# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Lighting on a 29 gallon tank



## captain (May 12, 2006)

I have been thinking about the lighting on my 29gallong tank and wanted to know if anyone has an idea how I can improve my lighting. The tank is 30inches long (18inches tall) and the 55watt PC bulb I use is about 22 to 24inches long. So this leave 'dark' areas on either side of the tank. I would like to have lighting extend across the entire tank but the PC bulbs I have seen are either too short or too long. Anybody have any ideas how I can remedy this situation.

I did have one idea. I could put a small 13watt bulb at one end. Then I would have 24inch 55watt bulb and an 8inch 13watt bulb. This would extend the lenght of the tank but wouldn't the 13watt bulb be too weak to be effective? I do have mostly java fern on the side the 13watt bulb would be. I don't know.

Any ideas????

-Steve
See profile for tank info


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## captain (May 12, 2006)

I have been thinking about the lighting on my 29gallong tank and wanted to know if anyone has an idea how I can improve my lighting. The tank is 30inches long (18inches tall) and the 55watt PC bulb I use is about 22 to 24inches long. So this leave 'dark' areas on either side of the tank. I would like to have lighting extend across the entire tank but the PC bulbs I have seen are either too short or too long. Anybody have any ideas how I can remedy this situation.

I did have one idea. I could put a small 13watt bulb at one end. Then I would have 24inch 55watt bulb and an 8inch 13watt bulb. This would extend the lenght of the tank but wouldn't the 13watt bulb be too weak to be effective? I do have mostly java fern on the side the 13watt bulb would be. I don't know.

Any ideas????

-Steve
See profile for tank info


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

Your idea sounds good, especially since you are able to save your investment in the 55 W. The lighting power is only 1.8 W/in. in a 13 W, while its 2.6 W/in. in a 55 W, so, yes, it will be somewhat weaker. It will also be stronger than it is now. You could also add another 13 W.

Other possibilites are to put 2 55 W alongside each other. I don't know if you have the depth.


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## captain (May 12, 2006)

Do you mean put the two 55 watt bulbs in the following configuration
<---------30"-------->
[============]
[=============]

I have thought about that but I am happy with my plant growth with just one 55watt. The plants grow fast enough for me to be excited by new leaves every other day but not so fast that I have to do a lot of pruning or other maintenance.

Does anybody know of a 13 watt kit that has an electronic ballast that is in the $30 range? The ahsupply kits are magnetic.

-Steve
See profile for tank info


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## captain (May 12, 2006)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Captain:
> Do you mean put the two 55 watt bulbs in the following configuration
> ...


-Steve
See profile for tank info


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Steve don't worry about your lighting system if the plants are healthy and the tank is algae free! But here are some tips. 

1) If you can raise the light by a couple of inches the dispersement is increased significantly. But this is not always possible and depends on your mounting system. 

2) Place higher light requiring plants more towards the middle of the tank right under the light. And then the obvious of placing plants with less light requirements on the ends. 

The combination of 1 & 2 is the ideal. If you are attempting to try Glosso then there is just not going to be enough light in any case. 

The groundcover plants are what you will have trouble with in using 55 watts of light. The next hard plants are bunch plants being place too close together and not getting enough light for the lower leaves due to shading.

I'm still learning myself and these are some things I've personally done with my tank. 

Good luck,
Carlo

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## captain (May 12, 2006)

I want to make a change on aesthetic reasons not plant reasons. The edges of the tank just look dark. I want the whole tank to look bright and inviting. I can't easily raise the lights up any further because I have a canopy and don't want to have to do any major reworking of the canopy at the moment. 

Right now I have my high light plants in the middle and they are doing very well. The edges have lower light plants and they too are doing well. My A. Barteri (sp?) has a flower bud. Very exciting!

-Steve
See profile for tank info


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## Kathy (Feb 2, 2003)

How about changing the reflector so it covers more of the top of the tank?

My ten gallon tank is lit with two screw in compact fluorescents in an incandescent strip light. The short crummy reflector in there only went over the original tube incandescents. When I stuck a bit of reflector on the ends of the original reflector to each end of the fixture the ends of the tank got brighter.

