does anyone out there have a rule of thumb for required amount of light for a planted freshwater tank? I 've heard of something like 1Watt per 2 Liters of tank. Also I imagine deeper tanks require more light. I've got a 20" deep 75gal and am planning out my lighting. Any suggestions on type of lights (Gro, HPS, M-H, Fluro) and strength would be greatly appreciated. Or if anyone knows any websites that may have some good info. Thanks in advance.
lighting requirements?
- Thread starter grev
- Start date
Here's a basic article that might get you started:
Lighting-Natural vs. Artifical: It is a good idea to place a planted aquarium away from natural sources of sunlight and instead rely on artificial lighting. This seems to go against common sense, but keep in mind that plants need a fairly substantial amount of light per day and many plants require a certain intensity of light. These factors are hard to control with natural light, but are easy to control with artificial light.
Light Intensity: Different plants have different light requirements. Improper lighting (usually too little light) is the most common cause of death in aquarium plants. The following recommendations are for a tank that is up to a maximum of 50 cm (20")deep using a full-spectrum flourescent light.
Plants that require subdued light: approx. 1.5-2.0 watts-per-3.78 liters ( 1 gallon)
Plants that require moderate light: approx. 2.5-3.0 watts-per-3.78 liters (1 gallon)
Plants that require bright light: approx. 3.5-4.5 watts-per-3.78 liters (1 gallon)
Light Duration: We recommend a light period of 10-12 hours. Of course, one convenient way of providing consistent lighting is an automatic timer.
Because the descriptions are so short we recommend you reference particular articles on The Krib, and also subscribe to the Aquatic Plant Digest. You can find them on our link page. www.aquaticplantdepot.com/lighting.html Here is another nifty link too: http://www.AquaPlant.org/cgi/search1.plx
Fred
Lighting-Natural vs. Artifical: It is a good idea to place a planted aquarium away from natural sources of sunlight and instead rely on artificial lighting. This seems to go against common sense, but keep in mind that plants need a fairly substantial amount of light per day and many plants require a certain intensity of light. These factors are hard to control with natural light, but are easy to control with artificial light.
Light Intensity: Different plants have different light requirements. Improper lighting (usually too little light) is the most common cause of death in aquarium plants. The following recommendations are for a tank that is up to a maximum of 50 cm (20")deep using a full-spectrum flourescent light.
Plants that require subdued light: approx. 1.5-2.0 watts-per-3.78 liters ( 1 gallon)
Plants that require moderate light: approx. 2.5-3.0 watts-per-3.78 liters (1 gallon)
Plants that require bright light: approx. 3.5-4.5 watts-per-3.78 liters (1 gallon)
Light Duration: We recommend a light period of 10-12 hours. Of course, one convenient way of providing consistent lighting is an automatic timer.
Because the descriptions are so short we recommend you reference particular articles on The Krib, and also subscribe to the Aquatic Plant Digest. You can find them on our link page. www.aquaticplantdepot.com/lighting.html Here is another nifty link too: http://www.AquaPlant.org/cgi/search1.plx
Fred