Cheap Lightsing Needed!

[jschlosser]

I thought draceana was a bog plant and semi aquatic providing it had access to air which it currently doesnt but still

needs full air access to leaves and stem, yet the roots should be wet at all times

I didn't think it looked aquatic (looks like a spider plant to me), either, but since he brought it home, I figured, "what the heck." I don't even want live plants after what my hypostomus did to them, not to mention the fight I had with the snails. Let's see how it does. It's been there a couple of weeks and other than the loaches uprooting it a couple of times, I am not seeing any changes for better or worse. It wasn't labeled dracena, no idea what it was, probably a common name. I just went and looked for a picture on the web that looked like it. The fern hasn't changed, either, and I haven't seen any unwelcome hitchhikers. Sometimes no change is good.

 

[jschlosser]

well your tank is very shallow so alot of the restrike will get to the tank because of the width.

and draceana is not aquatic

It's as high as it is wide, 20" I think. I guess if it was wider, I would have needed more or stronger light sources. I know I would have if it were any longer. it is nice to have as much clearance as I do when I am working in there. I rarely have to remove the whole hood.

 

[Truck]

and java fern will grow under CFL's but things that are recommended for 1.5 WPG wont.

 

[saltynay]

Mine was surviving better in the tank then now when I have had it out for a month most of the leaves are frassled now even though I have been watering it with tank water every 2 days.

 

[jschlosser]

I've only got about 1.1 WPG as it is. Might bump it up to 1.8 if I go to 60 watt bulbs. I would only do that for the plants, though, if I end up sticking with them. It's really bright as it is. Maybe with a LOT of plants, it wouldn't be so overwhelming.

 

[Truck]

theoretically you have 1.1watts per gallon, but realistically you probably have about 0.6-0.8 because of poor reflection etc

 

[jschlosser]

theoretically you have 1.1watts per gallon, but realistically you probably have about 0.6-0.8 because of poor reflection etc

Well, there is the restrike factor of the bulb reflecting off itself, but I cannot imagine the tank being much brighter as it is. You can already use it to land aircraft. Will need to go dig out the light meter and see what it has to say, I guess.

 

[jschlosser]

I measured the output of the bulbs and the dimensions of the tank and came up with the following:

774 lumens/.55 sq meters of surface area = 1,407 lumens/sq meter of surface or 1,407 lux

Wikipedia gives these comparisons for natural light:

100 lux Very dark overcast day
400 lux Sunrise or sunset on a clear day
1,000 lux Overcast day
10,000–25,000 lux Full daylight (not direct sun)
32,000–130,000 lux Direct sunlight

As crude as WPG is per gallon as a measure, knowing that I was at the low end anyway at 1.1 WPG, I am still in the range I expected, low end of natural light. Now I just have to figure out whether I lost more through the open hood (can't figure out how to see through the opaque hood without letting light escape) - than I am losing with the light passing through the cover glass.

 

[jschlosser]

I was just looking at my husband's tomatoes under the grow lights and noticed how much brighter it seemed than what is in the aquarium so I went ahead and ordered some bigger, higher K bulbs to replace what is there.

Coralife 20W 50/50 medium base bulbs

I thought draceana was a bog plant and semi aquatic providing it had access to air which it currently doesnt but still

needs full air access to leaves and stem, yet the roots should be wet at all times

I didn't think it looked aquatic (looks like a spider plant to me), either, but since he brought it home, I figured, "what the heck." I don't even want live plants after what my hypostomus did to them, not to mention the fight I had with the snails. Let's see how it does. It's been there a couple of weeks and other than the loaches uprooting it a couple of times, I am not seeing any changes for better or worse. It wasn't labeled dracena, no idea what it was, probably a common name. I just went and looked for a picture on the web that looked like it. The fern hasn't changed, either, and I haven't seen any unwelcome hitchhikers. Sometimes no change is good.

Well, someone is munching on the draceana. At least it won't go to waste. Well, I guess it will, but not that kind. I am going to get it out of there, can't find anything about whether it will make them sick.

 

[momo33]

Would it pay to use a mirror in the top of the hood ?, its something I have been thinking of doing, putting mirrors inside the hood to direct the light down, and hopefully need less bulbs.

 

[Truck]

Would it pay to use a mirror in the top of the hood ?, its something I have been thinking of doing, putting mirrors inside the hood to direct the light down, and hopefully need less bulbs.

if you want 1.5 WPG that is including reflectors anyway.

 

[momo33]

I can get mirrors free, I see a lot of mirrors down the local tip or on freecycle, which is why I wanted to use them rather than pay for reflectors. Just a cost saving thing I guess.

 

[Truck]

I can get mirrors free, I see a lot of mirrors down the local tip or on freecycle, which is why I wanted to use them rather than pay for reflectors. Just a cost saving thing I guess.

theyre not the right shape either