Lighting for live plants

boomer · 03-11-2007, 05:01 PM

I was wondering what bulbs to use for my plants?.
I have a 70 gallon tank with two 48 inch flouresant fixtures. Currently I'm using the bulbs that came with the fixtures. They are Eclipse Natural Daylight F40T10..
Are these lights good enough for plants ? if not what would be good replacements for them?
As for what kind of plants i have... thats a good question..I can't remember the names of them except for one...combamba

BV77 · 03-11-2007, 05:32 PM

I use GE Daylight or GE Sunshine bulbs from Lowe's , Home Depot, or Wally's. The daylight bulbs are 6500k, and the sunshine bulbs are 5000k, which is the recommended color temp for plants. You can get more expensive ones if you wish, but these give the most bang for the buck, IMO.

girth vader · 03-11-2007, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BV77

I use GE Daylight or GE Sunshine bulbs from Lowe's , Home Depot, or Wally's. The daylight bulbs are 6500k, and the sunshine bulbs are 5000k, which is the recommended color temp for plants. You can get more expensive ones if you wish, but these give the most bang for the buck, IMO.

yeppers. the 67ks are my favorite for plants, I use the PC version but the same kelvin over mine and they love it. anywhere from 5k-10k works.

MyraVan · 03-13-2007, 05:13 AM

48" tubes are 36W each, giving you 72W in total. This is a very low light tank, for a planted tank. (Just over 1 watt per gallon. I usually shoot for about 2 watts per gallon, and this is very modest lighting for a planted tank, high-tech enthusiasts go as high as 4 wpg). You could grow some really low light plants, like Java fern & Java moss, but not much else. I don't think you have much hope of growing Cabomba, as it's a plant that needs a fair bit of light. Looks lovely, though. I tried some in my 1.5 wpg tank and it just fell apart. Now that I've got a better setup, maybe I should try it again...

**Damon** · 03-13-2007, 06:23 AM

48 inch tubes are 40 watts.

MyraVan · 03-13-2007, 07:12 AM

Oh, that's interesting... Of the brands we have over here, Hagen 48" tubes are 40w as Damon says, but Interpet and Arcadia 48" tubes are 36w, so they say. I wonder if they really consume different amounts of energy in real life, or if they consume the same amount but are just labelled differently?

Anyway, even if your tubes are 40W each, 80W for a 70g tank is not very much.

**JustOneMore20** · 03-13-2007, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Anyway, even if your tubes are 40W each, 80W for a 70g tank is not very much

I agree.

For decent plant choices, you'd want atleast double that.

boomer · 03-14-2007, 02:29 PM

thanks for the tips guys... Today I changed one of the Eclipse bulbs for an Aqua-Glo bulb 40W 18000K.... says it promotes plant growth

**Damon** · 03-14-2007, 02:34 PM

You can change to any spectrum you want. Without more light you will still have trouble growing the easiest of plants.

boomer · 03-14-2007, 05:35 PM

I added 1 more 48inch flouresant light for a total of 3 lights...120w total.. thats the best i can do for now
What kind of new lighting system should I look at for optimum plant growth?

**Damon** · 03-14-2007, 05:55 PM

1 more 48 inch tube would work, or something like this.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...48110wattblack
with one of your current 48 inch strips.

girth vader · 03-16-2007, 12:17 PM

18k kelvin is a Reef Light. Refer to my first post.

03-11-2007, 05:01 PM	#1
boomer Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Fenelon Falls. Ont Age: 35 Posts: 9	Lighting for live plants I was wondering what bulbs to use for my plants?. I have a 70 gallon tank with two 48 inch flouresant fixtures. Currently I'm using the bulbs that came with the fixtures. They are Eclipse Natural Daylight F40T10.. Are these lights good enough for plants ? if not what would be good replacements for them? As for what kind of plants i have... thats a good question..I can't remember the names of them except for one...combamba __________________ 70 Gallon 12 Golden Barbs 10 Neon Tetra's 6 Green Tiger Barbs 2 Red Honey Gourami's 2 Chinese Algae Eaters 1 German Blue Ram 1 Angelfish Lots of Plants

03-13-2007, 06:23 AM	#5
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	48 inch tubes are 40 watts. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

03-14-2007, 02:29 PM	#8
boomer Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Fenelon Falls. Ont Age: 35 Posts: 9	thanks for the tips guys... Today I changed one of the Eclipse bulbs for an Aqua-Glo bulb 40W 18000K.... says it promotes plant growth __________________ 70 Gallon 12 Golden Barbs 10 Neon Tetra's 6 Green Tiger Barbs 2 Red Honey Gourami's 2 Chinese Algae Eaters 1 German Blue Ram 1 Angelfish Lots of Plants

03-14-2007, 02:34 PM	#9
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	You can change to any spectrum you want. Without more light you will still have trouble growing the easiest of plants. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

03-14-2007, 05:35 PM	#10
boomer Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Fenelon Falls. Ont Age: 35 Posts: 9	I added 1 more 48inch flouresant light for a total of 3 lights...120w total.. thats the best i can do for now What kind of new lighting system should I look at for optimum plant growth? __________________ 70 Gallon 12 Golden Barbs 10 Neon Tetra's 6 Green Tiger Barbs 2 Red Honey Gourami's 2 Chinese Algae Eaters 1 German Blue Ram 1 Angelfish Lots of Plants

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03-11-2007, 05:32 PM	#2
BV77 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alaska Posts: 486	I use GE Daylight or GE Sunshine bulbs from Lowe's , Home Depot, or Wally's. The daylight bulbs are 6500k, and the sunshine bulbs are 5000k, which is the recommended color temp for plants. You can get more expensive ones if you wish, but these give the most bang for the buck, IMO.

03-13-2007, 05:13 AM	#4
MyraVan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 864	48" tubes are 36W each, giving you 72W in total. This is a very low light tank, for a planted tank. (Just over 1 watt per gallon. I usually shoot for about 2 watts per gallon, and this is very modest lighting for a planted tank, high-tech enthusiasts go as high as 4 wpg). You could grow some really low light plants, like Java fern & Java moss, but not much else. I don't think you have much hope of growing Cabomba, as it's a plant that needs a fair bit of light. Looks lovely, though. I tried some in my 1.5 wpg tank and it just fell apart. Now that I've got a better setup, maybe I should try it again...

03-13-2007, 07:12 AM	#6
MyraVan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 864	Oh, that's interesting... Of the brands we have over here, Hagen 48" tubes are 40w as Damon says, but Interpet and Arcadia 48" tubes are 36w, so they say. I wonder if they really consume different amounts of energy in real life, or if they consume the same amount but are just labelled differently? Anyway, even if your tubes are 40W each, 80W for a 70g tank is not very much.

03-14-2007, 05:55 PM	#11
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,982	1 more 48 inch tube would work, or something like this. http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...48110wattblack with one of your current 48 inch strips. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

03-16-2007, 12:17 PM	#12
girth vader Hey Now! Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 33 Posts: 616	18k kelvin is a Reef Light. Refer to my first post. __________________ I have a tank!!! A nice one too!

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