# Lighting for my 30 gal



## WuWuWuKennyWu (Feb 26, 2006)

I have been doing some research online and I still can't decide on what size of light to replace my two old fluorescents on my planted 30 gal, its 36"wide and 18" tall and deep.........also how many wpg should i strive for and what spectrum ...............thanks for the help


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Well, the amount of light depends on what you want to grow, whether or not you have pressure CO2 or DIY/nothing and on how much work you want to do.

As a general recommendation PC lights are the easiest/best light you can easily get your hands on out there.

For a high light tank you want to get 3-4wpg of PC lighting
For a medium light tank you want 2-3 wpg of PC lighting
And for a low light tank you want 1-2wpg of pC lighting

If you have higher lighting like 3-4wpg you will need to get CO2 of some kind (pressure is best for this lighting intensity). For medium lighting tanks you should probably have CO2, even if it is only DIY it will help. Finally, low light tanks you can either have DIY or use no CO2 with few problems.

In a high light tank you will be able to grow all the plants available to the hobby, a medium light tank you will be able to grow most of the plants, and with a low light tank you will be severely limited in your choice.

Though it sounds like the best choice for you is upgrading to medium/high light choice since the fluorescent bulbs probably make your current tank a low light tank. 

Specifically for your 30 gal tank you should probably get anywhere between 60 and 120 watts of light. But keep in mind you will need to supply more CO2/nutrients the stronger your lighting is.

As far as spectrum, I suggest anywhere from 5500K to 10000k bulbs. Though its mostly up to your personal preference. Keep in mind that the 5500K bulbs are more yellow to the eye and the 10000k's are more blue to the eye so choose whichever you light more.


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## WuWuWuKennyWu (Feb 26, 2006)

i do have a bio system for a CO2 generator and i already have quite a few plants in my tank now with low to moderate growth already. thanks for the info it helps to have it all spelled out rather than looking at endless info on the web


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

That tank is actually a 50 gallon tank if the dimensions you gave are right. So you probably want over 100 watts of PC light, up to about 150 watts. Two AH Supply 55 watt kits would work very well, in my opinion, and still leave lots of room to get into the tank without removing the light hood. Or, you can even fit the 96 watt AHS kit - a couple would give you a high light aquarium.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I have 90 watts of PC lighting on my 30G tank. I have had no problems growing any plants I've put in there. I tried dwarf hairgrass but it will just not spread, so if you want a nice foreground covering I would suggest going for more wattage.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I have a 30g with ~90w of ODNO flourescent lights and have grown many difficult plants such as Toninas and Eriocaulons in this tank, along with hairgrass, glosso, and HC. The ODNO lights in the DIY canopy do not have reflectors and the plants still grew very well. If you are having trouble with plants growing, look into your CO2 level/delivery first, then the nutrients (NO3, PO4, etc). Once you get all of these things in check and things still don't grow, look towards increasing your lighting. 

Since you don't have pressurized CO2, I would stick with ~2wpg. That should be fine for most all plants and you can always get more lights later if you need them  More wattage may require more Co2 than your "generator" can produce so keep that in mind.


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