# Low Light Plant Fixture



## Bones82 (Sep 15, 2008)

I have a 55 gallon tank and plan on planting one side pretty healvily. I have done many searches but have not found a definite answer. I need a fixture that will grow swords, anubis, java, and low light plants. I definitely do not want to use CO2. I have found one that seems ok. I am not sure if the light is too strong to use without CO2. I have all of my substrates and ferts figured out. Thanks in advance.

Here is 2 I found:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl36...blestriplight48

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=16770


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

I'm not a plant guy first off-

But my guess would be to use atleast a fixture with 2X-54 watts bulbs over your 55 gal.
I would also wait for other's to chime in on this subject...


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

low light without co2. you want to keep it under 2 watts per gallon. The 2X28 watt will give you 1 per gallon. the other 2 per gallon. I would say find something in the middle. Once you hit 2 wpg you should use co2.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

If you already have they usual 40w T-8 or T-12 strip light that comes with a 55g, keep that on there and get the Coralife t-5 fixture from BigAl's. They are very compact, silent (unlike the Current one with twice the wattage), and will put out enough light for what you want to grow. Even if you don't have another strip, I'd still get the Coralife one for a low light tank. 1wpg of T-5 is more light than you think!


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

BioTeAcH said:


> If you already have they usual 40w T-8 or T-12 strip light that comes with a 55g, keep that on there and get the Coralife t-5 fixture from BigAl's. They are very compact, silent (unlike the Current one with twice the wattage), and will put out enough light for what you want to grow. Even if you don't have another strip, I'd still get the Coralife one for a low light tank. 1wpg of T-5 is more light than you think!


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## Bones82 (Sep 15, 2008)

ryanimpreza said:


> If you already have they usual 40w T-8 or T-12 strip light that comes with a 55g, keep that on there and get the Coralife t-5 fixture from BigAl's. They are very compact, silent (unlike the Current one with twice the wattage), and will put out enough light for what you want to grow. Even if you don't have another strip, I'd still get the Coralife one for a low light tank. 1wpg of T-5 is more light than you think!


[/quote]

So a little over 1 wpg is enough for swords?

Thanks for everyone's help by the way.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Bones82 said:


> If you already have they usual 40w T-8 or T-12 strip light that comes with a 55g, keep that on there and get the Coralife t-5 fixture from BigAl's. They are very compact, silent (unlike the Current one with twice the wattage), and will put out enough light for what you want to grow. Even if you don't have another strip, I'd still get the Coralife one for a low light tank. 1wpg of T-5 is more light than you think!


[/quote]

So a little over 1 wpg is enough for swords?

Thanks for everyone's help by the way.
[/quote]

When it's 1wpg of T-5s...yes.


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## Bones82 (Sep 15, 2008)

Bones82 said:


> If you already have they usual 40w T-8 or T-12 strip light that comes with a 55g, keep that on there and get the Coralife t-5 fixture from BigAl's. They are very compact, silent (unlike the Current one with twice the wattage), and will put out enough light for what you want to grow. Even if you don't have another strip, I'd still get the Coralife one for a low light tank. 1wpg of T-5 is more light than you think!


[/quote]

So a little over 1 wpg is enough for swords?

Thanks for everyone's help by the way.
[/quote]

Would it be overkill to go with 2? Would I need CO2?


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Bones82 said:


> Would it be overkill to go with 2? Would I need CO2?


You would definitely need some CO2 with 2 of those fixtures...


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

your lights are to strong your saying.?Tape them with black tape candy cane style


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

cueball said:


> your lights are to strong your saying.?Tape them with black tape candy cane style


Read the full topic...he hasn't bought them yet and he wants to get a fixture or fixtures to grow plants. Taping a fixture is ridiculous, especially for a planted tank.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

i thought he had lights and wanted to cheaply gear them up for java fern style plants,my bad


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## Demon Darko (Jan 28, 2007)

BioTeAcH said:


> If you already have they usual 40w T-8 or T-12 strip light that comes with a 55g, keep that on there and get the Coralife t-5 fixture from BigAl's. They are very compact, silent (unlike the Current one with twice the wattage), and will put out enough light for what you want to grow. Even if you don't have another strip, I'd still get the Coralife one for a low light tank. 1wpg of T-5 is more light than you think!


Exactly what I have for my lowlight plant setup.


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## Bones82 (Sep 15, 2008)

Would I be able to grow some Dwarf Sag under these conditions?


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Bones82 said:


> Would I be able to grow some Dwarf Sag under these conditions?


Yes. Don't expect it to carpet your tank anytime soon, but it should grow and spread slowly.


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## Bones82 (Sep 15, 2008)

Bio is there any type of foreground plant that would carpet decently with my setup? I guess HC is out of the question?


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

The dwarf sag will, but it won't be a thick carpet and you may have to move some of the runners to bare spots. You could also try E. tennelus. Some smaller species of cryptocoryne can even form a nice carpet of big leaves...actually more like a thicket. Try some dwarf sag and some crypts and see what happens...add a hunk or two of strategically placed driftwood and you will have a pretty neat looking setup!


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

BioTeAcH said:


> The dwarf sag will, but it won't be a thick carpet and you may have to move some of the runners to bare spots. You could also try E. tennelus. Some smaller species of cryptocoryne can even form a nice carpet of big leaves...actually more like a thicket. Try some dwarf sag and some crypts and see what happens...add a hunk or two of strategically placed driftwood and you will have a pretty neat looking setup!


you wont really get much of a carpet for low light unless you start with a decent amount of dwarf sag or something. Low light will give you slow growth.
Even shop lights with plant bulbs would work fine . id shoot for 1.5 wpg then mayby add excell or diy co2


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## dipset.taliban (Sep 8, 2005)

i recently purchased on of the coralife t-5 lights for my crested gecko setup, and i loved it enough to guy buy another one for my 20L spilo tank. I was planning on turning that into a saltwater tank and moving, or selling the spilo so i bought it with an actinic bulb(it was the only one they had) but the plants have turned around tremendously and are doing well with a week. i went from 20 watts t-8 to a 28 watt t-5 with 1 actinic bulb and it is BOSS!


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