Light intensity question

[cgrabe]

I sure hope this hasn't been covered in a previous post I've missed. I have a 44 gallon tall aquarium that I would like to convert to a planted aquarium and am trying to figure out the best way to fix up my lighting.

I have seen people mention that I should have at a minimum 1.5-2 watts of light per gallon or something like that. Don't various types of lights produce different levels of light per watt? Shouldn't I go by lumens or something? Is there an unspoken standard?

 

[beviking]

Yup, and it's been covered. Try doing a search here at DIY and in the plant forum. Either bottom of screen in the "search this forum" box or at the top of the screen using the "search" button. Thekrib.com also has lots of info.

 

[cgrabe]

Thanks, I found some helpful posts. My problem arises from the fact that the longest side on my 44-tall is only ~21" which limits my lighting options.

I'm leaning towards a "Lights of America" model 9027 outdoor flood light which puts out 1863 lumens of 6500K light. It claims that it uses 27W and puts out as much light as a 150W incandescent.

If it ends up being too dim, I could always add a second. It's ~$30 initially and I think around $15-20 for a 10,000 hour replacement bulb. Has anyone here tried one of these?

(click here then on "specifications")