Simpte wrote:
"For a 29 gallon tank I would have no less than 40 watts for a low tech planted tank. 54/55 Would be better"
I agree with this 100%.
Mr Fish wrote:
"You prob need MINIMUM 2watts/gallon, even for easy plants live Java ferns and stuff. "
No, this is definitely not the case. I have a nice 20 gallon tank with 30W of light, and the Java ferns are looking really good. They don't grow very fast, but that's Java fern for you. It's also growing successfully crypts, anubias, dwarf sag, twisted vallis, and one Echinodorus ozelet.
As for which bulb to choose, most of the aquarium specific bulbs work well. I once bought a normal, very cheap bulb that was the same size as an aquarium-specific bulb, but was much dimmer. Things to avoid:
* actinic, which is sort of dim and blue
* Interpet's "beauty light" which is more for enhancing the color of your fish than providing lots of light that your fish can use
* one that says its primary purpuse is in a marine tank
Ones that are good are:
* any aquarium specific daylight bulb
* Triton bulbs
* any bulb from a reputable company (Arcadia, Hagen, Interpet) that says that it promotes phtosynthesis
About pygmy chain sword: assuming this is the same a E. tenellus, I didn't have much luck growing it in my 2.4 WPG tank which is successfully growing other kinds of sowrds. It isn't dead yet, but it doesn't seem to be growing.
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