Affordable lighting for planted tank

[bassbonediva]

So, I'm probably going to be getting a 180gal tank this week! It comes with the tank, stand and a filter, plus some extras. I don't think it has a light. Regardless, since I want a planted tank (low- to mid-light plants), I need a fixture (or two) for it.

I'm assuming on a 6ft tank, I'll have to go with two 36" fixtures, correct?

I'm not looking at anything crazy as far as plants. Mainly java fern, anubias, swords, jungle val, maybe some moneywort, water sprite...things like that.

Don't care if it's T5HO, T5NO, or LED. Just need cost-effective/affordable and will work for the plants.

 

[Flowingfins]

Why about hanging shop lights? If you get fluorescent bulbs, you can change it.

 

[bassbonediva]

I thought about that, too. I can't hang them from the ceiling...or maybe I can...hmmmmmmm...I'll have to talk to the boyfriend about that option. Our living room (where the tank is going) is done in a kind of rustic western theme, so the lights hanging would look kinda cool.

To the Googles..........

 

[Dolfan]

I would go with the Finnex Planted Plus LED's. They will save you money in the long run, and work great for plants.

 

[bassbonediva]

Am I correct in assuming that I would need two 36" fixtures?

 

[Dolfan]

Yes, assuming your tank has a support bracket in the middle that would hold up the light fixtures in the middle.

 

[Littlebudda]

How high is the tank. I have heaps of trouble because my tank is so high it affects the amount of effective light that reaches the plants

 

[bassbonediva]

Yes, assuming your tank has a support bracket in the middle that would hold up the light fixtures in the middle.

Yes, it does have the center support bracket.

How high is the tank. I have heaps of trouble because my tank is so high it affects the amount of effective light that reaches the plants

It's 25" deep, I believe...

 

[Littlebudda]

That should be ok my tank is about 42" high and getting effect growing light means halogens which mean $$$$. I now have my tank backed onto a large west facing window and rely on natural light and have had heaps of success.

It will be easier to get 2 x 3' lights as 6' are really hard to come by and if you do they tend to be higher end and not as much choice. You may also get away with a 5' I have seen a couple on eBay that are reasonable priced blue/white LED set ups

 

[Ohiotank]

Yes, assuming your tank has a support bracket in the middle that would hold up the light fixtures in the middle.

Make sure before you order lights. Most 180's that I have seen have 2 supports that are 2' apart, that is how my 125 is, I did a 48" and a 24". It would suck if you bought 2 36" unless you are going to have a glass top.

 

[bassbonediva]

I'm going to have to have a glass top. Two adult male cats plus a long-haired dog who sheds. I don't want all that hair...or cats...in my tank. lol

This is the only pic I have of the tank right now (haven't picked it up yet). It appears that the bracket is in the center, yes?

removed

 

[Littlebudda]

That looks centre to me two 3' should do fine

 

[bassbonediva]

I'm looking at this fixture right now. I like the width of it (since the tank is 24" deep) and it's rated for plants...



I know it's not the Finnex, but I am kind of on a budget setting up this tank.

 

[Kindafishy]

I'm looking at this fixture right now. I like the width of it (since the tank is 24" deep) and it's rated for plants...



I know it's not the Finnex, but I am kind of on a budget setting up this tank.

Those are Beamswork lights, which I was going to recommend.

This one from the same seller, will give you better PAR ratings, however. At 25" above substrated, it will probably have you in the low, possibly mid range.

 

[beau]

I'm looking for affordable lighting for my 29 gal tank. I'd like the lighting to be as high as possible, enough to encourage good growth with Flourish, Excel and Iron, but not so much that it will require CO2. (is that possible?) Budget will be about $100. I was looking at the Aqueon Optibright, but I've recently read that it was not bright enough to support plants. (or very bright at all) I'm a little bit weary about "DIY" lighting, but if someone could walk me through exactly what I'd need, I'd be happy to listen!

Tank is 30" across.

I've included a photo of it at the moment, lots of growth upwards, I'd like lighting the encourages more bushiness. (running Top Fin LED hood right now, 21 white LED's. Actually worked a lot better than I expected haha.)

 

[Big Red]

Beamsworks has really good affordable lights.

