Lighting.

[John Linklater]

Hi all, I need to buy a new light for a tank I’ve ordered. It’s from Nd aquatics and 128cm long 48cm wide and 48 cm high. My current tanks all came with lights which seem fine so I’ve never had to consider lighting and I’m getting confused trying to read up on it. The plants will be all anubias and Java fern and bucephelandra as my Black Acara uproot anything else but mostly leave these plants alone. I am planning on having a lot of plants, at the moment in my current tank I have 8 anubias hastipholia, and will be buying about ten more as well as lots more of the other plants. Do I need a dedicated plant light for these lowlight plants or just buy anything that lights up the tank. How many watts would members recommend?

Any help appreciated.

[fr499y]

All depends on the type of light. If your going with pendants then 2 would work and be about 200w. Bars could be 36w each and get away with 2.

2x fluval plant 3.0 is 120w
1x twinstar V3 WRGB is 110w
1x Chihiros WRGB2 Pro is 138W

So find the type of light you would want and then go from there. Pendants would require 2 or 3 for a 4ft tank where as plant bars would be 1 if over 100w each

[John Linklater]

Thanks. That makes it much clearer. It’s the bar lighting I would want so will start looking around.

[Martinspuddle]

The plants will be all anubias and Java fern and bucephelandra as my Black Acara uproot anything else but mostly leave these plants alone. I am planning on having a lot of plants, at the moment in my current tank I have 8 anubias hastipholia, and will be buying about ten more as well as lots more of the other plants. Do I need a dedicated plant light for these lowlight plants or just buy anything that lights up the tank. How many watts would members recommend?

Low tech planted aquarium, then you'll be looking 2 -5 watts per gallon.

It’s the bar lighting I would want so will start looking around.

I run two Fluval AQUASKY 2.0 48" light bars on my 310 litre and is a low tech planted setup.

[fr499y]

Ah yes, missed that bit about low tech plants. In that case a single Fluval plant 3 would do or two aquasky, two Twinstar B-Line 120B etc. Aim for 100w because of the depth and you can't go wrong

[John Linklater]

Thanks guys. Will have a look at the fluval Aquasky.

[Martinspuddle]

Ah yes, missed that bit about low tech plants. In that case a single Fluval plant 3 would do or two aquasky, two Twinstar B-Line 120B etc. Aim for 100w because of the depth and you can't go wrong

I found out a single Fluval Plant 3 would have done the job as my two AQUASKY's ...but saying that I don't think I'd get the full coverage with just one light bar, being 24" deep.