Lighting a Planted Tank

jcardona1

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Jun 5, 2007
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Pyramid_Party;4354415;4354415 said:
Is it true when it comes to T8/T12 bulbs the WPG rule still applies?
sorta. the WPG rule was developed based on these bulbs. but WPG is just a guess really. with actual PAR data available to you in this chart, there is no need to use the archaic WPG rule anymore.
 

Pyramid_Party

Fire Eel
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Aug 6, 2008
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Some guy over at barrreport.com told me I could use 1 T8 bulb to get a low tech/low ligh tank for a 29 gallon. I felt like this was confusing.
 

fishyjoe26

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I have a question what type of light would I have with 1 96w power compact on each side of a 125g or 2 96w power compacts on each side of a 125g. i'm having a hard time finding light for this tank that doesn't cost a arm and a leg. thinking of moving my lighting from my 55g on to my 125g. and making my 55 a med. light tank with c02.
 

Pyramid_Party

Fire Eel
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Aug 6, 2008
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Whats the depth? Just measure with the depth and the type of bulb/lamp you have using the chart, and you will get your light catagory. But you know, higher the light, the more demand for C02 and ferts.
 

suprakid95

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Jun 19, 2008
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oh no i've over done it on lighting by alot....lol 75g 120 par i have 4 t5ho spanning the tank i thought i didnt have enough because i had 2.88wpg with 54 watt bulbs
 

jcardona1

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suprakid95;4367014;4367014 said:
oh no i've over done it on lighting by alot....lol 75g 120 par i have 4 t5ho spanning the tank i thought i didnt have enough because i had 2.88wpg with 54 watt bulbs
yeah thats way too much light. 2 54w T5HO bulbs over a 75g tank is more than enough. and thats because the WPG rule was NOT made for T5HO. it was intended for the old T8/T12 bulbs. T5HO is a totally different ballgame
 

Tropicalfishking

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Jan 24, 2009
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Is this completely crazy thinking??

If you are measuring the amount of par from the bottom of the tank, say a 75gallon. 21inches tall, and your running presurized Co2. You want high light, and your running 2 T5HO bulbs. that would be a total of 110 (?) micromols of par at the bottom of the tank. So what about the plants that aren't on the bottom of the tank. say the ones that are in the middle or really tall like some vallisneria or something. wouldn't the par reading be off the charts for those that aren't on the bottom???

If that makes any sense at all....
 

jcardona1

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yeah of course, PAR will vary from the top, middle, and bottom of the tank. these are measured at the bottom of the tank, which is what is imporant since you dont want the stems of your plants and any low growing foreground plants to not have enough light
 

Tropicalfishking

Fire Eel
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If you had high light so you could grow a carpeting plant and you also had some tall plant wouldn't you be setting yourself up for algea problems for the plant that is higher in the water colum, because there would an overwelming about of PAR like 200 or something?
 
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