LED lighting for 6 foot 700 L tank

[Goby is back]

Hello All,

I'm new to the forum, and am returning to the hobby after some time away.

I've decided perhaps foolishly to embark on setting up a big, well planted, "amazonian" type tank.

I have purchased a 180cm long (6 foot), by 60cm (2 foot) deep and wide.

I am bamboozled by the choices of LED lighting, and have nearly been talked in to buying some seriously pricey Hydra 26 LEDs at my local store.

Can anyone advise me re LED lighting for a big tank like this, where I hope to have lots of plants, (and a CO2 diffusor)...? I don't mind spending the extra $$ if it really is worth it, but would love to know if there is a less expensive option!

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Tanks that are 2ft high need spotlights to penetrate the water depth. I normally recommend three x 150-250 watt spot lights on a 6x2x2.

Hang the light above the tank wherever it's going to go. Put your hand under the light just under the surface of the water. See if there is a decent shadow on the substrate. If there is a good strong shadow, you should have enough light. If there is no shadow, the light is not sufficient.

Check the local hardware or lighting store for LED spotlights. See if you can buy one, take it home and try it, and return it if it isn't bright enough.

You want globes with a 5500-6500K (K is for Kelvin) rating, 6500K is better than 5500K.

 

[Goby is back]

Thanks Colin. And can you give me a little advice re the appropriate wavelength range I should have?

The very very pricey versions seem to give a lot of control over the spectrums delivered. Is this as important as some people suggest?

 

[Colin_T]

Plants use primarily red and blue light. Most lights with a 5500-6500K rating have red and blue light.

Lights with a K rating 8000K and above have lots of blue light and not much red light.

Lights with a K rating 4000K and below have lots of red light and not much blue.