35 gal planted lighting options

[anthoeny]

Alright people

I've narrowed my lighting options down to these two I think
They're both Compact Flourescent striplights, both to provide relatively high lighting to my tank-to-be (35g planted)
....I need some help in deciding which one to go with though!

This one, which is by Coralife....to provide like 5.5wpg if I were to go with it..... quite a hefty price tag, but I'll go for it if you think it'll be worth it over my other option!

:S....For some reason, it won't let me direct link to the product I'm referring to, but I'd be ordering it from www.bigalsonline.ca and it's listed there under Power Compact Strip Lights.....it's the Coralife Freshwater Aqualight-36" (2X96Watt)
---------
Or this one, an All-Glass Compact Flo. striplight, to provide considerably less light, but still efficient to keep the plants I hope to in this tank (like 3wpg.)

Again, won't let me direct link, but it's still on bigalsonline.ca under Power Compact Strip Lights, it's the All-Glass Compact Fluorescent Strip Light- 36 110Watt (Black)



So what do you think? Any experience with either of those lighting systems?

Thanks everyone!

 

[blueturq]

well you could pay less by buying lights at a hardware store(Home Depot,Rona,etc....) and then you can DIY.

Or you can get a Hagen Aqua-Glo aquarium light(make sure it fits your canopy of course)

Just out of curiousity........ after you cycle the tank what types of fish are you gonna get????

 

[anthoeny]

As posted in another thread about my plants, here are the plants I shall be planting in this tank:
Melon Sword
Anubias barteri "Coffeefolia"
Crypt. wendtii
Ammania gracilis
Eleocharis sp. (Hairgrass)
Cabomba caroliniana
Rotala macranda
Wisteria
Vallisneria spiralis
Rotala indica
Lysimachia nummularia

Is it advisable to go for the Very High lighting option, the Coralife Freshwater Aqualight, providing ~5.5wpg?
IMO, I would think yes, but I'd just like some feedback on how you think my 35 gal would do with those plants and that lighting.

?

 

[Lotus]

I would go for the 3wpg unless you are 100% sure about fertilization and CO2.

The 5.5wpg may just give you an algae farm.

I wouldn't get the anubias, as it's a slow grower and they don't tend to do too well under very high light, they just tend to collect algae. I would get the wisteria at first while you establish your tank, but plan on getting rid of it after a few months, as it will grow faster than you can trim it, if everything is going well in the tank.

If you really think you can handle the 5.5wpg, you could go for that, but only use one light while you start up, and plug the other one in later.

What fish are you planning? Some tend not to like the very high light conditions.

 

[anthoeny]

I intend to keep Emperor Tetras, a Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami, a Gold Ram, a Clown Plec, Otocinclus, and some Cories in this tank.

Although I am going to be fertilizing and injecting CO2 into this tank, I really don't want to take the chance of the tank 'algae-fying' if I can avoid it with good results

The plants I have should do fine with 3wpg, correct? And could I keep the wisteria and the anubias in that case?
If that is the case, I'll go with the All-Glass Compact Fluorescent Strip Light- 36 110Watt option from www.bigalsonline.ca

 

[anthoeny]

So the 110w All-Glass strip, with those plants and fish, will work then?

 

[Lotus]

You can have those plants, if you want. I would recommend planting heavily on the wisteria when you're starting the tank up. You can remove some later. It will help outcompete the algae while your tank gets settled.

I would try to have the anubias shaded by other plants, to keep it in slightly lower light.

I'm not sure how the gourami and ram will get on. From what I understand rams can be pretty shy. Otherwise, it sounds like a good fish mix.

I think the 110 watt setup will work well for you.

 

[Bruckm]

So would the wisteria do ok in a low-light setup? (15w = 20G)

 

[revfred]

Yes, Lotus is right on w/ the 110W set-up. If you can create an overhang with driftwood, slate, etc., the anubias will do fine . . . or if they are in the shade of the wisteria or other overhanging plant.

 

[Bruckm]

Would this light be a good light for a 5G? My hood (mini-bow) takes an incandescent and it looks like this is meant to fit it. What about the actinic part? Is that of any use in freshwater?

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=28903;category_id=1857;pcid1=1843;pcid2=

 

[anthoeny]

Link doesn't go the item
Same thing happened to me, Bruck...it wouldn't direct link to the products I was referring to

 

[Lotus]

I got one like this http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=23463;category_id=1857;pcid1=1843;pcid2= for my 5g hex tank (but I got mine in the Walmart fish section; about $5). It works fine for lower light plants.. anubias, java moss, wisteria. Get the ones marked "freshwater" not the actinic ones.

I also have the 20 watt lights from Big Als on my 10g tanks (2 on each), but they would not fit in my hex hood. If you need the measurements I can give you them.

 

[Bruckm]

Ok, the colored incandescents are just for making the tank appear different, right? I bought a coralife colormax ultra (kinda pinkish). Anyway, do you think it adds anything for the plants?

Here's what the ad says.

"Energy Savers ColorMax Incandescent Lamps provide colorful lighting for freshwater aquariums. The high- intensity output of ColorMax lamps enhance the natural beauty of freshwater fish and plants. l Colormax Ultra Incandescent Lamps provide purified daylight to make water sparkle while bringing out all of the natural colors of the aquarium. "

Does that imply or say anything about providing the kind of light plants need to grow best? I'm thinking no, but maybe I'm not understanding it well.

 

[Lotus]

An incandescent bulb won't do anything at all for your plants. The colors are just there to enhance the colors of your fish, supposedly.

I have that bulb on one of my planted tanks, and it works fine so far. I have the 20w version. It took a while for me to get used to the color of the fish under it, though. I have to say, my harlequin rasboras really glow under it

I have searched around, but haven't found a kelvin rating on that particular bulb. It does say "daylight" on it, so I assume it is in the right range.

 

[Bruckm]

so I should move to the 25w bulb for the 5G? It won't matter as much to the anachris but it will help the rotalla indica and the wendti, right? Is that too bright for the fish?

 

[Lotus]

I don't think the 20w bulb would fit, they are a lot longer than the 10w bulbs. I think you will have problems with the rotalla with 10 watts of light. The watt per gallon rule kind of breaks down on tanks under 10g, so you generally need more watts per gallon on a 5g tank than you would for a larger tank.

FYI, the 10 watt bulbs stick out about 5" from the where the socket stops, and the 20w bulb sticks out about 6.5" from where it stops. On my hex tank the 10 watt bulb was a tight fit, so you might want to check if you could fit a 20w in there.

 

[Bruckm]

Oh

Thanks. I hate that I started this knowing nothing. Setting up tanks first and learning about it later.

Thanks for all of your help and suggestions.