# New Member Need Advice on Lighting PLEASE!



## Gjsfinest79 (Feb 17, 2006)

I just purchased off ebay a 48" JEBO power compact. I know it isnt the best quality but it was a good deal. It comes with 2 10000k bulbs and 2 acintic bulbs but I had them put all 10000k bulbs because i knew the acinitc would do nothing. So currently on my 50gallon tank I have 220watts of PC lighting with 10000k bulbs. That is 4.4 watts per gallon. I am scared that may be too much, some tell me its perfect and other forums say its to high. I have a skif of peat moss followed by a dash of moon sand fallowed by 3 inches of shultz aquatic plant soil and toped of with a few inches of gravel, I also use seachem trace elements. Fish wise I have 3 columbia tetras, 4 cardinal tetras, red tail shark, 2 german blue rams, 3 golden wonder kilfish, 6 otocynclis, 2 bamboo shrimp, and a colbolt blue lobster. Please give me all advice possible, I know most will say i need to put coralife 6700k bulbs but for now i am broke and plan to use these bulbs until they die. Give me some tips on how to minimize the light if i need to with out taking any of the bulbs out. Thanks


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

This is quite a bit of light, however it is not too much. You will just need to understand that you will need to supliment some type of co2 and you will need to supply the plants the food they need. The color of the bulbs will be fine for plants. People just prefer the look of 6700k bulbs, but plants will grow fine with the 10000k. What is your CO2 plan and fert schedule for this tank. This will make or break you. 

You can limit your lighting to less hours to start if you are concerned with algae.

jB


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

With that amount of light, the first thing you need to make sure of is that you provide CO2 (as Jason mentioned). Once that's sorted out then you need to ensure the plants are getting enough macro nutrients. Then the micro/trace elements need to be kept up.

Without CO2 you're going to run into some problems quickly; your plants will be starving for carbon...


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## Gjsfinest79 (Feb 17, 2006)

*What if I...*

Took one of the 55watt bulbs out and had 3 55watt bulbs that would give me 3.3 WPG. I am trying to avoid using co2 injections. I do use a flourish supplement that claims to put in c02 without machines. If this isnt good does any one recommend a liquid that will put in co2 without and machine. Thanks all advice is appreciated


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

You can use Seachem Excel instead of CO2, but it is likely to be too little carbon for so much light, and you will soon wish you had spent all of that money for a pressurized CO2 system. Excel can be expensive for large tanks, in other words. But, if you reduce the wattage to around 2 per gallon, you maybe can get by with DIY CO2 or possibly no CO2, but with slow plant growth.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

Sorry, but if you don't want to add CO2, then you need to get your lights down to a maximum of 2wpg, preferably lower. High light tank=CO2 injection, lower light tank=no CO2 injection.

Excel is a good product but does not replace CO2 for higher light levels. If you do decide to go the low light route, then Excel may be an option.


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## BigChuckP (Oct 8, 2005)

Gjsfinest79 said:


> Took one of the 55watt bulbs out and had 3 55watt bulbs that would give me 3.3 WPG. I am trying to avoid using co2 injections. I do use a flourish supplement that claims to put in c02 without machines. If this isnt good does any one recommend a liquid that will put in co2 without and machine. Thanks all advice is appreciated


Laith is right, at such high light you have to inject co2 somehow. Try a diy co2 setup if you are on a tight budget, I must say I tried that route and let's just say my new 5# co2 tank looks nice under my tank.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

If you really want to avoid CO2 injection I suggest you take out another bulb and leave in only two of them. That will be plenty of light for a low-tech tank. Also, keep the photoperiod shorter, somewhere around 10 hours a day should be good.

Did I read correctly that you have 3" of aquatic plant soil + another 3" of gravel? In my experience that is twice the amount of substrate that is necessary.


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