Lighting

So I fashioned myself some plant lighting. I went to Lowes and picked up a fixture with 2 24" fluorescent lights. I put in a couple of 20watt GE aquarium gro lights. These two are coupled with a single florescent 18" daylight (dont know the wattage, probably 15-20). Is this enough to start growing some high quantities of plants?

 

for what size tank

 

Its a 47g

 

Hmm. Tangster would know this better, but im thinking you should be okay for now.

 

it depends on what the kelvin is. 2700k,5100k,6500k work good for growing plants

 

I think they're 3000k... Is that variable really specific, or is that close enough? A friend of mine said he bough similar bulbs (they weren't grow lights like these are) and he ended up with little/no growth and a ton of algae bloom in his FW tank.

 

Melevsreef.com - Refugium Bulb

 

Thats not close to being enough imo. 40w of lighting on a 47g (bow front I take it?), at 20" hight is not enough for growing a lush system. Invest in either VHO's or PC's. The kelvin will depend on what species of plants you desire to keep.

 

If its T12 in the fixture, couldnt you rewire it to be VHO?

 

This will work well for a fuge the plants need the yellow to green end of the spectrum more then they do the blue .. You should be good to go is this on a refugium of 47 gal ? Its rather tall But as long as its not to large you should be fine. I find a set of Red LEDs made mine really do better as for the plants growth rates . And for off the shelf fluorescent tube the warm white works as well as the plant grow-lux bulbs do and just a bit cheaper..