Tsunami35

I bought a used 30g tank recently, no idea what brand it is. I want to put plants in my tank but the light fixture is a single bulb 20W, which isnt sufficient. Ive read all of the other threads about this but I'm still utterly confused: Do I need a whole new hood for my tank to get a dual bulb fixture? Are the other ways too add light? I looked at the glass canopies but none of them seem to be the right size. My current hood is approximately 29 1/4" x 11.5", and the spot for the light fixture is 30" x 4 1/4"...

*When shopping for hoods, are the measurements they list for tanks the hood fits based on the tanks overall dimensions or the dimensions of the hood that is currently on it??*

Thanks for any help

jsalemi

They usually refer to the tank's overall dimensions, with the idea that the hood would fit on the lip just inside the top edge of the tank. That said, you can usually replace the lamp fixture without having to replace the whole hood. I did that on my 10g, replacing the incadescent light that came with the tank kit with a florescent light fixture.

To get more wattage, you can switch to a compact florescent fixture -- I got a 30" one from DFS (All-glass, I think) that's 55w. They have a couple of models that are 30", and should fit your hood.

Tsunami35

I found what appears to be the perfect light fixture on DFS. Although it says "for fish only tanks." Why does it say this when it has plenty of wattage, plus one of the bulbs is a pinkish hue "perfect for freshwater plants?" Here is the link:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...0&pcatid=16770

It is the only fixture I found that has the same 4 1/4" width as mine. Do you think it would fit ok? My current hood has raised grooves that the fixture fits into...

Thanks

jsalemi

Not sure why they say that -- the spectrum seems fine.

This is the one I have (30") which has more wattage than the one you linked to: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...73&pcatid=3773

Tsunami35

The problem with that one is that it doesnt say what the exact dimensions of the fixture are. The one I linked says its 4 1/4" wide which is what my current fixture is. Also, I think 48 watts would more than enough for a 30g low light tank. Right??

jsalemi

Yea, 48w would be fine, but more doesn't hurt. I'll measure the width of my fixture when I get home tonight and let you know.

ETA: The fixture I pointed out is 5 1/2" wide, so it's probably too big for your hood.

Tsunami35

I think im just going to get a glass canopy so I can put a more powerful fixture on my tank, how does this one look?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...8&pcatid=11418

Is 10,000k ok for growing plants?

COBettaCouple

That looks like a great fixture and it sounds like the color spectrum would be good. Plants should grow fine under 10,000K. It seems like with the right spectrum, plant bulbs come in a range of K temps, from 2,800 to 20,000.

Tsunami35

I got this fixture. It came with a fan and is very bright. It is quite blue though. I have about 2 wpg and currently have anacharis, java fern, amazon sword, anubias, micro sword grass, and a few others. Will the 10,000k/460 nanometer actinic bulb be ok for these plants? I want to make sure that they grow well...

jsalemi

No, you don't want an actinic bulb in a freshwater tank -- it'll give you problems with algae growth. Actinic bulbs are recommended for SW tanks only.

Tsunami35

Does anyone else have a different opinion? Id hate to have to buy a new bulb already as they are about $30.

Trpimp147

well i have one with one white bulb and one blue bulb and i dont have a problem with algae... my plecos go starving... and some times i let it on for 24 hours just to grow algae i even put an extra 40w light bulb on the tank. so i have like 148 watts.

Tsunami35

Do you have live plants?

Trpimp147

i did i took them out they had alot of snails on them so i took them out to get some of the snails out of my tank. some day ill have plants again but im going to treat them first.