Aquarium Lighting - What Do I Need?

[tropico]

I have an old, flimsy hood on my tank which houses one tube but I have been reading I need two tubes to promote plant growth.

I have bought a beginners guide book and in there it shows some sort of lighting cradle which holds 2 tubes and fits at the top of the tank (I then assume that the hood fits over this cradle - the book doesn't show this - is this correct?). note - asked man in aquatic shop today and showed him picture and he said they were called a t-bar, but can find no mention of t-bars on google

What exactly should I be looking at to get the 2 tubes I need? Do I need this cradle and then fit my hood over the top, or should I buy a new hood that can house 2 tubes? - are there any?

Also, will I need to buy a new starter unit? (think thats what they are called - the bit where the switch is to turn the lights on and off).

What is the most cost effective way to get this new lighting?

 

[zig]

Hi tropico

Where are you based and how big is the tank (and the dimensions)

What sort of plants are you hoping to grow or do you have any ideas.

Have a look at the pinned article on lighting by gf225 at the top of this section this will give you a very good idea of what you may need, some of us will run with far more than 2 lights under the hood of our tanks but it depends on the type of tank you would like and the amount of maintainence you want to do on it.

The lighting article is a good place to start anyway.............