Light hood for a 56g tall tank

Well, MTS has taken hold, and I bought my 56g tall tank and stand today. Its 'home' probably won't be ready until early November, when I'll start setting it up, but in the meantime I'm stocking up all the stuff I need for it.

The tank is 30"l x18"w x24"h. I'm pretty sure with a tank that deep that a single tube florescent light won't put out enough light for a planted tank. So my question is, would I be fine with a double-tube light, or should I bite the bullet and go for a compact florescent fixture?

Also, I can't find any pre-made glass hoods that fit the 30"x18" dimensions. Now, I combine two 30" All-glass hoods like these , which with a little overlap will cover the tank fine, or get a 36"x18" one like these and cut it down to size (though I'm not fond with cutting glass, and would maybe take it to a local glass shop and have them do it). Or I could just get one of the first ones, and cut some plexiglass to fill in the open area. Or just make a plexiglass hood of my own.

Anyway, what would y'all suggest? Or do you know of any 30"x18" hoods out there?

 

I personally wouldn't cut any ready-made glass tops. I'd just get the right size for me and use it as it is. I have the same glass top (well, it's two glass tops) over my 75 gallon tank. The tank is 48" long and the 2 glass tops are half the size of my tank length (minus one or two inches for the bracket in the middle of my tank - the tank is quite large so it has a bracket in its middle to hold the whole tank). I'm guessine each of the 2 glass tops is about 20-22" long. If you don't have any bracket in the middle of your tank, use one glass top that is the length of your tank.

I don't think you'll find any glass that is exactly 30" long and 18" wide. My glass tops' width is less than my tank's width. That's because the glass tops are designed this way on purpose. The little open space that the glass top leaves is for all the filtration, heating, and other cables / pipes. None of my fish has jumped out through the narrow open space that my glass tops leave where my filter / piping / heater cables are.

Now, the lighting. It really depends on what kinds of plants you want. Some plants will need good nutrient-rich substrate and higher lighting, and others won't. Can you please tell me, more or less, what kinds of plants you're thinking of getting? And what substrate/gravel will you have?

Anyway, whatever the light you get, it's best if you get one that is approximatey as long as your tank. (That is, the lightbulb(s) should be as long as your tank is - so that the light extends from one end of the tank to another.)

 

My tank does have a bracket in the middle, but getting 30" long hoods and lights isn't a problem. In a regular florescent hood, the bulb is 24"; the compact florescent is 22", but it's brighter (as wattage goes; 40w vs 65w).

The substrate is going to be primarily small gravel with API First Layer Laterite under it. I plan on a mix of live and artificial plants initially, and I haven't really decided on all of them, but so far I will have Java Fern, Hornwart (the stuff in my current tank is growing big enough to trim and plant the trimmings in the new tank), maybe some ludwigia, amazon swords (one of the local Petsmarts has almost full-grown ones), aponogetons from rhizomes -- that's off the top of my head. I'll probably get some smaller plants for the mid-to-front area. I'm basically going to try to stick with plants that do ok in low light. So that means going with the compact florescent, I guess, since that's over 1w/g.

Yea, I'm more inclined to get two smaller glass hoods that are the right length and just use as many pieces as fit.

Thanks, Isabella!

 

If you're planning on having plants like Swords and Aponogetons, then I'd recommend at least 1.5 wpg of lighting. If I am not mistaken, Ludwigia is a high-light and demanding plant that needs CO2 injections. (I'm assuming your tank won't be CO2-injected.)

If you get at least 1.5 wpg, you can also get plants like Vallisnerias and various Cryptocorynes. They'll do fine under 2.0 wpg and without CO2 injections. I know this because I have Crypts and Vals under 1.73 wpg, and they're fine. I've also just ordered various Swords.

