Lighting Upgrade Change Growth Rate?

[Riso-chan]

I found two 48" 60watt bulbs for my tank. They're cool-white with 4200k rating. I've heard color temp doesn't matter and that wattage is what plants care about. My question is, would this upgrade give my plants faster growth speed at all?

These are the plants I have in my 55g:

java ferns
java moss
crypt. wenditti
some type of green crypt
ruffled amazon sword
watersprite
wisteria

 

[djlen]

Yes, any increase in wattage will affect the growth rate. I would recommend that you save your receipt on those tubes however, because you may find the color cast into the tank a bit on the green/yellow side.
Let us know what you think of that color rating.

Len

 

[Riso-chan]

I don't think the color tinge would bother me much. As long as the plants do well, that's what I'm concerned with. I want to try to get to the point of having lush growth. I want the fish to feel completely at home, where they have plenty of cover and things to swims in and out of.

 

[z71silverado98]

add one more tube and CO2 and you will notice a much faster growth rate.

im glad i found take a plant leave a plant because otherwise id be throwing out alot of plants.

 

[Riso-chan]

There's one thing I'm worried about, it says in the instruction manual for the dual fixture I have not to put any higher wattage than 40w. So, what do I do? Anybody ever deal with this issue before?

I've already done one thing the manual says not to do; It says not to surface mount the fixture, I didn't hang the fixture like it said, instead I layed it flat over the glass panels over the tank.

Is there any way to somehow adapt this fixture to take higher wattage bulbs?

 

[Riso-chan]

I think what I might have to do is just get rid of the wisteria if I can't sustain it with the lighting I have. I was also overlooking the fert sticky, and read some advice saying that an increase in fishload as well as co2(I use Excel) will help.
So I might just try that instead. I don't want to risk starting a fire in the house, my Dad would kill me. Of course, the construction man rules over things that happen to come and go in this house. His input is valued though, however blunt it may be. lol!

 

[RTR]

The ballasts of fluorescent lights generally are quite specific as to the tubes they will support. Unless you are running IceCaps, you are likely to have to change your ballasts to support the higher wattage tubes. H0 (high output) and VHO (very high output) tubes use different ballasts from NO (normal output) tubes.

If you boost your lighting, you will also need to boost carbon (CO2 or Excel), and other mineral supplments (NPK and traces), or you will have issues.