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tank lighting


Andy_1984

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You could try the LED ones on the market now but I've never used them myself. Quite dear too for a quality set in the right light spectrum.

The problem is, if you want your plants to get the full benefit, you need strong lighting and in the right kelvin range.

5500K-6500K is about right. If you want a shaded area, get some Salvinia Natans, the Rudd especially will love it.

Stick with fluorescent tubes if you want economy and plant growth.

 

Btw, your fish will be less light shy if there are plenty of places to hide. Loads of plants, loads of nooks and crannies and places to hide behind. The more 'safe' areas they have, the more active and confident they will actually be.

 

Renrag

Edited by Renrag39

This Years' Targets:- As many species by lure as possible. Preferably via Kayak. 15lb+ Pike on Lure...

Species Caught 2012- Pike, Perch.

Kayak Launches- Fresh-8 Salt- 0

Kayak Captures- 14 Pike, 1 Perch.

 

My Website and Blog Fishing Blog, Fishkeeping Information and BF3 Guide.

Foxy Lodge Wildlife Rescue

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i remember my first set of growluxe tubes ,how poor i was ,how proud i was

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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i remember my first set of growluxe tubes ,how poor i was ,how proud i was
I remember them too.

The problem isn't what people don't know, it's what they know that just ain't so.
Vaut mieux ne rien dire et passer pour un con que de parler et prouver que t'en est un!
Mi, ch’fais toudis à m’mote

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The problem is, if you want your plants to get the full benefit, you need strong lighting and in the right kelvin range.

 

That's the problem.

 

I've been using Arcadia Ellipse lamps on a couple of my tanks. The highest output freshwater one has a 24W plant pro compact tube, seems to work quite well. I haven't mounted them as they are intended, they are just sitting on the cover glass. I replaced the rear flap on my Juwel corner unit with a sheet of clear polycarbonate, which seems to have worked quite well (the tank needs a thorough de-jungling now!)

 

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=3801

 

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A very good lamp it seems then Steve. Might give one of them a go for a planted tank I'm thinking of.

I never really worried about plants too much before. A powerglo is my normal 'go to' lamp. Does me fine for the biotypes I usually go for eg community/tanganyikan.

 

Renrag

This Years' Targets:- As many species by lure as possible. Preferably via Kayak. 15lb+ Pike on Lure...

Species Caught 2012- Pike, Perch.

Kayak Launches- Fresh-8 Salt- 0

Kayak Captures- 14 Pike, 1 Perch.

 

My Website and Blog Fishing Blog, Fishkeeping Information and BF3 Guide.

Foxy Lodge Wildlife Rescue

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I remember them too.

our local garden centre decided to move their fish department to where it is now (this was back in the 80's) i bought the complete old setup ,40 odd tanks all the lights right down to the gravel (that weighed a fair bit itself) for very little money.There were Growluxe and another expensive twisted jobbie aplenty (as usual buying something new results in cheap ones turning up everywhere)

the only thing i couldn't use was their air pump which was as noisy as a jet!

managed to get 30 tanks in the garage and bred Geophagus for a while until the price dropped ,bloody electric bill though was shocking even though the garage was heavily insulated and had a radiator connected to the house system.

 

it looked stunning all lit up but the whole thing was a full time job to maintain ,it lasted for 6 months or so then moved over to cold water and then after selling what tanks i could (they were becoming cheaper new than what clearseal tanks were worth) broke up the rest for the skip.

the pump[ though (a very expensive 50 tank Jap air pump that was almost silent) i flogged to the Creel in Aldershot where it still runs today for more than it cost as the chap needed one quick for his tank as it was full of carp ,i think after all these years he's got his monies worth

i gave him my last external filter a few years ago ,stuff is very cheap today compared

air isnt used much today as powerheads rightly work better in many situations but ofcourse you need many so with performance comes the price of running them ,my one air pump on the 30 undergravel filters was far cheaper than 30 powerheads doing a better job.

i found powerheads had a distinct disadvantage in tanks with fish that move stones ,the "suck" tended to concentrate on the thin covering of stones and merely sucked debris straight through and back out ,a substrate baffle helped but then cleaning was a pain for me ,the air version gave a gentle action across the tank if all four (if there was two under gravel filters) lifts were used

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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I always preferred air powered foam filters for breeding tanks myself. I just felt it was easier to clean the tanks that way. Had 10 16x8x8 tanks with killifish to Neolamprologous Brevis running off of one, very old and well used flywheel/piston air pump. Was nearly the size of one of the tanks lol. Never let me down and was virtually silent bar the gentle suck and a 'popping' sound as the leather valve closed. It used to lull me to sleep! Its somewhere in the loft. Must be worth a few quid now.

 

Renrag

This Years' Targets:- As many species by lure as possible. Preferably via Kayak. 15lb+ Pike on Lure...

Species Caught 2012- Pike, Perch.

Kayak Launches- Fresh-8 Salt- 0

Kayak Captures- 14 Pike, 1 Perch.

 

My Website and Blog Fishing Blog, Fishkeeping Information and BF3 Guide.

Foxy Lodge Wildlife Rescue

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  • 1 month later...

Andy, your lights are fine. For all the length of time they're on anyway and the fish have got well used to them and your prodding around.

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