Pick that bulb!

[Walt]

Just started my fishless cycle last night, and now im eye balling some lights...
I have two 48" strip lights for my 55.
I have a glass top, so i am gonna use em both...

The tank will have a fair amount of live plants once set up...
I want to choose 2 bulbs that will, 1 make the tank 'look' good, and 2, be good for the plants...

What 2 bulbs would YOU pick?

Walt

 

[nodding_dino]

Hi Walt,

welcome to the boards! I'm a newcomer to planted tanks also...coming from a very much unplanted Cichlid background. I have learnt a HUGE amount from the friendly and knowledgeable memebrs of these boards and although no expert, am quite happt to share my experiences of the tubes I recently bought.

I wanted to replace the two standard tubes in my tank hood with something a little bit more plant specific. In the end I plumped for a pair of Dennerle 'Special Plant' lights. They give off a very yellow light, (see here)which is not at all unpleasing to the eye, but perhaps not the best to show of your fish. I therefore added an extra two lights, plumping for a pair of Hagen - Life-Glo II's. These tubes give off a much whiter light and I am thrilled with the balance that the two types give me. Not a hint of pink/purple/blue in sight (which is what I wanted to avoid!)

gf255 (George) has written some great articles one of which concerns lighting for a planted tank. They can be found at the very top of the 'Plants and Planted tanks' section.

Like I say, I'm no expert, but I can thoroughly recommend this combination...!

Good luck!

Regards,

ND

 

[Walt]

Thanks for the 2cents worth nodding_dino!

 

[qwikimpss]

Can those of us in the U.S. get the Dennerle bulbs? I have never seen them or even HEARD of them until I started posing and reading on here.

 

[George Farmer]

Can those of us in the U.S. get the Dennerle bulbs? I have never seen them or even HEARD of them until I started posing and reading on here.

[snapback]855739[/snapback]​

I don't think Dennerle are sold in the US unfortunately. I may be wrong though.

 

[Walt]

Ya.. i havent found em yet...

Looks like ive got these 2 bulbs in my hoods now(free from the past user):

Plant & Aquarium F40PL/AQ Wide Spectrum
Marineland Eclipse Natural Daylight F40T10

---
These bulbs any good?

Walt

 

[Walt]

Welp, i just picked up 2 new bulbs...
Both 48 inch, 40 watt bulbs...

*Coralife Spectramax Super Daylight Bulb - combines 6500K trichromatic phosphors with actinic 03.
*Coralife NutriGrow Full Spectrum

I just learned the tank is actually a 50 gallon....
I prob have 40-45 gallons of water in there then...
So im prob somewhere around 2.0 WPG

Anyone else use either of these, or have any comments on em?

I figure ill see how the plants like em, and go from there...
I could always DIY a 4 bulb hood.....
but then im deff looking at CO2.... which i have a tank of already..so i guess im almost half way there anyways.. heh

Even if you had a weak WPG, would co2 be beneficial to keep algae out?

Walt