Lighting Query For Rena Panoramic 100

[Crajik]

This is my first post so apoligies if I break any rules or leave any important information out.

I have a rena aqualife panoramic 100, L-101cm W-43cm and H48cm, volume 200 litres. It has two fixings in the hood to fit x2 30" flourescent tubes and basically I don't know what tubes to fit next. I have just set the tank up again recently and gone for a heavily planted tank. I am running two nutrafin Co2 natural plant systems and feeding the plants with JBL ferropol24 and Tetra Plant Crypto root fertiliser tablets. What tubes would anyone recommend I get next, I have been using Arcadia original tropical and freshwater (both 25W), Which create a nice light but I am not sure they provide enough light for the plants. If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated.

Thank you in anticipation.

 

[aaronnorth]

Hi & welcome, to work outlight levels, you use this forumla:

watts/ gallons = Watts per gallon (WPG

50w/ 43g = 1.1WPG

This is low light but a lot of plants can be grown:

anubias sp.
cryptocoryne sp.
elodea/ egeria densa
hygrophillia polysperma
echindorous sp.
bolbitis sp
java fern
java moss & some other moss sp.

take a look here aswell:
[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content-page/226...ination/page/0/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content-page/226...ination/page/0/[/URL]

Get bulbs which peak in the red, green & a bit of blue in the spectrum, with a kelvin between 5500k - 11 000k, spectrum is more important than kelvins.

 

[doubledee]

When I replaced my tubes, I went with Triplus and Daylight T8's. They had built-in reflectors that were at 90 deg to the fitment on Rena and Juwel tanks and I wrote and complained and was promptly sent replacements. I have reflectors as well to try and squeeze every last watt out of them. They seemed to give me a better overall look and reasonable plant growth. I'm not using Co2 and have stuck with Steven Segal plants ie. "hard to kill". I have struggled to grow a couple of varieties of plants like Rotala and believe this is simply down to a lack of light so I'm considering adding another lamp while keeping below the threshold that requires Co2 as I don't have the time to maintain a Co2 tank. However, I've recently seen T6 units at Aquaessentials and I'm seriously considering giving them a go and will let you know how I get on. I was on the site to look for opinions on them when I spotted this post. I'm not sure how I would go about adding another tube to the tank but I suppose it's possible to add a T5 ballast underneath and fitting another tube somewhere.

HERE is the link to the T6 tubes

 

[Crajik]

I'm seriously considering giving them a go and will let you know how I get on. I was on the site to look for opinions on them when I spotted this post. I'm not sure how I would go about adding another tube to the tank but I suppose it's possible to add a T5 ballast underneath and fitting another tube somewhere.

HERE is the link to the T6 tubes

I'm seriously considering givng them a go now. Well spotted and thanks for the heads up. I too am considering adding another tube but not sure which way to go about it. If you do eventually have a go I would love to hear what option you go with and where you get the equipment from.

Cheers.

 

[aaronnorth]

You are safe to go up to 2WPG (86watts on your tank) by this time, you need CO2 so stay under this level. wth it being a large tank, it might be better having another 24w so it puts your ligting level up to 1.7WPG.

so in the end you will have your existing 2 x 25w + 24w = 74w