Help With Lighting

[Staxx]

just need a little help with some lighting. my current light bar is a roma 200. it says 50hz 2x30w 5d g13 on the label. i have 2 30w bulbs in which are only a few months old. ive just recently started to plant my tank up after owning it about a year now. gone through various stages.

are these lights/bulbs up to the job? i have my lights on for around 8 hours a day 12-2 then 6 till 12.

i havent got a clue about co2 or ferts so any beginner tips/tricks or product recommendation would be great.

this a picture of my tank as it stands today, some plants still in pots as im yet to find a way i like them. need to remove some sand too i think theirs just to much in there.



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its a 180 litre 3 foot tank. obviously sand substrate stock is rummynose, leopard danios, cory catfish, neons, glolights and 4 random guppys. cant remember the filter think its aquaone 1200/lph, heaters tied to spray bar cuz the clips broke lol

i only have the u3 in there just to help circulation until i can get a powerhead or something simular.

 

[Staxx]

bump

 

[levahe]

Your lights are fine for plants, are they T8s?
As long as you are dosing fertilisers you will be fine. As for ferts something like neutro t from aquaessentials or easylife profito would fit the job nicely. Just keep your tank nice and clean and do water changes every week.

 

[DrRob]

Ok, the lights you have are fine so long as you're not going for amazing growth, at which point you're looking for higher tech stuff.
 
The more light you add the more the plants will need extras. Micro fertilisers are a good idea regardless if you're planting a tank.
 
Worth getting those plants out of those pots and getting the rock wool off them though, that'll cramp the roots and you'll find that you can spread them out a lot more.

 

[Staxx]

thanks for the replys.. i was thinking using both seachem flourish and flourish excel?
 
excel is liquid carbon and flourish is fertiliser.. 
 
im off work tomorrow so il spend some time with wet hands un potting and positioning the last few. 
 
my bulbs are Polylux XL 30w/827
 
how do i find out if its T8?

 

[DrRob]

T8's are 25mm diameter.
 
That and that's a GE code for one of their warm white T8 lights.

 

[Staxx]

oh so my bulbs are fine? i just need to sort out the ferts and put the plants in the substrate now.
 
 
8 hours of light enough?
 
 
thank you again for all the help. its really appreciated 

 

[Livewire88]

8 hours will be fine, your bulbs should be fine.
 
If you are going to dose Excel you want to use a fertilizer which contains N&P which Seachem Flourish does not.
I would recommend Tropica Specialized Fertilizer if you dont want to mix your own.

 

[Staxx]

im going to go look at what i can find in LFS first. 
 
i need a normal fertiliser and some liquid carbon?