lighting???

Lobo.

Lobo.

sheep in wolf's clothing
Feb 24, 2005
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ok im shure that this has been asked before, but i tried searching the forems under the search bar, i really did, but i must be a terrible key phrase writer... so heres my question: for a 30 gallon fish tank (tank for fish w/ plants there just to look pretty) what is the best lightning, so far i just have the stock lighting of 20 watt, an i probably need to replace that since the bulb is a year old... so far i have been fine on low light plants, but id like to be able to grow anacharis, or even just amazon sword! is that to much to ask for!?

as u can see it is really frustrateing to not be able to grow these really easy plants, ive even got some flourite gravel, only to realise that that really was not the problem... if at all possible id also not have to replace the existing hood that has only one spot for a light... but if not i may need to shell out some $$$... help please!
 
Try a retrofit from AH Supply. With their kit, you can keep your existing hood. Many of us have done this. Check out their website.

www.ahsupply.com

Lissette ;)
 
thanks that site is on my favorites now... an i may get one... but i really need to know what wattage is needed and what spectrum...
 
Try a power compact fluorescent. I am going to be selling a 36" 96watt compact fluorescent light. I got it when I was going to get a 65 gallon but I never did. Its only 3" wide and will probably fit in the spot on the hood where a single light strip already fits. Let me know or look for it soon on the buying/selling forum.
 
Ah supply carries mostly 55W bulbs. There's one 40W that's 5500k.

The wattage depends on what type of plants you want to grow. If you want low light, then maybe you should buy another strip light that uses a 20w bulb and retro fit the another hood and use a 40w Cf bulb. Both lights will give you 2 wpg.

If you want moderate lighting, then perhaps you should retro fit your current hood to a 55w bulb and another strip light to use a normal fluorescent of 20w. This would give you 2.5 wpg. You can grow many plants with that wattage, but of course, you also have to consider co2. The higher the wattage, the more demanding your setup will be.

Since you're starting out, you should stay in the low to moderate lighting. This is just a suggestion. Others may have different opinions for your lighting situation.

Most bulbs will grow plants. Read the info on Ah Supply's website for a more detailed explanation regarding CRI and Lumens.

Lissette
 
thanks again to everyone for all the help... il get to readin that site in full, and i need to measure my hood length... i need to do research into co2 as well...
 
Lobo. - Here is another option for nice hoods if you don't want to retro-fit your present hood. These come fully assembled and ready to go at a reasonable price, IMO.
http://www.hellolights.com/index.html
Schroll down to Full Hoods under the Products list on the left.
For your tank, I would suggest staying in the 55 - 72 watt range. A 2x36 watt fixture would work well for you and keep you in the 2.25wpg area. This would make CO2 helpful, but not absolutely necessary for your tank and would enable you to grow many varieties of plants.

Len
 
is this the product that u were talkin about? i don no how to navigate this site very well.. and it comes with the bulbs right?

link
 
Yes, the bulbs come with it, but I'd recommend that you order either two 6700Ks or one 6700K and one 10000K with it.
I would also suggest that you call the toll free 866 number and order it over the phone so that you make sure of what you're ordering while talking with a live person. They will substitute bulbs for you so you're not locked in to what is offered on the site.
They did have a special on tubes as well when I bought my last fixture there. When ordering a fixture you can order extra replacement tubes and pay for one and get the second free. I took advantage of that option and saved some money on tubes.
I had no use for the legs that are available with it to raise it off of the glass, but you might ask about ordering a set of them with the unit. They are not very expensive if you want to set your lighting up that way.

Len
 
Hey, I'm sort of in the same boat as Lobo, only my question is this...
Will it be OK to mix and match bulbs, such as a full spectrum bulb with a plant enhancer bulb?
 
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