I recently decided to start up a planted tank and was wondering if I had enough lighting to get a carpet going across the tank. I have eco-complete about 3 inches deep around the tank right now I have the Hamilton tech 96 w 10k bulb and optibright 36in 15vdc. Is this enough lighting and will it be to bright for the bichirs I have. The tank is a 75 gallon tall thank you for the info.
Getting into a planted tank
- Thread starter Oddballs
- Start date
Someone more experienced will chime in hopefully to answer your question, but what I would say is that carbon dioxide injection and suitable levels of fertiliser are likely to be far more of a concern; do you have these covered?
The listed lighting you have won't be enough to grow stuff like dwarf baby tears, dwarf hair grass, etc... but it should be able to grow Marsilea hirsuta also called dwarf 4 leaf clover. The Aqueon Optibright at 12" above the substrate only has 30-35 for PAR so combined with the power compact 96w the PAR totals will be around 50 and that's just a guess.
Because of how power compact fixtures, and bulbs are built there's no way to pin point actual PAR data because of how each is built so different that there's no way to get an actual PAR measurement unlike T5HO in which every bulb is built in the same fashion whether it's 6500k or 12,000k.
Because of how power compact fixtures, and bulbs are built there's no way to pin point actual PAR data because of how each is built so different that there's no way to get an actual PAR measurement unlike T5HO in which every bulb is built in the same fashion whether it's 6500k or 12,000k.
So I'm debating to buy the t5HO but with the power compact 96w with a reflector it seems bright. Like I lift up the canopy and it hurts the eyes. Would putting more light possible hurt my discus?
Discus prefer moderate lighting, if the lighting is too bright it takes away the natural color of the fish as seen in this picture...
However, with moderate lighting in a planted tank you can see the difference as in this photo...
T5HO would suite the tank better if it's planted, but one of the main things people like to do with a discus tank is to paint the back of the tank black so there no reflective light coming from the wall behind the tank.
However, with moderate lighting in a planted tank you can see the difference as in this photo...
T5HO would suite the tank better if it's planted, but one of the main things people like to do with a discus tank is to paint the back of the tank black so there no reflective light coming from the wall behind the tank.
Last edited:
Finally bit the bullet and bought the 48 in t5HO quad lights. Decided that I should update my co2 system and just got a new regulator with solenoid and new controller/monitor. Currently waiting for the pH sensor and should be good to swap out the old system.expensive but worth iy
Sounds awesome! The thing I like best is that a T5HO quad well I'll explain when I had a T5HO quad...
On my 45 gallon long tank (4"x12"x19") I was using a quad fixture on it, and first is my bulb selection from front to back, then my lighting schedule...
6500k bulb
420nm actinic bulb
12,000k bright white actinic bulb
wavepoint ultra growth wave bulb
Light schedule
8am front 2 bulbs turn on
10am back 2 bulbs come on
2pm front 2 bulbs shut off
4pm back 2 bulbs shut off
So with my selection of bulbs I was able to target the peaks in both chlorophyll stages whether it was the front 2 bulbs only, or the 2 rear bulbs only, or even with all 4 bulbs running. So it always gave me optimum growth in the plants...
Here's a graph showing live plants chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B stages and when they peak at what spectrum...
Then here's the following wavelengths for each of my selected bulbs
420nm Pure actinic bulb
12,000k White Actinic bulb
With this bulb selection if any of the bulbs went out I could adjust the digital timer on my fixture to ensure that the plant peaks were always targeted during my lighting schedule.
On my 45 gallon long tank (4"x12"x19") I was using a quad fixture on it, and first is my bulb selection from front to back, then my lighting schedule...
6500k bulb
420nm actinic bulb
12,000k bright white actinic bulb
wavepoint ultra growth wave bulb
Light schedule
8am front 2 bulbs turn on
10am back 2 bulbs come on
2pm front 2 bulbs shut off
4pm back 2 bulbs shut off
So with my selection of bulbs I was able to target the peaks in both chlorophyll stages whether it was the front 2 bulbs only, or the 2 rear bulbs only, or even with all 4 bulbs running. So it always gave me optimum growth in the plants...
Here's a graph showing live plants chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B stages and when they peak at what spectrum...
Then here's the following wavelengths for each of my selected bulbs
420nm Pure actinic bulb
12,000k White Actinic bulb
With this bulb selection if any of the bulbs went out I could adjust the digital timer on my fixture to ensure that the plant peaks were always targeted during my lighting schedule.
Thank you for the information. As of right now I have two flora sun zoo med bulbs as bulbs 2 and 3 bulb 1 is a colar sun and the other is zoo med ultra sun. Zoo med is a couple blocks away so always easier to get there products. Th tanks at the shops they have are ridiculous.
Not a bad selection of bulbs! I think you meant Coral Sun lol, that bulb has a high 420nm wavelength to it which is good, the 2 Flora Sun bulbs have a mid-range 660nm wavelength so that'll work, and the Ultra Sun has a 440nm wavelength which when compared to the chlorophyll graph it's between the peaks of chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B first stage of peaks.
So not too bad with running those bulbs!!!!
So not too bad with running those bulbs!!!!