# lighting



## badboy1 (Feb 23, 2006)

is 260W of lighting too much for a 55 gallon tank if i am planning to start growing live plants?


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Not as long as you have pressurized CO2. Otherwise, its an algae tank and not a planted tank.


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

Ditto what Damon said... I have about 4 WPG over my 30 gallon tank. I have two DIY reactors but still have some small algae problems. Pressurized is definitely the way to go if you're over 3 WPG.


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## Guest (Jul 6, 2007)

I agree with the 2 above.  With that much light, CO2 is a must or you'll have some serious algae problems. Ferts would also be a must.


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## badboy1 (Feb 23, 2006)

If I got a 2X65 watt fixture w/ 12,000K bulbs instead, would I still need to have CO2?


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

The only way you would not need CO2 is if you have less than 1.5 WPG gallon. So if you had a 75W fixture, that would be okay. Anything over that and you'll get algae.
You should also go with 6,500k lighting. Anything over 9,000k will look weird and blue.
IMO if you have the light fixture already, it's worth the extra expense to get the CO2. You can do it for less than 100$ if you try, or it may cost up to $200. Either way, worth it.


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## Guest (Jul 6, 2007)

2x65w would be fine without CO2 if you plant the tank heavily. I have used it over my 55g for awhile, planted heavily with lots of stem plants, and not had an algae problem. The key is to use alot of stem plants like Hygros, Bacopa, Rotala. You will have some limitations in what you can grow though, even with having over 2 watts per gallon, but if you don't want to mess with CO2 yet, then 130w over the tank will be fine.

The lighting spectrum is up to you. Plants are thought to use light between 5000K and 10000K. I personally like 10000K bulbs. They look white in color and are very bright. 6500K to me is too red and I don't like using it alone. 6700K is more yellowish and again, I don't like using it alone. For a 2x65w 48" fixture though, its pretty noticeable when you mix the bulbs since one side will look a different color than the other.  (I've tried it.) Its really personal preference though. Some people use 65w GE bulbs in the 9000K range.


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

I think that the sun is about 6,500k... which is why I suggest that for plants  I don't find it too red, but it is on the yellowy side.


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## musho3210 (Apr 23, 2007)

wpg rule doesnt really work anyway..... So you cant say over 1.5 wpg you WILL have algae.


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## Apotheosis (Jul 2, 2007)

Besides color, is there any difference between 6500k and 10000k?


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## musho3210 (Apr 23, 2007)

on terms of PAR, yes there is a difference.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Negligible in terms of PC bulbs. CRI would be more applicable in this case.


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

Apotheosis said:


> Besides color, is there any difference between 6500k and 10000k?


Yes, but either is fine for your purposes... it's a matter of personal taste, for the most part. Either way, you'll be fine.



> wpg rule doesnt really work anyway..... So you cant say over 1.5 wpg you WILL have algae.


Obviously these are not steadfast rules... they are just guidelines that indicate what you can expect with a certain level of lighting. There are MANY other factors at play than just lighting, and I think that he's aware that as soon as he goes from 1.49 WPG to 1.50 WPG, he'll have algae all over his tank.

I find WPG to be a decent indication of lighting levels for Freshwater tanks. Obviously a 1 watt bulb over a 1 watt tank won't have the same results as 150 watts over 150 gallons... but for the most part, it's a good way to evaluate lighting levels.


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2007)

zoe are those scaret bandis in ur sigg?\


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## Apotheosis (Jul 2, 2007)

Wait, so 10000K bulbs would be fine for planted tanks, correct?

The reason I ask is because there is a 28 watt Coralife lighting fixture that I might get for my ten gallon (which will be planted) and the light bulbs are sold only as 10000K.


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2007)

I use 10000K bulbs over my planted tanks with good results.  My 29g has a mix of 6500K and 10000K.


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## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

swordtailbreedr said:


> zoe are those scaret bandis in ur sigg?\


Yup, that's them.


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## Mazzy (Dec 16, 2006)

I used to use 2x96w pcs over my 50 planted with a small amount of algea but definitely not some huge algea bloom. However, my tank was heavily planted, and, as stated above, I had mostly stem plants. Also, I had very yellow water from all the tanic acid from teh wood so that may have helped stave off algea as well. I used one 10000k and one 10000k/6500k dual bulb and I only had both bulbs on for about 4 hours of the 10 hour cycle.


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## Pac-Man (Mar 18, 2005)

A lot of people use a mixture of 6500/10000 to get the color they want. AH supply sells some 7800k bulbs.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

7800K, 8800k, and 9325K are my favorites for planted tanks. I usually use one (or 2) of one of the ones listed above with matching 10000K bulbs.


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