# Mid-high lighting recommendations



## Trahana (Dec 20, 2019)

Hi there, I've been using low lights for my aquariums for a few years but I want to upgrade my tanks and go to high lighting for either my 40g breeder or my 10g. 
I'm really want to do my 40g, as I want so Val and red background plants. I run a cool water tank.
I'm figuring on spending about $150 or so on just the lighting. After reading some reviews I'm think of the chihiro a series rgb led lights, I've heard they are high lights but dimmable, but they run hot. 
Please give me some recommendations on high light leds, and what plants you grow with them









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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Welcome to APC! Light intensity is a function of distance from the light. Tall tanks, with the light on top of the tank, can have low intensity at the substrate and very high intensity at the water surface. A 40 breeder is a shallow tank, so it is easier to have high light all over the tank. And, if you suspend the light above the tank, it is even easier. A somewhat out of date source of data on lights is https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/184368-lighting-aquarium-par-instead-watts.html


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## Trahana (Dec 20, 2019)

hoppycalif said:


> Welcome to APC! Light intensity is a function of distance from the light. Tall tanks, with the light on top of the tank, can have low intensity at the substrate and very high intensity at the water surface. A 40 breeder is a shallow tank, so it is easier to have high light all over the tank. And, if you suspend the light above the tank, it is even easier. A somewhat out of date source of data on lights is https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/184368-lighting-aquarium-par-instead-watts.html


For a topic on recommendations for led lighting fixtures, I'm not sure how your post is suppose to help me. Do you have any led lights that you could recommend? 

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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Lights are not "high" light or "low" light. They produce a light intensity vs. distance, and have a length that limits the tanks they can be effective on. You get "high" light by using a light fixture that gives you more than 60 or so PAR at the distance you plan to put the light - distance from substrate to the light fixture. A light fixture that gives you 70 PAR at the substrate, when it sits on top of the tank, will not give you high light if you suspend it 10 inches above the top of the tank. So, when you are selecting a light you keep in mind that you might want to suspend it above the tank, for several reasons, or you might want the light to sit on top of the tank. You can make that decision first, and look for the light that gives you the PAR you want when mounted at that distance, or you can pick a light fixture that has the price and features you want, and then decide how high it has to be to give you the PAR you want. That's why I couldn't just recommend a light for you. (When a light is suspended above the tank, you don't need it to be the same length as the tank, because the light spreads out from the ends of the light, letting you use a shorter and cheaper light.)

It can be very hard to pick a light, because not all manufacturers provide the PAR vs distance data you need to make the decision. And, new light fixtures are available every year. I used to try to keep up with what was available, and keep data on their PAR vs distance, but I no longer do that.


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## Trahana (Dec 20, 2019)

hoppycalif said:


> Lights are not "high" light or "low" light. They produce a light intensity vs. distance, and have a length that limits the tanks they can be effective on. You get "high" light by using a light fixture that gives you more than 60 or so PAR at the distance you plan to put the light - distance from substrate to the light fixture. A light fixture that gives you 70 PAR at the substrate, when it sits on top of the tank, will not give you high light if you suspend it 10 inches above the top of the tank. So, when you are selecting a light you keep in mind that you might want to suspend it above the tank, for several reasons, or you might want the light to sit on top of the tank. You can make that decision first, and look for the light that gives you the PAR you want when mounted at that distance, or you can pick a light fixture that has the price and features you want, and then decide how high it has to be to give you the PAR you want. That's why I couldn't just recommend a light for you. (When a light is suspended above the tank, you don't need it to be the same length as the tank, because the light spreads out from the ends of the light, letting you use a shorter and cheaper light.)
> 
> It can be very hard to pick a light, because not all manufacturers provide the PAR vs distance data you need to make the decision. And, new light fixtures are available every year. I used to try to keep up with what was available, and keep data on their PAR vs distance, but I no longer do that.


Yes, I understand all that. But like you said it is very hard to pick a light, and I'm looking for recommendations.
Highly light, high par, different terms for the same idea. I would like a light that sits on glass, but currently mine are hanging so right now I'm just looking for recommendations, I can adjust what I use as needed.

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## UsAndThem (Jan 21, 2018)

Check out twinstar. Love the lights and makes the reds pop real nice


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