Need your lighting expertise

[prhelp]

Considering a couple of lighting choices (my choices are kind of limited because the tank opening is only about 16 inches by 6 inches).

So, for a 29 gal tall, what would you recommend?

1) A single 28w strip? (about 1w/gallon)

2) A single 96w strip (about 3.5w/gallon), raised about 1.5 inches over the tank opening (I don't have jumpers), with lots of floating plants?

It's live-planted.

Thanks!

 

[1979camaro]

if youve got plants you need more than 1wpg so go with the 96...

 

[bumblebee]

I would go with the 96 and not even bother with lots of floating plants. 3.3 wpg in a taller tank is not overkill at all. with some ferts and a diy co2 you will have an awesome setup! Good luck

 

[prhelp]

Thanks you guys -- this is the specific unit I am looking at. Of course, it is a freshwater tank -- will these lights be useful to me, or are these only designed for reefs?

http://www.hellolights.com/201xcoaqpcho.html

 

[Avalon]

I don't think I would go with the 96w. Chances are, the bulb is too long, and given the angle of light refraction from the relfector, you're only giving your tank a "point source" form of lighting.

It's very important to provide your tank with even lighting. Two 55/65w power compacts would be great for the 29 gallon tank. The 55/65w bulbs have just enough intensity to hit the bottom. Using a single 96w strip would miss the bottom edges along with the top edges of the tank. To visualize this, look at your tank from the side (not the front or back) and picture a diamond within that space (a diamond within a box)--this is what your lighting will be like if you only have one strip. I've had one of these tanks (planted of course) for years, and I would go with the 2 55/65 watt bulbs.

 

[Avalon]

This is what I would get, and make sure you get the 6700K bulbs, not the 50/50's.

http://www.hellolights.com/302xcoaqpcho.html

 

[prhelp]

Thank you, Avalon -- very helpful. One prob, though: my tank top opening is only 16" long. I could squeeze the 20 over it (with mounting legs), but nothing much longer, I don't think.

This is what has been frustrating me. I want to add some driftwood and more plants (perhaps some floating) for the fishies well-being, but the plants I currently have (lemon swords, I believe) are barely making it under my 14w.

 

[Avalon]

Well, that link isn't working at the moment. Just to make sure we're on the same page, is length referring to the front-back measurement when staring straight at the front of the tank? Length is usually referred to as the horizontal length of the tank, while width is the front to back measurement, sometimes referred to as depth, and height is referred to as the vertical height of the tank?

 

[prhelp]

It is 16 inches long, as in, from left to right and 6 inches wide, as in from front to back.

 

[Avalon]

Oh! I gotcha! If it's only 6" wide, then the 96watter would probably work fine. Good luck with your plants!

 

[Antwan]

I'd like to ask about lighting also. Isn't the choice of lighting obsolete because the glass or plastic tops filtering out the kelvins or vitamins and stuff like that?

 

[1979camaro]

the choice of lighting obsolete? what do you mean? glass cant filter vitamins from light...there arent any vitamins in light? kelvin is a measure of temp, so im not sure that you can filter that either...im confused...

the light does tend to be refracted by the glass tops, and so you will lose a bit of the luminosity, but i guess i still dont understand the question

 

[Antwan]

I'm talking about the ultraviolet rays from bulbs. Doesn't the glass or plastic filter out the UVA's and UVB's? Thats what I meant to say.