What is the best lighting for planted tank ???

[DR.V]

Hi all , what is the best lighting for planted tank ?
What sort of light bulb to use ? Does bigger watt means the better for the plants ?

I noticed that there are 2 types of lighting.
One is the normal long tube and the other one is like halogen bulb.
This halogen bulb is much much smaller but they're really bright.

Which one is the best ??

Thanks

[Benny]

ur thinking of metal halide lights...
They run very hot, but are supposedly excellent, but pricey unless you do a DIY job of it...

[Shawnts106]

I can help you with this one.... I have been keeping a Reef Tank for years now, and when you get into that hobby you KNOW about lighting! lol

also, Corals and Plants are very simular speaking of their lighting needs!

Now freshwater plants, depending on what type of plant you want to keep, normally like about 3wpg (3 watts per gallon) dont know what that is in Litters but anyway...

Floresent Bulbs or just the long normal ones that you are speaking of are good for IMO, LOW LIGHT PLANTS, you have to have ALOT of them to get the PAR you need (photosynthetic available radiation), therefore this isnt really practical for normal sized standard tanks because of the depth of them, Floresents would be ok in very shallow tanks 12inchs or under.... IMO, and 12 inches is streching it!

I like to use Compact Flouresent Bulbs... they are a type of flouresent bulb that produces much better light, is much more stable and you get GREAT PAR with them IMO.... these bulbs are in the shape of a U or are like 2 skinny flouresents combined with a small glass tube near the top of the ends of the bulbs....

as far as what K (kelvin) to use ... around 6500K is really close to mimicing sunlight, but often gives your tank a really yellow look, some people like this, others DONT.. im one of these! lol, the other option for a planted tank is a NICE WHITE LIGHT.. around 10,000K... this is very good, it gives the tank a very nice white look, or you can also go with whats called a 50/50 its half 10,000K and Half 20,000K or so... its basically half white and half blue... I dont know if Freshwater plants use any BLUE light or not... but this does give you a very nice Crystal white with a touch of blue to the tank... many people LOVE this lighting... but I dont know if the Blue Spectrum can be or is very easily used by Freshwater Plants... so that is something you can concider...

Metal Halide Bulbs are GREAT for PAR... however, they are very costly and are VERY HOT and will run your powerbill up to the sky!!!!!!
If you get an E-Ballast, which is an Electronic Ballast they are cooler and use something like 30% less electricity... these are good ballasts to get, however unless you plan on lighting a freshwater tank the size of the Pacific Ocean, I would stay away from this lighting!

My choice for you is the Compact Lighting.... very good, easily to install and not very expensive....

I am going to put 2 - 65watt 10,000K bulbs on my 30gallon with Discus, of course I will have some floating plants to shade areas... but this is a great lighting to get plants to GROW GROW GROW also in conjunction with a CO2 devise youll be up to your ears in plants... so good luck!

ask if you have anymore questions..hope I didnt go over the top, I tend to do that ALLL THE TIMEEE*cough*,, anyway!

good LUCK! :)

[Shawnts106]

oH! and One other type of lighting, a bit more expensive than the Compacts is called VHO, very high output, this is an excelent lighting, its flouresent tubes that are high powered to produce 3 times the light of a standard!!!... very efficent and very energy saving.. many people like this .. me included, I run 4 - 110watt VHOS on my reef tank... they are very good!!!!

if I had to choose between the Compact or VHO for a planted I would choose Compact... but thats just me! ;)

[revkev]

have a look here http://www.aquaria.com.au/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/6_21_315/products_id/7251
I have them on both of my tanks lots better then normal Floresent Bulbs.
Revkev

[Shawnts106]

WOW!!!!! I didnt know that they made half and half 10K and 6.5K!!!!!!! WOWOWOWOW!!! what does the lighting look like to the eye is it a yellow or white or sunny look???

[revkev]

Compact Double Fluorescent Lights Mine are white 4 x 10000k in one tank and 6 x 10000k-6500k in the other for plants they look great pic is the 6 ft lights turned off.
Revkev

[Sime76]

Hey Revkev,

Nice light setup, looks like a top DIY job.

Where did you get all the gear for those lights ( Electronic ballast etc...), been trying to find a source for ages!

Simon

[anti-generic]

those Aqualina compacts are great. not too pricey and have great results.

for my planted tank i added 2 DIY Metal halides with them to give me 3.6WPG..

I was told the amount of watts you have determine the light penetration into the water.