 

[TexasDomer]

I'd go for the Finnex Planted Plus. I have that on my 29 gal. I get great growth and I don't use CO2.

 

[beau]

I'm not sure I can get the Finnex in Canada, but I will look into both. Thanks for the suggestions!

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[billyba1993]

Odyssea 30" quad t5 ho flip up light. its what I use on my 29 gallon. it's $55.98 on amazon free shipping. make sure you get the freshwater plant one. 6500k. not the 10000k marine light.

 

[billyba1993]

 

[beau]

I will look into it, thank you! It looks like I can actually get the Finnex shipped to Canada, but with the terrible exchange rate, $120 USD leaps up to $170 CAD, so that will definitely be put on hold.

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[Geoffrey]

Depending on where you live, you can ship it and pick it up at the border. As mentioned, Beamwork is a cheap, but viable option.

This will go over your budget. $150 CAD including shipping


This will have a little overhang since it's 36" (I have a 36" light on a 30" tank and it doesn't look that bad, but of course it depends on the person. If you want I can take a picture of the tank and light). It's cheaper, but obviously, the first one is preferred. $100 CAD including shipping


I personally think your tank looks great as is. If you decide to buy another light and if it still isn't to your liking (hopefully not) you can put both lights (current and new) on your tank if there's room.

 

[beau]

Thanks for the suggestions! I assumed the lighting on the tank wouldn't be sufficient because it came with the starter kit and most people seem to steer people away from the kits. As you said it looks pretty good so I think I will leave it for now, and then move up to the Finnex Planted + 24/7 when I have the budget.

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[I3uckethead]

You can get rolls of 6500k les lights on Amazon for $10/16ft roll.
I used 2 bright whites and a blue on my 75. It seemed to do alright with plants. Had to move them out since I switched to cichlids.

Old picture
The florescents are off. They were my first lights.

 

[TexasDomer]

I did a roll of DIY LEDs for me 20 long/29 gal lid. It'll grow low light plants, but not much else. I was much more pleased with my Finnex Planted Plus, even though it was expensive upfront.

 

[Geoffrey]

In terms of plant growth, the Planted+ is probably better than the Planted+ 24/7 since the former has specialized 660nm red lights. The 24/7 has general RGB lights that doesn't contribute to photosynthesis. However, the 24/7 is dimmable and has the 24/7 feature. This feature may or may not work for you though.

 

[skar]

In terms of plant growth, the Planted+ is probably better than the Planted+ 24/7 since the former has specialized 660nm red lights. The 24/7 has general RGB lights that doesn't contribute to photosynthesis. However, the 24/7 is dimmable and has the 24/7 feature. This feature may or may not work for you though.

I use a 24\7 and it has done a great job at growing plants.
I also like the ease of use.
If I want to view the tank at night; it is easy to use a controller vs unplugging from the timer, or using a different light.

I think it's nice.

 

[Geoffrey]

I'm not saying that the 24/7 can't grow plants. They both have their pros and cons.

 

[beau]

Definitely something to think about, thanks for the input everyone! For now I'm going to spend ((waste)) my money on the Fluval ChI 5 gallon I got to replace the 2.5 gal, so I have lots of time to look into pros and cons of each light.


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[ermpickle]

HI there,

UPDATE: I'm looking for a LED fixture that can grow low light plants (no co2) under $80. Preferably around $50-60.
Leaning toward the Finnex StingRay or Aqueon OptiBright Plus





I'm really overwhelmed by all of the different lighting options and watts, lumens etc.
I was wondering if someone can just give me an answer about what type of light I need
I have low light plants at the moment and at most I will have medium light plants (would like to get amazon sword)
I currently have a super old plastic hood with a T8 (I believe) tube bulb. What type of bulb should I get? I don't mind upgrading all that, if not. But I also don't want to spend a $100+ if possible. Is that even possible?
Oh, and it's a 29 gallon tank

Would this work?

 

[Al913]

I would get a Finnex Stingray!

