I'm thinkin' beam me up is appropriate - Okay,so..There are tons of posts about lighting - read a lot and followed lots of links. Still unsure.
The PLAN. The 55 with the guppies and plecos: Cory is selling the guppy "youngsters" so I will have my tank back. After Aug 7 , I will have black sand and hopefully some flourite black sand to mix in. I will replace the 55 I have with a better quality 55. Substrate will be the sand mix. I will plant the plants I have. They are mostly floating now as I have bigger gravel. They are green for the most part and are an assortment and I really don't know what they all are (some anubias, frogbit, ? moss, amazon sword, bannana plant and more). A fellow fiskeeper gave them to me. Will order and mix some pleco homes with the clay pots I have now. Switch the 2 filters to aquaclear as I can (at least 1 in August). Keep the sponge filter. Add the plecos which pretty much loads the tank. Maybe a small angel or two. I want to end up with 2 breeding pairs of albino lf and sell/trade the others. Then add some midlevel fishes. The light I have now: 2 strips with one each 18" 15w bulbs on/over a hood. I have no idea how old they are but probably well over a year, maybe 2. They were used in an unplanted tank for viewing only by the previous owner.
NOW the QUESTIONs. I want the plants to grow/survive but not at phenomenal rates. I need to replace the bulbs and am debating between flora sun and flora glo. One has 2800k the other 5000k. Both are only 15w. I will be way under the 1 watt per gallon but has to be better than what I am running now as they'll be new. Am I thinking on the right lines? If so, which one?
Next Question Set: Do I
need 2 24" twin fixtures? The choices are mind boggling and pocket book wrenching. Can I put the twins over a hood like the single light strips? Compact flourescent or regular? Type of ballast? I do not plan to do CO2. Will this be over kill for my current goal? I just want some plants for cover, "curb appeal" and to help with nitrates.
Thanks Patrea
