Need new light or not?

[megoto]

I have this light on a 75g that I recently set up.

"The Coralife F/W Aqualight T-5 is a double lamp fixture ideal for freshwater and planted aquariums. Includes one Colormax Full Spectrum and one 6700K T-5 (5/8 diameter) fluorescent lamp. Features an on/off switch, a built in electronic ballast, sleek black aluminum housing, a highly polished reflector, acrylic lens cover and adjustable width tank mounts. T-5 lamps are 28 watts each."

Do I need to up the lighting to add plants or can I do low light varieties?

 

[megoto]

any ideas

 

[petluvr]

By my calculation that is less than 1 watt per gallon and you should really shoot for at least 1 wpg 1.5 would be even better. I don't think you are going to keep many plants alive and growing under those lights maybe anubias MAYBE.

 

[gmh]

I have two strips of those aqualights over my 40 gallon. I put them on seperate timers and run one set for 9 hours and the other 11 hours. I can grow medium light plants. With just the one strip I'd say you are limited to mosses, ferns, anubias, maybe crypts; strictly low light, slow growing plants.

 

[megoto]

I do have an extra 40w light strip I can put on that would give me 96w total.

 

[petluvr]

Adding the other strip will greatly increase your plant keeping abilities.

 

[megoto]

So what kind of plants could I keep with the other strip on?

 

[petluvr]

I would still, at first, aim for low light plants java fern/moss and other mosses anubias, crypts, maybe some vals, sessliflora (if you can find it) Better yet check out this link
http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list.php?category=1&filter_by=2

 

[megoto]

thanks for the help. It is much appreciated

 

[petluvr]

Anytime