Lighting Options For Plants

Hi All

I am looking at replacing my existing lighting on one of my 54 litre tanks. It will be planted quite heavily hopefully, at the moment, crypts, anubias and Java fern (Lower light plants). I have just one 15W bulb, so just over 1wpg.

The lighting unit is as it it extremely old in design, it is attached to the tank in the middle, not in the hood, so it will need to be replaced completely.

I have been searching around to see what the best options I have, so far I have come up with

1. DOUBLE ULTRASEAL T8 CONTROLLER 14-15 WATT so this would give me 2.1 wpg, would only need one extra bulb as the existing bulb is new. Cost roughly £50

2. JUWEL HIGH LITE LIGHT UNIT T5 24W, so about 3.4 wpg, cost roughly £63 with bulbs and reflectors.

Are there any other options?

I am using DIY CO2 what option would be the best, 2.1wpg or 3.4wpg

Thanks
Dave

I think with the plants you have, 15w will be fine to be honest. I have a 54l tank with similar setup and an old hood/light unit. I replaced the tube with a full spectrum one, and added an arcadia clip on reflector which has helped. I am now thinking of converting to a T6 tube. These will fit into a T8 unit, with the addition of some rubber seals.

Check these out:

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...mp;cPath=12_207

The T6 will give better light penetration than the T8 tubes and are more efficient

Check out my 54 litre here:

http/www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1230

Lots of updated pics later on in the thread!

DevUK said:

I think with the plants you have, 15w will be fine to be honest. I have a 54l tank with similar setup and an old hood/light unit. I replaced the tube with a full spectrum one, and added an arcadia clip on reflector which has helped. I am now thinking of converting to a T6 tube. These will fit into a T8 unit, with the addition of some rubber seals.

Check these out:

<a href="http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...mp;cPath=12_207" target="_blank">http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...mp;cPath=12_207</a>

The T6 will give better light penetration than the T8 tubes and are more efficient

Check out my 54 litre here:

<a href="http/www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1230" target="_blank">http/www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1230</a>

Lots of updated pics later on in the thread!

Click to expand...

Thanks, well your setup is very very similar to mine to be honest.

I have 15W light with reflector, Substrate of JBL Aquabasis, then 1-2 cm white sand, now added more black sand on top to make it a bit deeper and for the fact that white shows everything. Nutrafin CO2.

See mine below, This was what it was like,



I added more crypts (They then died) have now added more last night to the left side. Also have removed the slate cave and Indian leaves, added along the front some small pebbles, seems to work well. I think I may need to add some more moss to the branches and added black background.

To me it still seems very dark compared to my other 54L, not sure why.

Will have to take some more pics of what it looks like now.