[Shawnts106]

Not nessesarily... depends on what kind of lighting... the MH have a better PAR.. and penatration than the regular Floursents....

I prefer the Compacts for planted tanks because you get smack in the middle! imo! :)

[duck]

Hi all , what is the best lighting for planted tank ?
What sort of light bulb to use ? Does bigger watt means the better for the plants ?

I noticed that there are 2 types of lighting.
One is the normal long tube and the other one is like halogen bulb.
This halogen bulb is much much smaller but they're really bright.

Which one is the best ??

Thanks

All lighting have a positive and negative to them so really would be up to want you want to grow,how much room you have on top of your tank,how much money you want to spend,If you have CO2,How big your tank is.
I have and still use fluro's on a 24inch high tank and my plants still grow,it just limits me a bit on what i can grow.

I also used fluro's on my 18 inch high tank and grew almost anything i wanted,Then i change to T5's which gave me a better light intensity which is prefered than the colour they are 6500k and are white in colour.
basicly the higher the k the more blue to the eye's the lower the k the more yellow it is.

[Davo]

Simon,

I installed 6 x 55w 5000k tubes (soon to be 3 x 9325k and 3 x 6500k tubes) on my 4x2x2 tank. I imported 6 x reflectors from AH Supply in New York in the US. I got the electronic ballast and end caps from a lighting supplier at Parramatta Rd Sydney, not far from Leichhardt.

The ballast were $42 each but they run 2 x tubes and the end caps were about $3.50 each. The reflectors were $19 each and the shipping was about $40.

Dave.

[Sime76]

I bought a 2x55 bright kit from ahsupply , wanted to get another one from them but would have coped duty and tax too so, stuff that.

What is the details of the ballast ie, brand and model no. and what is the name of the Supplier? Do you get the tubes from them.

Thanks

Simon

[DR.V]

ur thinking of metal halide lights...
They run very hot, but are supposedly excellent, but pricey unless you do a DIY job of it...

Hello, if i do DIY job, what kind of light bulb (halogen) to buy ??
Do i buy from bunning warehouse ??
Thanxxx...

[Benny]

Hey mate,
check the article here

http://www.ausdiscus.com.au/lighting.html

[DR.V]

hei revkev, im using the same type of light bulb as yours. Mine is 55W each

[DR.V]

thanks for the info all ^^

[Benny]

Its nothin,
i found the article on DIY halides very useful, figured u mite

[Shawnts106]

Gah, reading these replys are like being in another world... sorry Im from America and reading this Hey Mate thing is just really WEIRD to me... LOL!!! sorry had to put that in there....

I know of a site that the guy did his for a reef tank... you could do the same, but you would just get 6.5K and 10Ks instead of the 10Ks and actinics he used for his reef...

its like...


http://www.justinunderwater.com/

or something like it.. I forget! well... alot of good that does ya huh? haha!!!


wait, ok im about to try my austrailian accent... ready?

gday!... ok how was it?... really just lay it on me! haha

[kalebjarrod]

gday!... ok how was it?... really just lay it on me! haha

not bad, hold the g a little longer next time

gggggggggggg-day :wink:

[Shawnts106]

... ok hows this...

Gday!... better, am I getting better?... GAH! this is such a learning experience! LOL!

[Merrilyn]

Hahahaha Shawn are you asking about your Aussie slang, or about the lighting.

Can't help you with the lighting. I manage to kill most of the plants I put in my tanks, so now I have lovely silk plants LOL :oops:

Your Aussie slang is coming along nicely, but try to throw 'mate' in there at least a couple of times in every sentence. Like G'day mate. How are ya mate. Yeah good mate. Geez mate that's a nice looking tank. Mate if I had one like that, I'd be rapt. :book Keep working on it. :wink:

Soon it'll be hard to tell you from the locals :fluff

[Shawnts106]

LOL!... ok mate! what do you mean when you said Id be Rapt mate? lol


ah, ... mate, this is just to hard mate!

GAH! do you Aussies really say "mate" that much????? thats crazy!


ok, lets teach all you aussies some Ghetto!

Yeh, I be tiieud and sik ov dem peeps tawken' bad bout me euh mhu frens! Ahhl de du is sit around tawken bout peeps de dont evun know bout! just crazy, crazy I tell ya, crazy!

Translation:

Yeah, I am sick and tired of those people talking bad about me and my friends! All they do is sit around talking about people they dont even know about! Just crazy, Crazy I tell you, crazy!


dont ask why I picked this sentence to tell you... It's one of those, whatever thoughts!


so know you try mate! LOL!

