# Lighting a 29 gallon?



## Qwedfg (Jun 17, 2012)

Hello everyone,

I recently bought a 29 gallon tank on a whim at petco during their dollar per gallon sale. I have some previous experience with a planted tank but it was with a 2 gallon evolve and a couple crypts in my betta tank but Im not sure this counts although I was able to grow a very nice HC carpet in the 2 gal.

So far I have ordered a SunSun 302 and Fluval Stratum substrate and I have an aquatek co2 regular with a paintball tank. My main question is what type of lighting should I be aiming for? I have been desperately searching for information about lighting a 29 gallon tank but it is very difficult to find any answers let alone two that agree with each other.

The fixtures I am looking at right now are the Coralife 30" T5NO, The Fugeray, The Ray II and the zoomed t5ho fixtures. I know this is quite the extensive list but after doing all my reading I have found all of these have been mentioned at some point. Ironically, many people will claim each of these fixtures is also a poor choice for a 29g due to too much light and/or too little light. I guess I should give you an idea of what plants I would like to grow to help anyone gracious enough to give me some advice!

Right now my plans include crypts, Blyxa Japonica, Staurogyne repens, ludwigia inclinata and/or other stems and possibly something like HC or an Erio if I am feeling super confident in the future. What light will let me keep these plants?!?!?!?!?!

edit

After reading this thread http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189944 it doesnt even seem like the Ray II is a super big improvement over the Fuge Ray. The Ray 2 doesnt have a 30 inch version I guess so the 24" has a par rating of 37 at 18" and the 30 inch Fugeray has a par of 30 at 24". Does this even make sense why they would make two models that are so similar? Is 7 par really a huge upgrade????


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## Aplomado (Mar 20, 2013)

I don't know much about aquariums, but I have had luck with a pair of fixtures I bought for a 125 gallon at buildmyled.com

They do have smaller fixtures as well. They are expensive, that's the only catch. The units I bought appear to be very well made, have a 3 year warranty. 

I have a 29 gallon I am looking at lighting also, and I'm trying to decide how to light it also.


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## TarantulaGuy (Apr 15, 2009)

I run a Sundial T5HO 4x24W fixture over my 29. I enjoy it, plenty of light, I run it for about 6-7 hours a day and get great growth. Unfortunately they don't make this fixture anymore, but any 4x24W T5HO should do you just fine.


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## nodima (Aug 10, 2006)

When I had a 29, I used a 2x55 cf kit from AHSupply. It worked very well in a DIY hood I made. So good that when I upgraded to a 125 for my Tropheus, I used the same kit to light that tank this time placing the lights end to end, rather than side by side.

Plants grew quite well in that tank.


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## TarantulaGuy (Apr 15, 2009)

No real reason to run CF anymore, T5's are much more efficient, and you get better lighting from them.


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