wendlle

I'm trying to get a plants to live in my tank. What are the best light tubes to use?

aquarist48

Hello Wendlle. I don't have the answer to your question but I'm sure some other members will chime in soon. It might help to list the plants you're interested in. Some are low light plants whereas others require more. I have java moss and anubia and both are doing well with just my generic light that came with the tank.
Ken

Nate McFin

Hi there,
What type of lighting do you have right now and what type of plants do you want to grow? Increasing light is a tricky deal when it comes to a planted tank because when you increase light you also increase the need for fertilizers and nutrients as well as Co2.(pressurized,DIY, or excel)
Without a delicate balance between all three you will see poor plant growth and algae.
If this is your first time with plants I would recommend trying some low light plants as Ken mentioned and see what kind of success you have.
As far as light upgrades go Compact flourescent, T5HO are the best bets. 2-3 watts per gallon in larger tanks and more in smaller tanks. 6500K-10000K seem to look the best to my eyes but the plants as far as I can tell dont prefer one or the other.

pepetj

Nate McFinn has covered this pretty well.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

potatos

Petsmart sell a verity of bulbs designed for plants, such as flora-glo. of course this depends on how large your tank is and what you want to grow, because this will effect the watts per gallon you need