How Much Light Do I Need?

[nicklfire]

HEy guys,

Setting up a new tank, odd shaped a bit.. but it's about 21 gallons. Looking at a Hagen Glo lighting fixture which is 2x24 watts..

So i'm a bit over 2.1 wpg.

What i'm looking to grow is Dwarf hairgrass and HC. I'm going to be injecting co2 and adding my fertz.. do you think i'll be able to grow these plants.. to flourish?

Looking for a ADA type setup... I know there is alot of talk about... it is enough light or it's not.. so in your experiences do you think i'll be fine? ..

The light will hang above the tank only a couple inches over the water to maximize light.

 

[aaronnorth]

Yes you have enough light, hairgrass is fairly low light anyway.

 

[Wolfenrook]

hairgrass is fairly low light anyway.

That is only partially true. A more accurate statement would be that dwarf hairgrass will tolerate low light so long as the light that reaches it is still low light, and not very or very very low light. Plant it in a deeper tank (18 inches or deeper) with low lighting and it wont grow, as by the time the light reaches it it's not low lighting any more, it's shadow. In tanks of about 12 inches deep then yes it will grow under about 1-1.5wpg of T8, the deeper the tank though the more lighting it needs.

Your lighting though Nick should be fine, so long as your tank is about 12-15 inches deep.

Ade

 

[nicklfire]

I just re measured my tank and i guess i was wrong.

Comes out to about 25G US which is weird cause i could have sworn it was 21G but i guess i was wrong.

It's about 31 " L X 11.75 " W X 15.75" W

Now i gotta try and find a lighting fixture which is 30 " And puts out at least 55W ... This could be a problem lol.

I could go for a 24" fixture with HO lighting with t5's... but i cant seem to find much of anything.

I was thinking about a MH light, hanging above the aquarium, and just hanging it higher... but that alone is 150W... which is too much lighting...

Frickon odd shaped tank is going to get the best of me, any suggestions on a good light?