (IMO).

I doubt the fish will notice much... after changing tanks, lighting is pretty minor.

 

[gmh]

The T12 bulbs are less efficient per watt than pc bulbs and the shop lights have poor reflectors unless you modified yours. So I agree probably not much difference in output there. And the fish are unlikely to notice.

 

[DAVIDFBT]

You may get algae if you don't control your CO2 levels. T8s are more efficient than T12s, so use those on your tank. Your fish will be fine.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

fish will be fine.