Light For My 50 Gallon Tank

[Dalejr_802]

i might have post this on my last topic..... so how many watts do i need for my 50 gallon tank for now i have 80 watts and im just wndering if this would be enought if i want to have about 30 plants on it

 

[netcode]

i might have post this on my last topic..... so how many watts do i need for my 50 gallon tank for now i have 80 watts and im just wndering if this would be enought if i want to have about 30 plants on it

80 watts will be fine. your looking at 1.6 wpg. if you add more lights your going to be looking at having to add co2 and fertilization. under 1.6 wpg you can grow pretty much any plant.

are you planning on adding anything to the water in way of fertilizer? and whats your fish stock like in the tank?

 

[Dubby]

The rule of thumb for medium lighting is 2Watts per gallon. Since you have less, I would suggest you look for low light plants as these are more likely to grow well in your aquarium.

I would recommend using a liquid fertiliser with every water change. CO2 is not a necessity.

Plants like hornwort, anubias, crypts, vallis, java fern should grow well.