# Aquarium Lighting



## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

Hey. I really dont know much about aquarium lighting but want to upgrade the lights my tank came with. I was looking at T5 lights with lunar lights. Im trying to keep my limit to $200 but i can go higher if needed. Im looking to grow some low light plants in my 55 gal is why i would like to upgrade. Can anyone please help me out with this. Thanks.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

The problem with finding T-5 fixtures with lunar lights is that you will be 2+ watts per gallon because I've only seen them on the high output fixtures...in fact you're looking at probably closer to 4+ wpg from the fixtures I could find for a 48" long strip on a 55g.

For low light plants you only need normal T-5s which would give you about 1wpg. You can get lunar lights seperate or even the underwater mini spot lights.

Here is the fixture I'd recommend: 
Coralife Freshwater NO T-5 48" Striplight

Here are some ideas for LED lunar lights:
LED lights

You should be way under budget even with shipping.


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

BioTeAcH said:


> The problem with finding T-5 fixtures with lunar lights is that you will be 2+ watts per gallon because I've only seen them on the high output fixtures...in fact you're looking at probably closer to 4+ wpg from the fixtures I could find for a 48" long strip on a 55g.
> 
> For low light plants you only need normal T-5s which would give you about 1wpg. You can get lunar lights seperate or even the underwater mini spot lights.
> 
> ...


Im not worried about the Lunar lights. I know i can get them seperate. They were just on the lights i was looking at. I would like to between 2-4 wpg. Im at slightly over 1 wpg now. I wouldnt mind going with more light but am just starting with live plants and dont know much bout them.


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

Here is what i was looking at. The 48" 216 watt lights. Not the really high power ones. these will put me at about 4-5 wpg.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=12772


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Retaks said:


> Here is what i was looking at. The 48" 216 watt lights. Not the really high power ones. these will put me at about 4-5 wpg.
> 
> http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=12772


4 wpg is a ton...you will need to inject CO2 and have a very strict and comprehensive fert dosing schedule with weekly water changes. That is not the type of lighting I would recommend for low light plants at all. Low light using T-5 bulbs would be 1 to 1.5 wpg IMO and you would be at 3.92 wpg. If you reason for getting those is the lunar lights, please look at the other options I gave you for night time lighting...you will thank me later.


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

I dont care if i have the lunar lights or not. They were just the first ones to catch my eye. If i decied to get Lunar lights i can always get them at a later time.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

The coralife NO are really the way to go...the Current ones have fans because they are HO and the fans are irritatingly loud (I have 2 of the 108w fixtures for my newest 75g setup). Anyhow, with a 55g and a 56w T-5 fixture, you will be able to grow low light plants and can always add another one cheap later if you decide you want some more demanding plants that need 2 wpg. I have one on my redone 75g at school and it is very low profile...I'm at .75wpg and am probably going to get another since they are so cheap so I can grow some java fern and crypts for my rhom. I just can't seem to keep a tank without at least some plant life!


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

OK. Thanks alot for the help. I didnt realize there was so much into having live plants.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Retaks said:


> OK. Thanks alot for the help. I didnt realize there was so much into having live plants.


It's all in the type of setup...higher light setups require a bit more than low light. I strive for low maintenance setups and plants since I have so many tanks. Feel free to post in the Aquatic Plants Forum with questions on getting a simple low tech/low light setup going.


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

I had some Swords in my tank that were doing ok. Not too great but they were still alive. But i have a huge crayfish in my tank that likes to remodel my tank. Well last night whyle remodeling he decided the root tasted good to him. He ripped all 3 of them out and ate the roots off of them. IM going to have to get rid of this crayfish before i can do anything.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

if you are looking at doing low light plants and you aren't planning on adding a co2 system to your setup, then i would stick to your current light setup. for a 55 gallon tank, you really need to use pressurized co2 if you are running anything more than 1.5 wpg, which is going to set you back a couple hundred bucks. the way that i have always looked at it is that for the amount of money you are going to spend on co2 and better lighting, you might as well spend a bit more and go all out. if this is going to be your first attempt at live plants, i would stick to your current setup for a bit, try out different plants to get the hang of things and decide if having a heavily planted tank is something that you really want before you go spending hundreds of dollars on a high tech setup.


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

joedizzlempls said:


> if you are looking at doing low light plants and you aren't planning on adding a co2 system to your setup, then i would stick to your current light setup. for a 55 gallon tank, you really need to use pressurized co2 if you are running anything more than 1.5 wpg, which is going to set you back a couple hundred bucks. the way that i have always looked at it is that for the amount of money you are going to spend on co2 and better lighting, you might as well spend a bit more and go all out. if this is going to be your first attempt at live plants, i would stick to your current setup for a bit, try out different plants to get the hang of things and decide if having a heavily planted tank is something that you really want before you go spending hundreds of dollars on a high tech setup.


I know i want a heavily planted tank. I just have no clue where to start with co2 and ferts and all. I love the look of planted tanks so im trying to get what i need and work into it slowly.


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## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

it's always a good idea to start out with the basics for planted tanks and slowly move your way up, there are a few things to know and it is much easier to learn and make mistakes on a low tech setup than with a high tech setup. if you are going to upgrade your lighting, you will want to make sure that you have co2 running or you will have some big problems right from the beginning, what i would do is learn on the low light setup and then purchase a lighting system that will give you over 3 wpg and a co2 setup, then you can start adding some of the more demanding plants.

you can do a ton of stuff with your current setup, if you are running a little over 1 watt per gallon, you can still put together a very nice looking tank with the addition of some ferts and maybe some flourish excel. here's a picture of my low light setup, it has a little over 1 watt per gallon, normal aquarium gravel, and i dose with flourish and flourish excel.


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## Retaks (Apr 6, 2008)

Thats very nice looking. I would love to have that. Im experimenting with my 55 gal and figuring everything out before i get my 150 fully set up. I have Black Moon Sand. Dose that make a difference with teh plants?


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Retaks said:


> I have Black Moon Sand. Dose that make a difference with teh plants?


Sand is fine for a low light setup...it makes it easy to plant.


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