Question

[redtailblackshark]

I just planted my 50 gallon freshwater tank. I have water lillies, lily pads, and the grass you find in rivers (pictures soon.) But I have a question, what can I do so that the plants don't die soon after I plant them (it's happened before ) I know I have really bad lighting, so that could be a start...

Would this be good for lighting:

http/www.bigalsonline.ca/catalog/product...3;pcid1=;pcid2=

 

[houndour]

Hi,

Not sure I can really help but I noticed noone replied.

The ad doesn't say how many watts the tubes are or say any other details about the tubes, so it's hard to say. If the tubes are only 18 watts each then 36 watts of lighting over a 50 gallon tank is low light.

The other thing is do you allow your lily pads to reach the surface? As they wil also block out the light to any plants underneath.

 

[zig]

Hiya

I would suggest you read gf225s pinned article on lighting at the top of this section of the forum, light for planted tanks is measured in watts per gallon, you have a 50 gallon tank so if you had a 50 watt fixture over the tank this would be considered 1 watt per gallon or 1 WPG, 100 watts over the tank would be 2 WPG and so forth.

lighting is probably one of the most imortant aspects of keeping planted tanks, your light fittings must be of the right spectrum also, gf225 explains this in detail in his guide to lighting, its a very good place to start.