is this enough light for my plants?

fishcatch22

fishcatch22

The Picotoper
Jun 13, 2006
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Morris, Illinois
HI ALL!:hi: i'm just wondering if my plants are getting enough light. i've read in many books that if you plant your tank, you need to get two flourescent bulbs over your tank, and I have only one. I chose plants that the book I read said didn't need a lot of light, so I thought it would be okay. well, i'm just wondering, is the book right?
 
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The book is correct, sort of. Depending on what types of plants you want to grow. If you want a low light tank..less than 2.0 watt per gallon (WPG) then you can grow only anubias, crypts, and mosses, and a few others. The below recommendation is if you want to grow pretty much any stem, and foreground plant.

For a 20 gallon or larger shoot for 2.0-3.0 watts per gallon.
For a 10 gallon shoot for 30 watts over the tank.

Compact flourescent lighting is the very good for a lighting source. Check out ahsupply.com for retrofit kits. You can't get much better than these lights.

-John N.
 
I have 4 x 10 gallon tanks that are jungles, I have 2 x 15 gal. tanks that are chocked full of plants- all have 15 watts over them. I grow java ferns and moss, bolbitus, anubias, crypts, water sprite, frogbit with no problems. There is no way I would ever put 30 watts over any of these low light tanks, there is no need.
 
The Hygro, corkscrew vals, java moss, and anubias flourish in my tank and i've only got a 15 watter over my 20 gallon tank >.>;
 
most plants do better with more lights.
 
twig said:
The Hygro, corkscrew vals, java moss, and anubias flourish in my tank and i've only got a 15 watter over my 20 gallon tank >.>;
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Twig you neglect to mention that you also use C02 and ferts. Your plants would probably not be "flourishing" with less than 1 watt-per-gallon of light without the supplementation you're giving them. It's really misleading to tell people only part of the picture when they are looking for help. If people followed your lighting without those extras (that you don't mention) they could really have a mess of dying plants on their hands.

Fishcatch: it's all about how many watts are over your tank, not how many bulbs. If you have only a 10 gallon tank, 1-15 watt fluorescent would be fine for growing most of the low-light plants. If your tank is 20 g, then 2x15 watt bulbs would be recommended.
 
well, FYI my light has a 15-watt output. as you can clearly see by looking at my sig, my tank is an absolute jungle! my java moss covers everything in the tank, and my crystalwort really makes a whole lotta shade. my only non-subdued light plants, (at least according to my book) are my big sword and my crystalwort, and they make up the canopy.
 
Ms.Bubbles said:
Twig you neglect to mention that you also use C02 and ferts. Your plants would probably not be "flourishing" with less than 1 watt-per-gallon of light without the supplementation you're giving them. It's really misleading to tell people only part of the picture when they are looking for help. If people followed your lighting without those extras (that you don't mention) they could really have a mess of dying plants on their hands.

Fishcatch: it's all about how many watts are over your tank, not how many bulbs. If you have only a 10 gallon tank, 1-15 watt fluorescent would be fine for growing most of the low-light plants. If your tank is 20 g, then 2x15 watt bulbs would be recommended.
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That's true ...
but then again I constantly see people post that adding co2 and even ferts isn't needed in a low light tank =/

it's so confusing...

I mean when I posted about co2 people said not to bother i wouldn't see any change and I was like ohya? I'd show them and like things started growing like crazy despite what I read on these forums. :/

I never know what to think about lighting and all that.
 
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