Trpimp147

i have standard light but its not bright enough my plants seem to be just dieing due to that i use ferts in the tank and the fish in there also, they just grow brown and die.... kinda just stop growing, its a 75 gal tank with 9 cichlids and 2 large plecos. one single stip bulb on the tank and water readings are good. what bulb should i up grade to i just want to keep some plants in the tank.

Isabella

Hi Trpimp147 Did you read the guide to the low-light planted tank on the top of this board? ( http://www.fishlore.com/Forum/index.php?topic=12673.0 ) If not, read it, especially the lighting section.

The plants are dying most likely from not enough light (if you're already adding some nutrients to your tank for the plants). If plants receive nutrients but no adequate light, they won't be able to consume these nutrients due to low metabolism (appropriate lighting helps with metabolism). And therefore they'll die. Also, the leftover nutrients will be used up by algae and you may find yourself with a big algae problem.

How many watts does you lightbulb over your tank have? Also, what is its spectrum/Kelvin temperature? Watts are marked by letter "W" and Kelvin temperature is marked by letter "K". If you read the above link (esp. lighting section), you'll have a better idea of what kind of lighting you'll need over your 75 gallon tank.

Trpimp147

well last night i went out and baught a light bulb its a 40w 2,800k there were other ones that were 18000k but i dont think i need that much im not sure if this one doesnt worki will take it back with in a few days, on the box it says its ideal for planted tanks and fresh water fish... meets my quota in my tank hahaha. so let me know what you think ok! thanks ill read that other post still

Isabella

I'm afraid 0.5 WPG of lighting (40W / 75 gallons = 0.53 watts per gallon) won't be enough for even most low-light plants. Maybe plants such as Anubias, Java Fern, and Java Moss could somehow survive under such lighting, but I can't guarantee it.

There are a lot of aquarium lightbulbs that say they're "ideal" for planted tanks, but the fact is they are not. I've had one such lightbulb that said it's perfect for planted tanks, and it was terrible. It was made by Hagen and it was "for planted tanks", but I don't remember what Kelvin temperature it had. I remember though that the light appeared very weak. I also believe this is why it was ineffective. A 6,700K lightbulb is a very natural and bright color, and from other people's and my own experience, this is the best Kelvin temperature to grow the plants in. Provided, of course, that your "wpg" ratio is also adequate.

As the article I gave you the link to says, "6700k daylight white bulbs are generally the brightest of all the bulbs. The color of this bulb tends to be more of a yellowish/white bulb. Plants tend to thrive under this color temperature."

Of course, you may still give your lightbulb a try. Maybe it will work for all I know. Best of luck with it. Although I have to warn you in advance that your wpg ratio is very low. You certainly may try growing plants with it, but don't be surprised if they don't grow and die.

Trpimp147

well i may try it today and if its not brighter then what i have now im going to take it back, i should of researched it before i bought my strip light its only a single bulb one i should of gotten one with 2 in it so i could put 2 40w 2,800k in it and that should be good enought but i dont think i can take my single one back due to its been a few months since i baught it, i was hoping maybe they would give me at least half price for it and use that money to buy the proper one, i was told at the store i got it at that it would be more then plenty last time i listen to some of them people there but it has one nice thing it has a shinny metal inside with the light to help reflect all the light rays in to the tank. thanks for the info i under stand it alot more.

Isabella

Listen, don't buy lightbulbs and fixtures for your tank at your local fish store. They have EVERYTHING TWICE AS EXPENSIVE as you could get it online. The lightbulb I bought at my LFS for about $35, was only about $12 - 15 online! Even with shipping and handling fee ($2 - 3), you still get it MUCH CHEAPER online than at your LFS! Why pay so much?

2 x 40W will give you approximately 1.0 wpg, which is much better than 0.5 wpg. If you decide to buy a double fixture (that holds 2 lightbulbs that are 40W each) online, then make sure the lightbulbs have a K temperature of 6,700K. Your plants will love this spectrum, and your tank will be beautifully illuminated too.

What fixture exactly do you want to buy? What brand and how long is it? How long are the 2 lightbulbs inside?

Trpimp147

48" i donno what brand. is there any higher w then 40

Isabella

If you read the link I gave you, there is information about all of that. Which is why I told you to read it. You'd learn a lot form it.

Yes, there are fixtures that can hold more than 40W (if it's a single fixture) or even more than 80W (if it's a double fixture). They're called compact fluorescent fixtures. The one you're using right now, is a standard fluorescent fixture. But you have to be careful with light because if you add too much light and not enough nutrients for plants, they may do bad too.

Like I said, if you read the article, you'll know what I am talking about.

MrWaxhead

Well K is really more the temp and colour the bulb burns at, ie 3200k is on the red side, 6500k is on the white side, 10000k and above is more on the blue side.
6500k is a pretty common temp for plant growing but that is not the crucial factor on how well they grow, as the spectrum of the bulb plays a huge roll in that end of things, being that visible light is a continuous band of colors ranging from violet to red (wavelengths of 380 nanometers to 700 nanometers) and not all 6500k bulbs will have even remotely the same spike in spectrum so they could be spiking in a wavelength that is not as important to plant growth. So the phosphors that determine a lights wavelengths have a huge impact on how effective the light is at growing plants. Photosynthesis occurs most efficiently with peaks in the red and and a lesser extent blue parts of the spectrum and most bulbs primarily peak in two wavelengths so finding a bulb that peaks in the red wavelength and somewhat blue wavelength not Kelvin is most beneficial. Using a Full-Spectrum (Tri-Phosphor) Lamp meaning it peaks in three ranges of the spectrum really covers your bases. So K really only is visual element as to how your eye sees the colour of light, the spectrum wavelength is the important factor. A 3200k bulb that peaks in the right wavelength WILL outgrow a 6500k bulb that peaks in the wrong ones. I personally like the mix of 3 6500k and one 3200k bulb as my eyes see that as very bright and natural in my tank, and punches my plants and fishes colours well.

The Kelvin rating will really make most of its difference to your eyes in how you see the tank fish and plants lower K 3200 to 4300 will make things punch red, mid k 6500 range will make things look natural white, and 10000k plus starts to make things look on the blue end (6500k seems to be the common point where most people aim now days though) . CRI really only describes how closely a light source renders colors compared to sunlight as observed by a human eye with 100 being pefect so its really only a visual element as to how you see your tank as well.

Trpimp147

i read that light and i got lost then i found my self thanks i under stand it and i found one for me.