Dooper

Hi All,

I am starting a planted aquarium. It is a 36 gal bowfront (Aqueon) in case you want to see what type of hood I have. Anyway I currently have a 20W t-8 PowerGlo fluroescent bulb in there. My ballast can only support 1 bulb and I am wondering if this is enough? If not, what do you guys suggest. I currently have the standard plastic cover and ballast that came with the aquarium. Your help would be greatly appreciated!!

Jason

Jaysee

Are you staying with low light plants? You can look into getting a double strip light maybe. If you can get a glass top, your lighting options are opened up tremendously.

Compact lights are a great choice, providing more light and using less energy than standard flourecent lights

Dooper

so if im able to get an all glass hood, what options could I look into? im new to this so its very confusing, just when i wrapped my head around a non planted tank haha a plnated tank is much more difficult lol

DrGueedo

Well you can always stay with the setup you have an got for some low light plant if you want? there are some pretty nice spiecie that you can get and requieres little or no light. Anubia, java fern and moss are the first exemple that come to mind in sure i could find pic of them if you want there good starter plant if you ask me and are pretty interesting. I could even give you a few tips on how to propagate them (that pretty easy actually)

Dooper

Ideally I would prolly like to have around 2 watts per gallon. so roughly 72 watts. Anyone have any suggesstions out there as to what I can buy that can sit on top of my existing canopy, or a total glass top canopy.

Jaysee

The question, as always, is how much are you looking to spend?

If you get a glass/plexi top, you can simply get a second strip light. Compact lights are a must to get the most out of what you have.

Dooper

Right, if I go witht eh glass top, the cheaper way to go would be another second strip light. How much are the compact lights, can you provide me with a link that shows me an example that would be appropriate for the 36 gal bowfront that I have. Ideally I would like to keep amazon/brazilian swords, but im open to other options

Jaysee

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

Just an example. These are nice because of the integrated lunar lights.

The 36" strip puts out 96 watts, which will grow just about anything normal.

Dooper

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...7&pcatid=13637

what do you think about this. Is 2 65 watt bulbs too strong for a 36 gallon tank? I would be getting the 30" ones.

Jaysee

I don't know much about plants, but I think too many WPG will fry low light, and maybe medium light plants. What plants are you looking to grow?

Nate McFin

Anything with that much lighting is going to require some sort of Co2 be it DIY, pressurized, or Seachems Excel.
Without Co2, good fert schedule, and lots of plants you will be growing more algae than anything.

Dooper

Yeah, I have the Seachem Flourish with excel. Looking to grow the Amazon Swords and a few other medium light required plants. I dont want to have too much wattage, but also dont want to have too low WPG and lose my plants.

Jaysee

The light I linked to earlier would be a better choice, but I don't have plants.

Dooper

What do you guys think of this

http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/pc...-+2+x+65W.html

Jaysee

That's the same as the other one, and much more expensive. If you are growing medium light plants, you want around 2 watts per gallon. You have a 36 gallon tank, so you should be looking for something around 72 watts.

Nate McFin

Here is another option for you. This one is 4X24 W but it is on to seperate power switches so you can run 2 on for a total of 48, 4 on for 96. These lights get great reviews. I will be putting one on my 55 gln.

Jaysee

Sounds great, but where's the link?

mathas

I'm not Nate, but he may have been talking about the following:

http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/prod...oducts_id=1414