Making A New All Plant Tank!

[Invader675]

I'm so excited about my new all plant tank, I am trying to find the best lights to grow plants using very little electricity and generating very little heat. The pinned topic on lights says that Electronic ballasts are the best for powering the lights, where can I get these from in the U.K? What would be the best type of light for growing my plants? I'm really limited on the amount of electricity I can use so it needs to be really energy efficient. Can anyone help?
Thanks tonnes for helping!!!

 

[Themuleous]

Look into T5 lighting -> more light for around 40% less electricity, and IME they don't get to hot, if you get standard ones, rather than power compacts.

Sam

 

[Invader675]

Cool, is there no lighting that produces next to no heat at all? I really want my tank to be energy efficient as I'm a poor student with electricity bills to pay!!

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Ha typical student

If your really Keen on being efficient then low tech is the path you want to go down.

Basically..
Soil based substrate with gravel over the top.
DIY Co2 if you feel its needed, which its less likely ( In a low tech tank ) but will do more good than harm.
Low lighting of around 1.5WPG ( US gallons not UK ).
With that a reflector for maximum efficiency.
And plants that do well in low light, and lots of them.
Fish waste and soil based nutrients should be sufficient nutrition for all your plants.
Thats the idea any way.

Regards,
Graeme.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Cool, is there no lighting that produces next to no heat at all? I really want my tank to be energy efficient as I'm a poor student with electricity bills to pay!!

I`m afraid that on this forum, we obey the Laws of Thermodynamics.

However, adding reflectors will help a lot.

 

[Themuleous]

Haha as Dave says, afraid not really.

Sam

 

[nry]

Consider that the lighting will create heat which will mean your heater is on less. When the lights are on you will not use much power for the heater and when the lights are off the heater will be on more. Whether it balances out I don't know, but if the lights create heat then it suggests the heater will be used less to my simple mind!

Low tech can be very good though. I have a 1wpg setup (T6 Realux Daylight tube), minimal ad-hoc CO2 and JBL AquaBasis Plus beneath the gravel. Some plants grow better than others but trust me, some plants grow like mad and look stunning! You don't need hi-tech/hi-light to get lush plant growth: I add Flourish Exel to complement the ad-hoc CO2 and Flourish for liquid fertiliser. My light is on 8 hours per day.