Basic Plant Question

[Glennimation]

Okay, I'm new here (=D) and I have a question.

What kind of lighting do you guys recommend for a planted tank. I have a 20 gallon tank with swordtails and upside down catfish that has a basic flourescent light.

Will that be enough for some of the more hardy plants, or will I have to upgrade to something else?

 

[SJ2K]

Sure it'll be fine Just stick to plants known as 'low light'...Java fern, vallis, anubias, moss's etc

 

[Glennimation]

Thanks a lot

=D

 

[Colin_T]

if you add a second fluoro to the tank it will help the plants and add some iron based plant fertiliser to the water. Then you can grow a much wider variety of plants.
If you want to change the lighting set up then go for high output T5 lights. They are thinner than normal fluoros but produce more light.
Good plants to try besides the ones listed include Ambulia, Elodia, Hygrophilla sp & common Amazon swordplants

 

[lljdma06]

Coral life sells a nice, slim T5 fixture, for like $34.99 or something like that. It is a twin fixture that is 28W. It gives you 1.4WPG, and it is a pleasing light that really is very good to work with. It is the light fixture I have now in my 20g high. Anything on the "Easy Plant List" link in my signature, will grow well in those conditions, with nothing more than a nice dose of an all-purpose fertiliser.

The fixture looks a lot less bulky than the standard T8 fixtures, and the bulb life is impressive. Check out my journal, it is really a no-brainer planted tank. I really don't like working too hard. I used to inject CO2 into the tank, but I think my crypts do better without it.

llj

 

[Wolfenrook]

You can grow low light requirement plants under what you have, but you do need to be carful of the spectrum of the tube you use. If you stick in one of the 'standard' tubes there is a good chance that your plants will not thrive (but then neither will algae) where under a daylight tube (6000k-7000k) your plants will be happier. Also of note is that you don't need to pay 'aquarium manufacturer' prices for these, the Osram Lumilux 865 tubes are just as good and are a fraction of the price.

Ade