# lighting suggestions for a beginner



## silas k. (Apr 24, 2007)

hello everyone,

i've been wanting to start a planted tank for a while. everything i've read states 2-4 watts per gallon. as a beginner i'd like to stay on the low end with 2 wpg to start. could someone recommend an economical way to do this with a 20H and a 30 gallon. at present i don't have a hood or top for either one. most solutions i've found seem to offer either too much light or not enough. any suggestions would be great. Thanks,

Silas


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

I would think that you should be able to get one 65 watt compact fluorescent fixture with legs that can attach to the light. Check out some of the sponser's websites here....they are pretty reasonable! Otherwise, you can always get a couple of regular fluorescent fixtures at your local fish store. Or one double strip fluorescent.......make sure you get the right length for your 20H!!

I think that there are people here that have really nice DIY's, but you would probably need a hood. I would think that in the end, it would be cheaper to go out and buy normal output fluorescents. They are easy to control, the fixture is a "one-time" buy, the bulbs last pretty long, and when you need to change them, they are relatively inexpensive, and they run cool, which means they won't heat up your tank water to 890 degrees F.


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## freydo (Jan 7, 2006)

you can also get pre-made hoods from AHSupply:

http://www.ahsupply.com/


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## RllnRck (Mar 31, 2007)

I bought my light here. http://www.aquatraders.com.

I have yet to see anyone come close to their prices, and I've had no problems with the quality.


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

I have a couple of these fixtures. They're small, cheap to buy, make the tank look good, and are def. on the low light side of things.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...4/cl0/coralifefwt5aqualightdoublestriplight24


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## silas k. (Apr 24, 2007)

i had looked at those coralife T5s but they seem a bit too low in wattage. 42W for a 30 gallon would be 1.4 wpg. but then if you step up to compact the lowest wattage for 36" is 96W which is much more than i wanted. 

or maybe it's not. that's what i'm unsure of. what i was hoping to do with 2 wpg was not make things too complicated. i was hoping to get by without using CO2 injection, or maybe dose with Flourish Excel. and not have to use too much fertilizer. am i misguided in my thinking? would i need those things anway?

and if i were to go with 96W or 3.2 wpg would i definitely have to get serious about CO2 and ferts?


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## DWIZUM (Jun 8, 2006)

If you get something that's "too much" light, you can always raise it up or add a glass panel under it to lower the intensity. Then, later on, if/when you decide you want to step up to something more high-end, you can just lower it or remove the obstruction and you're set.

Lighting is one thing in this hobby that I wouldn't skimp on too much. Look at all the threads from people trying to add more light to poorly planned tanks, vs threads where people are complaining of too much light (don't know if I've ever seen one of those!)

Oh, and CO2 might seem complicated, but honestly - if you get a pressurized system, it's practically "set it and forget it" easy. It might seem like a big investment up front, but it'll increase the range of plants you can keep, help stabilize things, and really doesn't add much maintenance.


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

You may end up spending a little more but I think it's generally a good idea to start on the lower/moderate light side of things and then work your way up. At least, thats is what I did. 

I ran a 65w PC light over my 36" long 30G tank for about 6 months. I got good growth but always had the problem of having shaded areas of my tank since the light fixture wasn't long enough. So eventually I added a 55 w AH supply retro fit kit to up the light. Without CO2 things started to go downhill so I rigged up a DIY yeast mixture until I had the money to buy a pressurized system.

So long story short, I now use one of those coralife T5 fixtures I mentioned for 10 hours a day, and my 55w AH supply fixture for a 4 hour burst. I do have a pressurized CO2 system as well, plus I hit it up with my own little fert regime. 

I think if you add the 96w fixture you will def. want to keep a decent level of CO2 in there or your going to go nuts trying to fight the algae. Also it depends on what kind of plants you want to grow and how you want your tank to look. 

Just remember to take it easy and have fun with this! I'm no expert by any means, I still have a TON to learn but I don't let it become a chore, ever.


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## silas k. (Apr 24, 2007)

is there a resource that defines tank setups in regards to low/med/high tech?

such that it would suggest X watts of light is considered (blank) tech level and would require Y amount of C02 and Z amount of ferts.

or a guide that tells you how much light you can use before you need to start adding CO2 and ferts and then expands on that proportionally?


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## K20A2 (Aug 12, 2006)

Hmmm... nothing that I really know of, but someone else might have a link to put up. 

I would say its safe to figure that anything pushing 3 wpg is calling for a CO2 set up. I tried to push the envelope, (as I always do) and up my light without a good source of carbon and algae took over. 

My 30G is my main deal, so maybe I could suggest a place to start. What are the dimensions of your 30G?


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## silas k. (Apr 24, 2007)

i have a standard sized 30. the dimensions are 36L x 12W x 16H.

so you're saying that if i have 2.6 wpg like the 36" fixture here would give me: http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/power_novaXtremeFresh.htm

that i may not need CO2? what about ferts?


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

DWIZUM said:


> Oh, and CO2 might seem complicated, but honestly - if you get a pressurized system, it's practically "set it and forget it" easy. It might seem like a big investment up front, but it'll increase the range of plants you can keep, help stabilize things, and really doesn't add much maintenance.


 Well said.

Light? Don't worry; it can always be adjusted by lighting period. Without CO2 you can grow some plants, but with just a little CO2, any plant. Nutrients? Yes, plants do need fertilization to grow.


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