Going for the planted tank ;)

Well, coralife used to make a T5NO fixture but apparently they discontinued it. And in my little google search I was unable to find any other companies that make one for aquariums.

sooo...you can either go to home depot/Lowes and see what they have for T5NO fixtures and you will have to do a little DIY or you can go for T5HO fixtures.

I think if you were to get a cheapo 2 bulb T5HO fixture from Odyssea and hung it ~ 6" above the tank you could be in the medium light range.

48" T5 HO Aquarium Light Strip Hood Plant 6500K 108W | eBay

i personally love these fixtures as they are cheap and effective. You could even get the 4 bulb fixture and just use 2 of the bulbs. This way you will have the ability to increase the lighting at any point, if you desire. I have the 4 bulb version over my 75 gallon and it is really great.

 

Thanks again for the help!That one looks great, but I want to do some more looking around to be sure that I make the right choice!
But...I have run into a problem...
I have been thinking about my tank and the filtration of it when I realized I actually have an undergravel filter in it. Will this be a problem?
Thanks
JJL

 

Yes i would definitely put alot of of thought into what your goals are in terms of what plants you want to keep before picking a light. This is probably THE most important decision to make for a planted tank. Take a trip down to Lowes/home depot and check out what they have in terms of lighting.

Generally speaking undergravel filters are not considered good in a planted tank. I don't know much about it but from what I understand they will draw out all the good nutrients from your substrate. Again i have no first hand experience and I don't know anything about UG filters though.but this is what I have read in the past.

EDIT: I don't know what your budget is for this tank, but canister filters are really great for planted tanks.

 

Ok...if I have to I will take out the undergravel. Maybe 2in10 knows about them.
I am way ahead of you with the canister...LOL...I have a Fluval 305
I appreciate the help
JJL