Watts per gallon?

[shana]

Hello, I'm new to this,   I'm setting up a planted tank, i'ts  54 x 12 x 18in tall, it works out that it holds 65 USg or 35 UKg, i know you should use at least 2w per gallon, but which, UK or US?   also can you recomend a good root fertilizer for the Flourite/gravel substrate?

                       Thank you!

 

[Feargal]

Shana,

Not sure how you worked out the volumes you have but I get a tank your size to be just over 50 US gallons and 42 UK gallons.

As for which the 2W per gallon refers to I think it is the US gallon.

Hope this helps!

 

[Great Lakes]

Shana, it is 2 per US gallon. That is a rule of thumb to start by. Your tank is fairly shallow for its volume, so you could start with a double 48" flourescent. Then you could add a second one for overkill when the mood strikes you.

 

[mrV]

... also can you recomend a good root fertilizer for the Flourite/gravel substrate?

What is "flourite"? If you have gravel i would use only Tetra Crypto.. And could try to put some JBL 7-balls on roots.. There is only problem that gravel lets fertilizer go to water. Thats why sand is much more better if you want to grow plants.

If you had sand, i would recommend Tetra Initias-stick and JBL 7-balls. And liguid TMG or home-made PMDD.

 

[luma]

So in other words for my tank 200 US gallons I would need 400 watts? Would this be florecent or standard tungsten bulbs?

 

[Feargal]

The advice was in reference to fourescent lighting for a planted tank. Not sure of the recommended if you use Tungsten lighting....

Though I wouldn't use Tungsten lighting in a planted tank anyway.

 

[Great Lakes]

Luma, when dealing with large tanks such as 200 gallons, you really have to start taking the depth of the tank into consideration. Some tanks this size are 24" deep, while others are 36" or more. the lighting requirements would obviously be different.

 

[luma]

Ok my tank is 28" deep and Iam using 3 4 foot lamps. 1 is a grow lamp the other two are TFT lamps and I have one more grow lamp about 2 foot. Would this be enough?