LED lighting - I still am not quite sure.....

The newer LED lighting fixtures still somewhat elude me in terms of what will work for my planted tanks. After years of dealing with watts per gallon and color spectrum, I guess I am somewhat of an old dog trying to learn a new trick. I THINK I have made a decent choice for a 29 gallon (30 inches long) which I have set up and plan to place low- med light plants in. Here is the LED fixture I have ordered from Ebay.

I believe it will work, as the 10,000K is at the high end of the spectrum, but seems like it will be ok. But, I am not sure in terms of lumens if I will need a second one of these or not. Can someone who understands LED lighting a bit better please let me know if I am on the right track? I have some plants in now, and have 2 20 watt plant lights over the tank.....it's temporary. I have all low light stuff in atm, like java ferns etc. But, I do have some plants on order that are more demanding - hence, my ordering this LED setup.

 

I have beamsworks lights on my 75 and 20 gallon tanks....still low tech so to speak but my plants do well with slow growth!

From my understanding it's that 10000k that's important. 10000 to 12000 seems to be the desired range.

 

Hmmm, maybe I do need to order another then - goodness knows this design is streamlined enough that I could certainly fit more than one over the top of the tank. I might have to throw another $30 at this tank next week and order another to be on the safe side for the mid range plants I want in there.

 

For planted tanks, 5000 - 10000 K will grow plants and 6500 K is ideal.

That light should be fine for very low light plants.

Lumens and watts per gallon are outdated measurements of the appropriateness of a light for plants. PAR values are the gold standard.


What kind of plants did you order?

I really like the Finnex fixtures. The Stingray is great for low light, Planted Plus for medium light, and Ray 2 for medium-high light.

 

I do have some crypts ordered, and while technically they are not considered high light or CO2 plants I want to do more for them than the bare minimum. I would also like the option of being "covered" if I want more med light plants in the future (I have been doing some midnight browsing on ebay, lol). No desire to enter the realm of CO2, but I do have dirt under my gravel in nearly all my tanks, so I think mid level lighting would be ok for those tanks - including this one. I am really just getting started aquascaping it, although it has been setup for a few weeks. I have 2 forms of hygro in it now (difformis, and poly) along with Java fern, java moss, hornwort, crystalwort, a pothos, some naja grass, and some christmas moss. I would like to divide my anubias nana which is in another tank and stick a start of it in there as well...I know to shade it in a higher light setting. I also have an apono on it's way as well as an undulatus which has babies forming that I might place in there from another tank. I would welcome any other plant recommendations for a low-mid light tank.....

 

What about throwing this plant-specific light on there as a second light?



It's less than $10 more than the one I have on it's way....

 

That one is still pretty low. If you want to grow medium plants, I'd go with the Planted Plus.

 

Okie dokie, I will have to start looking again then and Thanks a bunch for that link, I am still looking through it.....maybe someday it won't seem like a foreign language, lol

 

I dislike my stingray on my 10 g.....the clips don't work and the plants are much less healthy than with my Beamswork fixtures.

 

The lights may not be enough for the plants you have, or you may not have the right ferts. I have a Stingray on my 29 gal and it grows low light plants very well.

 

I use the planted plus on my 29 gallon and it puts me in the med range. I use dirt in my tank to and have had great growth.

 

Well, I got my light yesterday, and here is what it looks like. I also left one of the 20 watt plant lights on top of it as well. I will probably be adding another similar light, but with more lumens and more in the 6500 range that is deemed appropriate for good growth. Not sure what I will land on, but I am shopping around I know that the tank is not filled all the way - I was doing a water change, and I only have a handfull of livebearer fry in it at the moment.