A Quick Question On Lighting...

[lordtrini]

Why Why Why...
I am really trying to get the worlds best planted 55 gallon...
So i have laterite mixed in with the substrate...
The water is 78 degrees
I have a DIY CO2 kit... (I am going to get a Compressed CO2 System soon)

But i the hood i have with the tank holds a sign 48 inch bulb and the max wattage i can get is only 40

So tall me if we all know that 3 watts per gallon is the minimum... why is the standard wattage on large hoods larger....

 

[fatheadminnow]

It is because the bulb itself is physically larger, therefore it requires more energy to operate, and in this case the energy is electricity, which is measured in watts.

-FHM

 

[lyotim88]

Get 2-24" glass canopies and a light like a Hagen GLO or if you really want the best planted tank something like the Nova Extreme i was thinking the 216watt one but you'd have to get good co2 injection. And 3watts per gallon is by no means a minimum.

 

[fatheadminnow]

3 WPG is no minimum like stated above. Anything over 2 WPG is going to require Co2, and anything less than that, is is unnecessary to provide the tank with Co2.

-FHM

 

[lordtrini]

thanks guys... just one thing... this hobby is expencive if you want to do it right...
So wht should i upgrade first the lights or the CO2....

 

[fatheadminnow]

thanks guys... just one thing... this hobby is expencive if you want to do it right...
So wht should i upgrade first the lights or the CO2....

It is expensive if done right, but it is fun and worth it.

You want to try to do both at the same time. If you are going to have more than 2 WPG than you need Co2 injection.

If you increase the lights first, but still have a low level of Co2, then your plants will not be able to perform photosynthesis correctly, and that can lead to other problems.

And if you increase your Co2 first and keep the lights the same, the same thing will happen, the plants will not to perform photosynthesis correctly.

So try to do them at the same time.

-FHM

 

[lordtrini]

thanks guys... just one thing... this hobby is expencive if you want to do it right...
So wht should i upgrade first the lights or the CO2....

It is expensive if done right, but it is fun and worth it.

You want to try to do both at the same time. If you are going to have more than 2 WPG than you need Co2 injection.

If you increase the lights first, but still have a low level of Co2, then your plants will not be able to perform photosynthesis correctly, and that can lead to other problems.

And if you increase your Co2 first and keep the lights the same, the same thing will happen, the plants will not to perform photosynthesis correctly.

So try to do them at the same time.

-FHM

Man...
I am thinking that if i really want to do this thing right i will need... the following...

• Canister filter
• New Lighting
• CO2 set up
• Maybe a RO setup
• A 55 Gallon water drum
• A python

Ebay and Craigslist are my friends...

Any thing else...

 

[waterdrop]

"Any thing else........."

And the know-how to choose the right things and run it all correctly, which just takes time, there's no way around it. You might want to think how you could buy yourself time to learn more and develop your plan more. Choosing the wrong equipment or using it wrong and losing plants can be more expensive than taking a little more time and then having a higher chance of getting more of it right. But I know its hard, because once some of it is going, then more and more of everything is needed!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

3 WPG is no minimum like stated above. Anything over 2 WPG is going to require Co2, and anything less than that, is is unnecessary to provide the tank with Co2.

-FHM

Not really true FHM. It is an extreme opinion that many high tech plant people would like you to believe. I have 2 1/2 WPG on my 40 breeder with no artificial ferts and no CO2. I do not have a significant algae problem although my plants are growing well with low water flows. What I am doing is using a balanced approach to an El Natural tank based on the basic principles put forth by Diana Walstad. My plants do not grow completely out of control like they do on a huge dose of ferts and CO2, but they grow in a healthy fashion while providing almost all of the filtration for that tank. There is not a single formula for plant success, each method has its own benefits and drawbacks. Where people get into trouble is trying to take a bit from one method and a bit from another and expecting things to just come together without thinking through what they are doing. I have a large range of plant situations, I have everything but a high tech tank but I do have 3 that run pressurized CO2 and artificial ferts, an El Natural and several that run lower light with no added CO2 or fertilizers. All of them have healthy plants and each runs with a combination of light and fertility that works together. Anything but a balance is begging for trouble.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Thans for the clarification WD, I guess there are many variables that go into account when deciding this.

-FHM

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, very nice post by OM47 there. If you read Diana's work closely, she works with various combinations of light and has very interesting ideas about light. Likewise, Tom Barr has often posted about ways to use EI in combination with lower light. Learning to understand how to balance as OM47 says is definately important.

~~waterdrop~~