T8s work but aren't as good as T5, also you have to replace it every year since they loose effectiveness. LED lights like the one mentioned are good since they last years without loosing effectiveness and in the long run they don't use as much energy and your energy bill will be lower than using fluorescent lights

 

[ermpickle]

T8s work but aren't as good as T5, also you have to replace it every year since they loose effectiveness. LED lights like the one mentioned are good since they last years without loosing effectiveness and in the long run they don't use as much energy and your energy bill will be lower than using fluorescent lights

The StingRay is something I definitely want in the future, I just can't afford that and a hood right now. I wish I could do a hoodless tank but I think my gourami would jump out lol
I might just stick with the tube light for now and safe up for something fancy. I just need to find a bulb with high output

 

[ermpickle]

Hey just wondering if you think the Stingray would be bright enough to reach the bottom of my 29 gallon tank (18" tall). I have about 2 inches of sand.

 

[Al913]

Yes it should! I have a 40 breeder which is 18 inches tall, here's a pic of my tank so you can see the wonders, its 4 months old!

 

[ermpickle]

Oh WOW! First off, your tank is awesome! What plants do you have in there?
Second thank you so much for replying! I've given up on trying to find a T8 that's good enough but I don't know much about LEDs lol. Glad to see its working so well for you!

 

[max h]

There's plenty of options for LED's also look into Amazon and eBay.

 

[ermpickle]

There's plenty of options for LED's also look into Amazon and eBay.

There's plenty of options but not in my price range lol.
I'm torn between the StingRay and the OptiBright. The OptiBright seems like a copycat of the Finnex Planted+ which is too much

 

[MD_Plants]

It is very late but if you search on amazon 6500k flood lights, you can find very good lights for 15- 20 dollars. I have a 15w one on my 40 gallon breeder and all the plants are growing great without co2 and a soil substrate

 

[max h]

Also search for the Beamswork 6500k, you should be able to find them for under $30

 

[tyguy7760]

I got an aquaneat off of ebay for my 20 long and it puts out plenty of light for low light plants and some medium light plants (I have an amazon sword in there that's doing very well)



I have a stingray on my 75 and it only has enough light for low light plants like anubias, java ferns, and crypts. All my other plants have melted away.

 

[ermpickle]

I got an aquaneat off of ebay for my 20 long and it puts out plenty of light for low light plants and some medium light plants (I have an amazon sword in there that's doing very well)

I have a stingray on my 75 and it only has enough light for low light plants like anubias, java ferns, and crypts. All my other plants have melted away.

Would it be strong enough for 18" deep? It sounds too good to be true!! It would only be $30 for the size I need (30")!
Thank you for the input on the stingray, I am looking for something that will put out just enough light for an amazon sword. I currently have java ferns, anubias, dwarf sag but I would like to get more

 

[Al913]

For plants I hae 3 kinds of anubias(forgot their names), hornwort, crypt wenditii, hygrophilia(not sure what kind), banana plant, staurogyne repens, java fern, java moss, wisteria, and bacopa!

 

[Al913]

For plants I hae 3 kinds of anubias(forgot their names), hornwort, crypt wenditii, hygrophilia(not sure what kind), banana plant, staurogyne repens, java fern, java moss, wisteria, and bacopa!

 

[ermpickle]

For plants I hae 3 kinds of anubias(forgot their names), hornwort, crypt wenditii, hygrophilia(not sure what kind), banana plant, staurogyne repens, java fern, java moss, wisteria, and bacopa!

That's a ton of plants! and all of them are low light? I only have 3 different kinds right now and am looking to get some more

 

[Al913]

Yes they are all low light! There is a variety of meaning of "low light". Some people think low light are just the stock LEDs or no light but the FInnex Stingray and other kind of bright LEDs are also low light!

I also forgot to mention I have 2 amazon swords, 1 on each back corner!

 

[ermpickle]

Well that's great news to me! Glad to find someone with the same height tank and light level plants!

 

[max h]

These plants have grown with just liquid ferts and 2 $25 LED lights off of eBay. They aren't even multI colored, and the tank is 19" deep.

 

[ermpickle]

Wow! That's really impressive, they look great! This is why I need a new light, I dose liquid ferts weekly but my plants look -meh-

 

[Mcasella]

These plants have grown with just liquid ferts and 2 $25 LED lights off of eBay. They aren't even multI colored, and the tank is 19" deep.View attachment 267702

Which LED lights are those? How long is your tank is the other question lol.

 

[Al913]

I think lights is one of the more important thing! Liquid ferts is additional but if the plant can't photosynthesize it can grow