[kalebjarrod]

now try and combine both!

your chat is stlyin fully sic mate, wen da peeps suss youe new tawken' mate, your frens wil think its jus crazy mate, crazy mate I tell ya, crazy MATE!

[goldenpigeon]

LOL do u have msn shawnts? LOL

[buttnaked]

Simon,

I installed 6 x 55w 5000k tubes (soon to be 3 x 9325k and 3 x 6500k tubes) on my 4x2x2 tank. I imported 6 x reflectors from AH Supply in New York in the US. I got the electronic ballast and end caps from a lighting supplier at Parramatta Rd Sydney, not far from Leichhardt.

The ballast were $42 each but they run 2 x tubes and the end caps were about $3.50 each. The reflectors were $19 each and the shipping was about $40.

Dave.


Hi Davo,

What's the name/address of the lighting supplier for the electronic ballast?

Where did you buy the 55w 5000k & 6500k tubes from?

Thanks.

[buttnaked]

I bought a 2x55 bright kit from ahsupply , wanted to get another one from them but would have coped duty and tax too so, stuff that.

What is the details of the ballast ie, brand and model no. and what is the name of the Supplier? Do you get the tubes from them.

Thanks

Simon

Hi Simon,

Did you get the info you need from Davo?

I'm going thru the same exercise as you - sourcing, buying and configuring compact fluro lighting.

Please let me know if you have some info.

on another note, this is where you can buy a wide range of compact fluro blubs/tubes.

http://www.hamiltontechnology.com/

[Davo]

Buttnaked,

The shop is called Lamp Replacements Pty Ltd. It is at 281 Parramatta Rd, Leichhardt.

I am about to order the 6500k and 9325k tubes from a US supplier called 1000bulbs. They are on the web www.1000bulbs.com.

I got the 5000k tubes from Lamp Replacements but you have to buy them by the box (10). I still have 5 x 5000k tubes left, they have never been used and I will sell them for $10 each.

Dave.

[Shawnts106]

yehhhh BOiIIIIIIII!..I be tellen' yaz! wooo! mate! lol

no I dont have MSN, but I do have YAHOO!

Shawnts106@yahoo.com

You, and anyone else, may EMAIL me at any time :)

lol, I love Austrailia,thats were I want to move one day, to open an Aquarium Business... Going to College to Major in Marine Science and do a second minor or whatnot in Business management...

I have OZ money already! lol, out of date.. just for a collection! LOL

Or im going to become a internation Discus breeder... hum, which one sounds more promising? lOL!!!!!! ok, Ill stick to the College thing!

but for real I have ALWAYS wanted to live in Austrailia!... and STILL DO! and I am going to eventually, and definatly going to visit!

so.. I was thinking of Sydney...? what do you Aussies think?

[goldenpigeon]

lol i thought u would have like msn or sumthin to come up with that kinda language mate ;) i use that myself with my friends on msn lol

[Shawnts106]

what ... the Aussie thing or the Ghetto thing?.. im confused.. oh and Im not black... just.. well you just have to grow up in Alabama to understand that LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... I have alot of black friends so half the time I really do talk like that but anyway!


MSN... ohhh that is serious now!.. I heard of someone having this before... they died like.. 2 weeks after they were diagnosed with it!

or maybe that was msg's? hum! anyway!

so... what time is it in OZ?... its like 12 am here... ok, something about this just doesnt seem right.. its 12am and im on an austrailian discus forum talking about my black friends and some kind of disease?...

im going to bed people! BYE! :roll:

[goldenpigeon]

lol is it 12 pm over there? its 3:24 pm over here on the gold coast :D

i was talkin bout the ghetto thing lol

[buttnaked]

Buttnaked,

The shop is called Lamp Replacements Pty Ltd. It is at 281 Parramatta Rd, Leichhardt.

I am about to order the 6500k and 9325k tubes from a US supplier called 1000bulbs. They are on the web www.1000bulbs.com.

I got the 5000k tubes from Lamp Replacements but you have to buy them by the box (10). I still have 5 x 5000k tubes left, they have never been used and I will sell them for $10 each.

Dave.

hey thanks for the info. I mentioned on my PM before I wanted 4. I'll change that to 2 instead. Do they look very yellow in colour??

I'm also looking at buying from this website;

http://www.ahsupply.com/bulbs.htm

http://ahsupply.com/mcart/index.cgi?code=3&cat=3

55 Watt - 5500K
55 Watt - 6700K

About 8 blubs in total.

