Kires1,
I tried getting by with the standard fixtures (2x15W) and some different bulbs on my 55gal as well, and let me save you the lesson: either upgrade the lighting or you might as well just skip live plants. Some will likely disagree, stating that you can grow some very low-light plants with stock lighting, but you probably won't be satisfied with it, especially if you're dreaming of the nice, planted tanks you see people post online or in magazines. I had minimal luck with Anacharis (a.k.a. Elodea) with stock lighting, but it grew slower than my lawn.
I upgraded to ~2.3WPG using a Coralife FW 2x65W CF strip light, and my plants have really taken off. I also dose ferts and have added a DIY CO2 system.
I learned the hard way when trying to "ease into" live plants. But I've found it's better to "go big or go home" when adding plants to a tank.
Mike
I tried getting by with the standard fixtures (2x15W) and some different bulbs on my 55gal as well, and let me save you the lesson: either upgrade the lighting or you might as well just skip live plants. Some will likely disagree, stating that you can grow some very low-light plants with stock lighting, but you probably won't be satisfied with it, especially if you're dreaming of the nice, planted tanks you see people post online or in magazines. I had minimal luck with Anacharis (a.k.a. Elodea) with stock lighting, but it grew slower than my lawn.
I upgraded to ~2.3WPG using a Coralife FW 2x65W CF strip light, and my plants have really taken off. I also dose ferts and have added a DIY CO2 system.
I learned the hard way when trying to "ease into" live plants. But I've found it's better to "go big or go home" when adding plants to a tank.
Mike
