Lighting Question- not sure

[CatLover]

I am ordering a new lighting fixture/hood made by coralife for my FW planted tank. It is a Coralife FW Aqualight Deluxe Series with 65 Watt straight pin base and so forth...
This will be more than triple the wattage I currently have on the tank.
The tank is a 29 gallon tall community tank with swords, java ferns, anacharis, apongetens, and crypts. (sorry for spelling)
I have 4 neon tetra, 3 rummynose tetra, peppered cories, and ottos.

Anyone had/heard things about one of these lights?

It has the option of adding a moonlight for $15. It looks cool.
Should I get a moonlight and what does it do pros/cons?

It comes with a bulb, but I will also order an extra for later.
Do I want:
10000K?
or
Actinic 03?
or
50/50 10K Act03?

Thanks so much for any insight on the complicated lighting stuff!
I would appreciate it if you can even answer just one of the questions even if you don't have suggestions for all questions. I would love your input!! :bowing:

 

[Rex Grigg]

Take a few minutes and read my Guide. It will answer questions beyond what you thought to ask.

Of the three choices you list the 10000k bulb would be your best choice. I would prefer something in the 6500-8800k range myself. Or the GE 9325k bulb.

And just to mention. If it were my tank I would be getting an AH Supply 55 watt kit and putting it into your current lighting fixture. You will get more usable light into the tank with the AH Supply kit than you will with the complete fixture.

 

[Blueiz]

My suggestion would be to look at the odyssea light strips on ebay. I imagine you can get a 130 watt one with moonlights for the price you are going to pay for the coralife.
I have two of the odyssea brand light strips..fans need cleaning and oiling every so often, other than that they are great.

I have no experience with the coralife, but have heard they are good. You will want the 10000k bulb. And , yeah..I would purchase the moonlights too.

On a seperate note, have you thought about whats going to happen in your tank when you increase the light wattage? You will want to be prepared with ferts, co2, and what to do in case of an algae bloom..

HTH
Blue

 

[CatLover]

Thank you both!

Rex- I visited your site and part of why I don't want to go above 65 watts is that I don't want to mess with CO2 injection.
I currently use Fluorish Iron, Flourish, and Flourish excel. But, I don't even add full doses because I only have 20 Watts of light on the tank.

Do you think that if I use normal doses of the ferts I use and I used the 65 watt fixture, I would be okay?

The light actually comes with a 6700K lamp, should I just use that? For some reason, I thought that the more Ks the better.

Blue- I have looked at the Jebo and Odyssea on ebay, but I haven't seen something that I really like and once you add shipping, it's not really that great a deal. I have heard that some people have trouble with the Odyssea fixtures over-heating? Have you had this problem?
I can get the coralife hood and light strip w/lamp for $53.

Rex, I also looked at your info site (great site BTW) and looked at the lighting kits you described and I just don't know if I am technical enough to mess with that, and I would actually like to get a new hood anyway.

Mainly, with 65 watts on a 29g tank would I have to have CO2 even if I used the excel liquid carbon?

Thanks so much!!

 

[Rex Grigg]

If you have the normal strip light that comes with a 29 gallon you can use the AH Supply kits. You just mount the ballast outside of the strip. And the kits are very easy to assemble. They have very good directions and come with every part you need.

The 6700k bulb would be a good choice. 10,000k to me looks a bit on the blue side.

With 55-65 watts on a 29 you would not need CO2. The plants would do better with it but you don't need it. You can use Excel. But take a hard look at how much money you are spending dosing Excel at standard rates and compare that to the cost of even a DIY CO2 setup.

 

[beviking]

I agree with Rex.

Just out for a stroll Rex?

-Bill