Canopy Lighting

[Mudfrog]

I'm going to build a canopy for my 120 gallon. I need to buy a light fixture but I'm open to ideas. Originally I was planning on using a 4 foot dual T8 fixture with Powerglo bulbs but I'm wondering how well the bulbs will work that come with the fixture. How about T12's as thats primarily what my local Lowes carries.

Tank will be very lightly planted.. just a couple plants here and there.

 

[Bud8Fan]

Go with the T8s as they will consume less electricity. Lowes, Home Depot, and the likes should carry all sorts of grow lights in the T8 variety.

I don't have plants so I just used good old 6500K lights in mine. Way cheaper than purchasing specialty aquarium lighting.

 

[King Edward]

I'd go for power LED's. They are a fiver each here, 4/6 would give loadsa light for viewing and you could cluster then where you want the plants....I'm making a hood and thats my plan...

 

[cichlid2006]

lighting for plants depends totally on the kind of plant and its requirements. one T8 is ok for what i have. anubias nana, elodea densa, vallis and one other and they are all growing rapidly. just not quick enough to beat my uaru.
even high light plants only need about 3-4 T8 tubes unless the tank is very deep. you dont need expensive speciality lights at all for plants. dual T8 tubes should be fine for all but high/very high light requirements.

 

[Mudfrog]

I went ahead and bought a dual 4ft T8 Fixture w/ reflector last night, so now I need to decide if I want cheap bulbs from lowes or powerglo bulbs. I would like the additional color enhancing on the fish that powerglo offers but at this point I'm not sure if I want to spend the extra cash.

The reflector on the fixture is just white painted metal, will that be suffice or should I glue aluminum foil down to help reflect the light better?

As for the plants.. when I say lightly planted I mean like 4-5 low light plants I primarily use the bulbs you buy in a package at walmart, those will grow in anything.

BTW, tank is 24" deep.