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Author Topic: Plants and light bulbs  (Read 327 times)
Mearwynna
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Plants and light bulbs
« on: February 21, 2012, 09:27:57 PM »
O.k. I am really interested in plants and planted tanks. I know I want some plants for the goldfish aquarium (37 gallons) and some for the ten gallon that is currently housing the white cloud minnows.

I need more info about light bulbs though. Our st*pid piddly hood on the ten gallon only goes up to 30 watts, 15/15 on each side. Errrr. Not enough for plants I think.

The hood on the 37 gal, goes up to 20 wats max. How d*mb is that? Obviously the light is just for viewing the fish not for growing anything.

I can get a  new hood for the 10 gallon that will go up to 50 watts and since we are doing low/med lighted tank that should be o.k. I think.

But the 37 is 20 inches deep, so what kind of lighting are we needing for that tank? Does it have to be higher to reach plants at that depth?

I know it's not just watts that you have to consider, what about lumens, and colors and day verses night?

So many questions and variables... what do you all know about planted tanks and lighting?
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Nossie
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Re: Plants and light bulbs
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2012, 04:37:12 AM »
I have used Arcadia tropical bulbs in all my tanks, work wonders on both plants and showing the colors of goldfish Smiley I don't know if they're available over there so if you want something similar, mine are 36 Watts and have a slightly pinkish color. (There's a small spectrum chart on the package, but I have no idea how to translate that into words...)
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fantailer
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Re: Plants and light bulbs
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2012, 05:31:28 AM »
Yeah mines a 25 watt its fine for 55 galloons.
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Mearwynna
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Re: Plants and light bulbs
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2012, 09:41:21 PM »
Well, it's interesting how complicated lighting is. I went to a fish store today and had to buy a new hood, because the old one is to low and one of the bulbs broke off in the thingy. I got some daylight terrarium aquarium lights, 25 each put them in the new hood. It's a very nice golden light and the little fish seems to like it too. I kind of wonder if 50 watts is over kill though for the 10 gallon.

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Skwishee
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Re: Plants and light bulbs
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2012, 04:30:47 AM »
I think for growing plants there is a rule of how many watt's to have per gallon.

Stumbled across this, only quickly glanced over it, but it may be useful (Link is not visible to guests. Please register to view.)

I also have heard of planted tanks using CO2 diffusers, but I'm not sure when these are needed in a planted tank and when they aren't, so perhaps something you could look into?
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Mearwynna
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Re: Plants and light bulbs
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2012, 10:17:37 AM »
There are several schools of thought when it comes to planted tanks. Low tech, low light and high tech that use a lot of fertilizers and co2. I'm trying to get a couple of books on the subject.

I've seen that link and am slowly making sense of it.
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