plant-worthy lighting

[Glabe]

So, it's time to put lights on the 60g. 48x15.5x18. I want to be able to have some nice easy plants in there. the hood is about 8 inches from the top of the water to mount things, and there are two glass braces, one between each third of the tank.

my first inclination was to get two cheap walmart fixtures. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lights-of-America-24-Fluorescent-Grow-Light-Fixture/16879945
I figure they'll be ok, but idk jack.

Then, in my garage, there's an old extra 48" fixture that will barely fit into the hood. it'll hold 2 bulbs. I'm kind of afraid of exposing it to that much moisture, tho

Would the walmart lights work or should i just spend money on lights made for aquariums?

 

[jetajockey]

The walmart fixtures suck, I bought 3 a while back to light my fish room and had to return 2, twice. Plus the t8 bulb setups will work, but you'll fare much better with a higher intensity light.

If you want to stay budget friendly and don't plan to go high tech, I suggest getting something like a 2 bulb odyssea fixture. The quality is not great, but I've not had any issues with them, and it's one of the cheapest t5ho upgrades on the market. Odyssea T5 Aquarium Lighting

 

[Glabe]

sweet, thanks. that's very doable! atm, i have a reptile dome with a cfl... only enough to dimly light have the tank, lol.

If i ever do go high tech, i'll start with a 20g or something fairly cheap until i get comfortable with it