If you're looking for nice foreground plants, I've found that Cryptocoryne WillisiI var. Lucens is a beautiful foreground plant that doesn't get mentioned a lot (I have it). But it should be. It stays very short (2 - 3" only) and it is a beautiful bright green color. It grows pretty dense under good conditions. I was told Dwarf Sagittarias are great foreground plants for low-light tanks, and when I bought them, they didn't grow at all in my tank. I threw them away alltogether. I mean, maybe they'll work for you - you never know. Anyway, what also is not mentioned about Dwarf Sags is that they're not "that dwarf" once they start growing. They can grow to around 8" - that's not a dwarf plant in my opinion, lol.

If you'll have your plants mainly in the middle of the tank, then a lightbulb that is shorter than the length of your tank will be OK. But if you'll have your tank planted from end to end, I'd really recommend a lightbulb that is as long as your tank. Or, there are fixtures that have 2 short lightbulbs, that when combined, give you one long lightbulb.

 

Unfortunately, I can't find any with two short bulbs that come in 30" lengths -- they all start @ 36" or longer. Maybe I can live with 3" of overhang on each side, but considering where the tank will be, I foresee some bumping into the light if it overhangs. I'll consider it, though.

ETA: Actually, I could maybe live with a 30" that has a tube that's a little short on one side (like the C.F. ones are) -- I usually don't plant live plants right in front of the filter, so I'd put artificial ones in that corner, and keep the live ones in the areas where the light is brightest.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Ludwigia -- I don't plan on using CO2, so I'll stick with the artificial ones for that plant. I didn't mention them, but yea, Vallisnerias are on my list.

Also, thanks for the info on the foreground plants. I do have a question on them, though (though maybe this one belongs in the plants forum) -- do low-growing foreground plants interfere with/prevent bottom dwellers like Cories from sifting through the gravel? I'm guessing not, that the fish are resourceful enough to get at the food regardless, but I am curious.

 

There ARE twin fluorescent tubes that are exactly 30" long:



But I don't know if they'll give you at least 1.5 wpg of lighting. Check what each lightbulb's wattage is.

Here's a single c. f. 30" long fixture (not sure if the ligtbulb is 30" long too) that is 65 watts:


Here's a double c.f. 30" long fixture (not sure if the 2 lightbulbs add up to one 30" lightbulb) that is 2 x 65 watts:

I'm afraid this one may give you too much lighting (it will be over 2.0 wpg). But you may ask on Plant Geek to make sure.

I am not sure what exactly "retro-fits" are, but I think they're additional lightbulbs you can be adding separately over your tank. Ask about that on Plant Geek to be sure. Maybe you could get a single 30" c.f. 65W fixture (which would give you ~ 1.15 wpg) and add some retrofit to it to make your total light output to be at least 1.5 wpg.

 

Also, thanks for the info on the foreground plants. I do have a question on them, though (though maybe this one belongs in the plants forum) -- do low-growing foreground plants interfere with/prevent bottom dwellers like Cories from sifting through the gravel? I'm guessing not, that the fish are resourceful enough to get at the food regardless, but I am curious.

I've never had Cories, but I've also never heard of foreground plants interfering with any fish's sifting through the gravel. I mean, how could the plants do that? Maybe I misunderstood you? LOL

 

I guess I was thinking if the foreground plants were the type that formed a mat that covers a large area of the exposed bottom.

 

I guess I was thinking if the foreground plants were the type that formed a mat that covers a large area of the exposed bottom.

Oh Well, I don't know if you'll have that fast a plant growth of foreground plants in a low-light tank. Most low-light foreground plants spread very slowly. My Crypts Lucens look very healthy, although they're not fast-growing. Like I said, you can have fast growth with CO2 injections. I personally am content with slow but healthy growth though

Anyway, even if you had your entire tank floor completely covered with plants, I don't think this should constitute some obstacle for Cories. But then again, I've never had Cories, so you may want to ask someone else.

 

Oh, you need to get some cories! They're too cute not to have!

Thanks for the help, Isabella. I'm buying the stuff I need now, and will probably start setting up the tank in November. My next questions then will probably be ideas for stocking it.

 

Yes, I know I should have some Cories! Anyway, best of luck with your tank. I already have a feeling it will be beautiful

 

Yea, I have to take a pic of my 10 gallon and post it one of these days -- it's looking quite nice now that the plants have settled in.