I cannot see much difference in brightness from one end to the other and those bulbs only cover five inches of the twenty inches of the length of the tank. Wisteria is very lacey right at the end of the tank, a red ludwigia and E. latifolia are doing well in the center.


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## captain (May 12, 2006)

The reflector that came with my ahsupply kit is top notch and extends an inch or so on either end of the bulb. The bulb is only 22inches wide and the tank is 30 so with this configuration there will always be some dim spots on the sides.

I might try the extra 13 watt bulb. I have to think about it a little before I spend the $30 to buy it the kit.

-Steve
See profile for tank info


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## imported_Platy (Feb 4, 2003)

Ive got the 2 55 watt AH supply kit over mine, with a 13 watt in the middle. Works great for me.

Ive got pics if you want to see them. Its in a hood, about 5 inches above the water, no glass lid between the two. 5 inch "blow whole" computer fan mounted in one end of the hood to cool everything off, which it does perfectly. Only problem is I loose about 1 inch of water every 2 days.

Thanks

Dustin

125 Gal - 3.07wpg - 99% flourite - Pressurized Co2 - Uv Sterilization when needed - Densly Planted


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## captain (May 12, 2006)

Sure, post a picture if its no trouble. I am having difficulty imagining it.

-Steve
See profile for tank info


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

If you look here:
http://www.all-glass.com/products/index.asp
you will see a picture of what I'm writing about. Your lighting fixture is similar to the 3rd from the left in the picture. It is 30 inches long, with no illumination at the ends. You could add a 55 W lamp, like the second from the left. Then the lamps overlap in the middle. Your first suggestion was to add a 13 W lamp at one end, and that is probably still the best idea. If you really want the high illumination all the way, then put two 13 W lamps side-by-side.


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## imported_Platy (Feb 4, 2003)

Ok 29 Gal Hood -

Front View *like the duck? haha*










Here is a shot of the light setup - longer ones of course are 55 watt and the middle one is the 13 watt. Currently 10,000K blue, but I only use it for night use. Ive been thinking of replacing it with a 5000 or 6500k and using it during the day. Would it make that big of difference?


















And here is the "blow hole" fan that keeps the the water under 80 degrees..










Does that help?
What do you think of the hood?










Dustin

125 Gal - 3.07wpg - 99% flourite - Pressurized Co2 - Uv Sterilization when needed - Densly Planted

[This message was edited by Platy on Wed April 16 2003 at 04:33 PM.]

[This message was edited by Platy on Wed April 16 2003 at 04:34 PM.]


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

Your description was accurate, the pictures look just like your description, except for the duck. The 13 W is a good dawn and dusk lamp, but I doubt you will notice it during the day. Do I see duckweed floating on the surface? Does that shadow the stem plants in the aquarium?


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## imported_Platy (Feb 4, 2003)

Oh Yes - Thats Duckweed - God I wish I could get rid of it. There were maybe 2 TOTAL that hitchhiked in with a plant order, and now in the 125 gallon, i have to dip it out ever other day. It completly covers the top of the water. Even if I think i have it all, it survives.

Dawn / Dusk - What are the benifits of that?









Have you come to a discission on what your going to do for a hood / lights?

Dustin

125 Gal - 3.07wpg - 99% flourite - Pressurized Co2 - Uv Sterilization when needed - Densly Planted


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## imported_Platy (Feb 4, 2003)

I know this is not a for sale board, but if anyone is interested in 2 x 55 watt setup - ive got one for sale. Its brand new from ah supply. I bought it from ahsupply and then six hours later bought the hood / light setup from a guy in PA. It was to late to cancel my order with ahsupply, so im stuck with them. If anyone is interested, give me a private message. Also have a 29 gal hood from ah supply i would sell as well.

If this type of post is against the rules, please let me know and ill remove it. I just thought I would throw that in since I was planning on ebaying it or something anyway.

Thanks

Dustin

125 Gal - 3.07wpg - 99% flourite - Pressurized Co2 - Uv Sterilization when needed - Densly Planted


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