Adequate lighting for deep tanks

[GaryE]

Two questions.

@Oldspartan - what do you mean by layered?

@JuiceBox52 - you used 'adequate' and as I scrolled a moment ago, that hit me. What plants do you have in mind?

 

[Oldspartan]

Two questions.

@Oldspartan - what do you mean by layered?

@JuiceBox52 - you used 'adequate' and as I scrolled a moment ago, that hit me. What plants do you have in mind?

Lights at different levels in the tank. (top / bottom for instance)

 

[Magnum Man]

mine are, I light my backgrounds, and have added LED plant lights for all the terrestrial plants I grow out of my tanks... none of my tanks only have an "aquarium" light

 

[JuiceBox52]

Two questions.

@Oldspartan - what do you mean by layered?

@JuiceBox52 - you used 'adequate' and as I scrolled a moment ago, that hit me. What plants do you have in mind?

Nothing incredibly high maintenance, I do not plan on co2, and higher light plants will be planted higher up in the hardscape with things like crypts down below.

 

[JuiceBox52]

mine are, I light my backgrounds, and have added LED plant lights for all the terrestrial plants I grow out of my tanks... none of my tanks only have an "aquarium" light

Can you show an example of your lighted background? The background of this tank is painted black but I am interested in how you mean

 

[Magnum Man]

@JuiceBox52...
for you... I do a vinyl picture background, and use an 18 inch plant light, laid along the back of the tank facing up... all the lights off, except that light..

 

[Alice B]

I would think that the fluorescent shop lights would be perfectly adequate .

Used to be, but they don't sell them at home depot anymore. Ordered this for the 100 gallon i take care of after t5 became a fire hazard. https://a.co/d/hVewcYC

 

[jaylach]

Used to be, but they don't sell them at home depot anymore. Ordered this for the 100 gallon i take care of after t5 became a fire hazard. https://a.co/d/hVewcYC

Don't know if this will help or not but, even if not in your local store, they do sell such on-line. Hee is a Home Depot search for "fluorescent shop lights".

https://www.homedepot.com/s/fluorescent shop lights ?NCNI-5"

 

[Alice B]

Don't know if this will help or not but, even if not in your local store, they do sell such on-line. Hee is a Home Depot search for "fluorescent shop lights".

https/www.homedepot.com/s/fluorescent shop lights ?NCNI-5"

Picked up an led for garage for 9.99 yesterday

 

[Alice B]

Kind i used over the reef are long gone. Dual tube 48 inch t8 that would handle actinic lights for my reef, those are gone. They were $20 apiece, would hang above tank, but i mounted in a hood and the extra reflector was helpful. Now for $36 you get a single tube hanging fixture, or you get ceiling mount.

 

[MuddyWaters]

@JuiceBox52...
for you... I do a vinyl picture background, and use an 18 inch plant light, laid along the back of the tank facing up... all the lights off, except that light..View attachment 364920

wow that is beautiful. It's like getting a look into a hidden glade from a deep forest.

 

[MuddyWaters]

I have dialed down the blue light on my tanks and seen a major drop in algae on the glass as a result. I get far better plant growth, and the fish look better.

OMG I just saw this. I have such trouble with glass algae in a couple of my tanks. I dialed down the blue a little bit because I've seen others do that, but I never really thought about why, so it's still pretty high. I think I will turn that blue down to nothing. I wonder if it would hurt to turn the blue off completely?

 

[jaylach]

OMG I just saw this. I have such trouble with glass algae in a couple of my tanks. I dialed down the blue a little bit because I've seen others do that, but I never really thought about why, so it's still pretty high. I think I will turn that blue down to nothing. I wonder if it would hurt to turn the blue off completely?

I'm not totally sure but I think totally cutting out the blue may disrupt the full spectrum aspect. I guess it boils down to if the white is full spectrum or if the unit needs all the colors.