jen.chris

Hi, I'm new here- so I apologize if this isn't the closest match to the right subject

I'm wondering about Freshwater Planted tank lighting.
I bought a used 75g tank and it came with two 32watt flourescent bulbs.
We bought a few medium/small sized plants and have had them in the tank for over a month (we do have fish in the tank). Our tank has already cycled and is established. We have seen root structures grow quite well in a few of the plants, but have not gotten any growth?? Do we not have good lighting for growing plants?
We also bought a variety pack of bulbs and only two have shown progress. One has a few small leaves. The other bulb shot out about 8 leaves, then two stems to the top of the water where if flowered into two prongs with little white flowers. Seeing the two stems grow to the top of the water, one a day was really neat.
But other than one miracle bulb nothings growing.

Is our lighting good enough?
Am I just being impatient?

Thanks for you help/input

Butterfly

If you get any growth out of the bulbs you did extremely good
You have less than 1 watt per gallon so you should have great luck with low light plants. Do you know what kind of plants you have?
Carol

jen.chris

What would you recommend for lighting? How much wattage would you suggest- just enough to be 1 watt per gallon or more-for good plant growth??

The plant that grew was some form of Aponogeton.
The other plants in our tank are:
Aqua Fern (doesnt sound specific- just what was on the container.)
Argentine Sword (these are the one's that grew good root structures)
Kyoto
java moss (new as of last week)

jack--sos

The lighting you want depends on the plants you have or visa versa, as Carol said you have less than one WPG (watt per gallon), your java moss needs to be attached to some wood or a decoration else it will not root. it can also be used as a floating plant http://plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=197

you should take your aqua fern out as it will rot and polute your tank
http://plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=281

some good plants for low light aquariums are anubias,
some crypts and java fern

there are some more but i am no plant expert