[Shawnts106]

No its 12 AM! as in 12 AM in the morning here... so im off to bed! gnight! LOL

[goldenpigeon]

LOL ok night mate

[Sime76]

Hey Buttnaked,

Its good to see I'm not alone, thanks for the Web site info.

Where are you located?

Are you going to try calling Lamp Replacements?

Sime

[Shawnts106]

BUTTNAKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok, dont see what the purpose of screaming that was...but anyway! :)

[buttnaked]

I'm located in Alexandria.

I'll call lamp replacement tomorrow. I want to change my exisiting aqualina compact lighting to a remote ballast so won't be so hot under my hood.

I'm trying a bunch of different blubs until I settle with the perfect combo.
It's a good idea to play around different Kelvin rating.

I've try this so far;

18000
10000 (works well but still too bright)
7500

[Davo]

Buttnaked,

Have a look at the GE 9325k tubes. On every planted tank website in the US they are raved about. Unfortuantly you cannot get them over here but you can get them for AU$25 each and the shipping for 6 is AU$50.

With the shipping included they still work out slightly cheaper than 55w tubes over here (Approx. $35 each) and mixed with 6500k or 6700k (these are the same price as the 9325k) tubes the effect apparently is very good.

Dave.

[Shawnts106]

HEY Alexandria Alabama?..???

I am getting the half and half 10,000K and 6500K bulb from Compact... I think coralife or something.. I forget now!

[Sime76]

Buttnaked,

Let me know how you go. I will probably give them a call tomorow too.


Hmmm GE 9325k tubes , might be worth a try. They would be a much whiter light I would imagine.

Davo, do you know if you can get ballasts for the 2x96w tubes from Lamp replacements? I guess I'll ask when I call

[buttnaked]

Hey Sime

After alot of research and playing around with blubs.

I'm sticking with 5000K - 6700K range. It more natural sunlight looking.

I also think it's very harsh on discus with anything above 7000.

[Shawnts106]

I also think it's very harsh on discus with anything above 7000

Where is the evidence to support this theory? Why do you believe this?

[buttnaked]

I had very clean golden sunrise & a pigeon blood (speckle free)

over 12 months using 10000k blubs they end up full of speckles.

The other theroy would be that I have too much light because it's a planted tank..

I think both intensity and high K got to do with it.

[Shawnts106]

were the 2 discus babys or juvies when you first got them? this could be because they developed and matured!

[buttnaked]

got them when they were 4 - 4.5 inches.

I'm extremely meticulous about my tank. There is nothing I've over looked in terms of water maintenance, diet etc.

[Shawnts106]

hum, I dont see how this is really possible other than the amount of light used... I think it was more of the USING TOO MUCH LIGHT thing rather than the K, I think that its possible that the intensity of the light may have damaged their cells causing them to form mutated color pigments...kinda like what we do if we get too much sun?

This is something we need to look into... But I have only heard of this one occurence ... no one else that I know of has said this.... so Im not saying AH HA we found the answer just yet you know?

[buttnaked]

I going with the high intensity theory. It's like people getting freckles.

[duck]

I use 10000k globe's.
I have 9, 2 red melons one has a few specks the other lucky to see one or 2,I have a golden sunrise not even noticeable,2 yellow's 1 has a fare few the other not so much,i have Snake skin and it's full of speckles.

When i got them they where clean so i really think it's got more to do with the individual fish's genetic make up.
As for people getting freckles from to much sun :lol:

[buttnaked]

I use 10000k globe's.
I have 9, 2 red melons one has a few specks the other lucky to see one or 2,I have a golden sunrise not even noticeable,2 yellow's 1 has a fare few the other not so much,i have Snake skin and it's full of speckles.

When i got them they where clean so i really think it's got more to do with the individual fish's genetic make up.
As for people getting freckles from to much sun :lol:


How many watts per gallon/liter are you running?

I have 4 x compact blubs + 2 x T5 @ 300watts in 97 gallons (48x26x18). (roughly 3watts per gallon)

This was once a very heavily planted tank. I've cutback alot since then.

[duck]

I'm not running many watts at all on that tank around the 1.3 WPG.

Even at that low lighting i have some have speckled up big and the other's not.
When i did get them they were speck free all of them.

[Shawnts106]

As for people getting freckles from to much sun

lol, I meant cancer.. genetic mutations of the skin! haha


I am going with the theory that these discus are pepering because of genetic makeup ... nothing more... nothing less.. but thats just my outlook on things at the moment.. I am open to change though!