Going Crazy Over Lighting

[pminister]

Help me !!! I have been reading, reading, and reading the past hour. Hoping to find some form of solution, to getting the right type of light for my new 20 Gallon tank. Maybe i am just confused, or just making it harder then it really ought to be. Now i get the WPG rule which works for tanks, that are between 20-70 gallons which is fine.

Here comes the fun part about kelvin ratings, to wattage, and etc. I know from reading over and over, that plants photosynthesize best between the range of (5000-6700k) spectrum. And that you should be looking for peaks in the blue, and red colors which is beneficial for plants. Blues tend to be on a 475 nm scale(ie. nm = nano meter), and reds tend to be 650-675 nm scale for plants to grow at their best.

I still have no clue where 10,000k lights come into play, aside from being used in marine aquariums. But have no clue how it will be benefit the plants in growth, unless certain light models emit in this light in the blue n red range. And just giving it a preference on color choice. But then again ive read on threads, where people can successfully grow plants under these lightings. But are there certain plants that, benefit with such lights? But this 10,000k thing is just a side note.


So given the knowledge to what i have read, i would need the following light setup:

-40 watts of light based of the WPG rule (2/wpg)
-light in the range of 6500-6700k range.
-with good peaks in the blue and red's based of the labelling on the product id be buying.

Now i know light also is a factor for which plants, a person will be growing as i plan on doing low-medium light plants. B/c we all know as much as low light plants are neat, you get more option of species of plant if u just take an extra step to higher lighting. I plan on keeping the typical low light plants, like (anubias, j.fern, j.moss, etc...) just to name a few. Then some moderate light plants as well, that would like (water wisteria which i already have, ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma, dwarf sag, etc.....). And few others...

Here is the fun part. The stock lighting that i got with the tank is a 20watt 24" Power-Glo flourescent light bulb with a 10,000k rating. It appears on the blueish with tinge. It means nothing to me in lamen terms. Now i can stick with what i have, but growth wont be as ideal. I also know that higher lighting you have, the rapid demands are in the supplementation area. Hence i figured i keep it simple keep it low-moderate lighting, and possibly provide the suplementation through flourite as my substrate. If need be as a last resort setup a diy co2, and liquid dosing which i have been doing moderately with Flourish:Comprehensive.

I went to the LFS's to check out lighting, i couldnt find lighting up to 40-50 watts that would fit under my light canopy. The staff suggested that i get a new canopy, that has dual light strips. I checked the price, and i ran out the store. Then i googled more found out you can get 24" high output flourescent bulbs, but i didnt see it in any LFS's that i went into. Then i aint sure if the HO lights would be compatible, with the light canopy i have.

Or worst comes to worst make my own DIY Hood, hopefully with a budget of $50 dollars with the finished product.

I think i am done now........lol.


Insert Input Below........Please and Thanks 

[BigDaddy]

You can get 18 inch T5HO bulbs and a ballast and DIY them into a hood or build a hood for them.

Try the specialty lighting stores like Buchannon and such for pricing.  A couple of 18" T5 or T5HO will be more than enough depending on if you want medium or high light.

As far as the 10K question goes, while spectrum has minimal impact on plant growth, some plants tend to grow in "bushier" under 10K lighting than they would under, for example, 5K lighting.

[pminister]

Frankly I dont even know, why i am so gun ho about this whole lighting matter. Don't even know, what trouble it might brew up trying to to this whole 2/wpg. Guess i just like the look of a planted tank, and having to more selection plants than the i normally would.

Anyhoo I was just casually visiting Pet Smart, i noticed a light/canopy kit for $25 dollars. Basically it comes with T8 lighting, just like the light hood i have right now with a 24" - 20 watt bulb. So that all adds up to 40 Watts...... . I still got the receipt if i need to return it !

Aside from that not really sure which are more beneficial interms of lighting type, whether it be T5,T8,T12's ?


Also can these light types, be interchanged between any fixtures ? Maybe not i guess since the size, would not match up to the fixture. lol i think i might be wrong, but i think that is what makes to what read last.

Also when one decides to purchase light, to place under their hood. What are some things a person should be looking for, interms of specifications of the lighting.? Like full spectrum scale? And type of spectrum meaing..... (5000k - 18,000k) ? Lux Rating ? Lumen Ratings?

Guess these should have been my first, educated questions i should have asked initially.


Last but not least what would you do if, you were in my shoes in making a decision like such? Also with some plants that i listed.....?

[BigDaddy]

T5, T8, and T12 refer to the size of the bulb in eighths of an inch.  So a T8 is an inch in diameter, a T5 is 5/8" and a T12 is 1 1/2" in diameter.

A T5 is more energy effecient than a T8 which is more energy effecient than a T12.

You can sometimes get a T8 bulb to work in a setup designed for T12 (assuming the ballast supports them).  T5 bulbs will only work in T5 setups, as the sockets are far too small for T8 or T12 bulbs.

Lux and lumens aren't something you need to look at when casually buying a light fixture.  Pure wattage is usually enough to make an informed decision about a planted tank.

That said, your two strips should be fine to give you a medium light tank.

[presto]

Go for 2.5 - 3WPG , fertilize, and add DIY Co2. It's a small tank so it will be cheap to get great lighting. More maintenance but great results. You can always remove a bulb if you find the light to high but adding one later is much more time consuming.

T5's, or T8's, or a bunch of twisty bulbs works great for cheap lighting. I think they are all in the 6500K range when those expensive Power compacts are 6700K.