reasonable lighting

[Charney]

I am looking to upgrade my fahaka puffer to a 150 to 180 gallon tank. I want to make the tank a display piece with plants. The plants I am looking at are all "medium" level. Is there a way to achieve the 2-3 watts per gallon without going broke? It seems like I would need a lot of standard bulbs and fixtures. I was looking at the compact fixture and some of the higher output fixture but those also seem very expensive. Any advice would be appreciated.

[WyldFya]

For a 150-180 range, you will need to look at higher output lighting to support mid lighting levels... that being said, read the stickies, especially the one about WPG.

[Charney]

I have read them they are good articles. i know I would need a higher output source of lighting, but I still do not know the most cost efficient way to look into lighting the tank. All the fixtures I looked at online were very expensive.

[seds]

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18360/si1379087/cl0/coralifefwt5aqualightdoublestriplight48

Big Al's Online's CORALIFE fixtures are the cheapest I have ever heard of. IF this is too short,You can put it across a brace or something.

If all else fails, home depot or somewhere similar has cheap lighting... just get a fixture and the special "gro" tubes they have.

[WyldFya]

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18360/si1379087/cl0/coralifefwt5aqualightdoublestriplight48

Big Al's Online's CORALIFE fixtures are the cheapest I have ever heard of. IF this is too short,You can put it across a brace or something.

If all else fails, home depot or somewhere similar has cheap lighting... just get a fixture and the special "gro" tubes they have.
Not going to achieve either of his goals there... neither cheap, nor enough light.

[WyldFya]

I have read them they are good articles. i know I would need a higher output source of lighting, but I still do not know the most cost efficient way to look into lighting the tank. All the fixtures I looked at online were very expensive.
Have you read the one about WPG? If so, then you will know that that only applies to a select few bulbs. When you go to higher intensity lighting, you won't need to use as much wattage. If you are not going to have the entire length of the tank planted, then the entire length also does not need to be lit. There are many factors that come into play. If you post up the exact plants you are interested in, and your intended layout, then I can point you down the road of lighting that will best suit you.

[Charney]

I read it. By higher out put sources I meant: Compact florescent, metal halide, LED, and high output T5. Not more of the standard fixtures.

Since the tanks for a 15 inch fahaka i wanted to lightly plant the tank. I wanted to spread the plants out over the whole tank. I was thinking of getting mostly stuff from the sword family, some onion plants, if i could some vals,. A lot of what I was going to chose comes down to how much lighting would cost me.

[WyldFya]

I'd run a dual linear HO T5 fixture, like the Hagen ones, and just leave the missing 2 feet blank. The plants will grow fine under that lighting as long as they stay to the middle.

[chesterthehero]

homedepot has started carrying a nice selection of T5 light fixtures.. 2'-3'-4' with both single and double bulbs.. $20-$60.. maybe not the most amazing lights in the world but for the price its worth looking into...
the bulbs they come with a pretty yellow/crappy.. changing bulbs is pretty easy though

[Charney]

thanks for recommending the T5 fixture I will look into that. Maybe I will take a look at homedeopot to get the extra two feet of light I will be missing.

[WyldFya]

Don't bother with Home depot. They carry NO T5, which has been around for a very long time. It is the HO T5 fixtures you want. Look for hagen's lights, they are cost effective, and very good at growing plants.