dreamweaver

Hello fellow fish keepers ,
I'm new to the forum. I have kept fish before (55 gal community), when I lived in FL. I've lived in TN now for ~2 yrs. & am FINALLY getting around to setting up my tank again. This time I'm thinking of a heavily planted tank (possibly an Asian biotope of some sort). The problem is, I don't have the EXTREMELY high $$ to buy the proper lighting.
Though the research I have done suggests that alot of "low light" plants are from Asia, I'm not sure that my partial DIY lighting system idea will qualify as such. So, I'd like to run my idea by some of the resident experts on this forum to advise me as to the successfullness I can expect from such a setup. Here is my idea :

Replace the black plastic hood with a glass top.
Take the (2) 22" light hoods (currently house (1) 18" 15w tube each) & remove the the fixtures completely.
Line the insides with foil & install double incandescent fixtures in the center of each.
Install 2 CFL bulbs in each (for a total of 4).

Tank dimensions: (55 gal) 19.5" deep x 12" front to back x 48" long

Questions:
1. Will this provide sufficient light for a heavily planted tank?
2. Will a heavily planted tank, with a single power filter w/ 2 bio wheels be enough filtration?

Thank you all in advance for any & all input.

Lucy

Welcome to Fish Lore

Sorry, I can't help with your light question, I'm a silk plant kind of gal. lol
The members have a wide range of knowledge so I'm sure someone will be able to help you.

Good luck with your tank

Llama

Welcome to fish lore.

I'd suggest for this thread to be moved to the lighting part, so people can help you more.

Usual 'rule of thumb' for plants is 2 Watts for every gallon. Can't help you much more than that - instead of "Foil" you can paint the insides white, it'll reflect much better I believe.

Lifesabeach

Hi and Welcome to Fishlore.
In my case, I covered a white melamine surface with food grade aluminium foil, and I noticed the brightness improve considerably on the rocks, gravel and plants. The back of my doors were not white and they are also covered, so I can't say for sure whether foil is better than white alone, but it is an easy and cheap way to experiment.
With all lights on I have 129 watts for 150 gallons. Early days yet, but my Wisteria are going crazy ( probably working on reserves still ), and Java Fern and Amazon Swords seem OK. Time will tell.