# Thinking bout upgrading my lights



## thaerin (Dec 12, 2004)

It's that magical time of the year when you can sucker people into hleping you buy things you can't afford :? 

Currently, I've got this dinky lil 25 watt for my 20L tank, the hood and light having come from my LFS. I've got mostly low light plants:
Echinodorus tenellus
Lobelia cardinalis
Anachris
Wisteria (halfway dead unfortunately)
a Java fern
and an Amazon sword
with Java moss and duckweek arriving soon hopefully.

How much wpg should i be putting in this tank? Anyone have recommendations what brand of system to get/where to order it from?


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

I always use 2 watts per gallon minimum. You could get an AHSupply.com retrofit kit for your existing hood. I am very pleased with AHSupply's products.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

On my 20G long tank I have a JBJ 1x65 watt fixture, which I got from PetSolutions. Coralife now has 30" fixtures, which I perfer over JBJ.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

I love my Coralife 30" 1X65W 6500K :lol: I am running it currently over a newly set up 20-gal long, which has the same depth as a standard 10-gal; just longer. It fits ok; the bulb is positioned to shine the middle-center, leaving each side about 2-3" with less light. Still works really nicely, though.


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

2-4WPG for a 20g tank is quite good however know that it will require CO2 or excel at these light levels. Thought I'd mention that just in case you are not currently using CO2, the upgrade will certainly change the requirements of this tank so prepare for those as well.

Hope that helps
Giancarlo


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## thaerin (Dec 12, 2004)

currently, i dose the tank with Tetra Florapride and just recently added flourite to my substrate. Figuring on a 55 watt fixture. That'll be enough for the plants to grow well, but not strong enough to really irritate my frogs, who don't particularly like strong lighting. 
Also looking at the Hagen co2 system (http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=118&PROD_ID=01076900020101 for co2. Sort of a compromise between DIY and a pressurized system. It'll give me a hopefully consistent co2, with a fair amount of ease. 
Can't really get a pressurized co2 system as my parents would balk at that idea.


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

Just a personal opinion here but the Hagen CO2 system is not really a comprimize between DIY and Pressurized, I see it as DIY without having to drink the coke out of a bottle  The two are just as consistent in my experience. Flourish Excel is another option.

Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

Very good point in mentioning the need to add CO2 with higher lighting. I am also running a 65W on a 20-gal long and this is the first week. I am lighting it for just 8 hours. It's a nice experiment to see if that will indeed minimize algal outbreak because in the past I've always had some sort of algae problems with tanks that I light up for 10-12 hours even in their initial set up.



Paul


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## thaerin (Dec 12, 2004)

I'd actually be sort of happy with having some algae! I've never gotten any at all so far, and am worried that my poor bristlenose pleco isn't getting enough for him. I supplement his diet with Hikari sinking wafers and the occasional zuccini though.
My platies and 2 banjo cats eat most of the algae before Spike (the pleco) can get to it


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