BIG tank Lighting

Hello everyone first post here. Here is the dilemma, I have a 600 gallon tank that I want to plant with US native plants mostly Vals nothing needing real high light now I've read a few times where the WPG rule gets thrown out the window when it comes to tanks like mine. I have a few posts on a few different sites trying to find a good lighting set up that will let me grow a jungle of.. Jungle Vals
I've researched lots of options like Metal halides which really isnt an option due to cost, PC lighting again cost prohibitive, Screw in SHO CFL bulbs and what looks most promising Over Driven T8's. I've been looking on a few sites and threads going on each looking for suggestions and 2 different site I've been refered to Mr. Barr's insight into lighting a large tank. The tank Dimensions are 96Lx48Wx30H subtracting water level in the tank and substrate depth I have about 25-26" of water depth to the top of the substrate. I made a little site about the construction of the tank (its a DIY) on google sites HERE . This is pretty much my last hope here so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! TIA

 

I have 4 40W GE T12 bulbs in there now but they aren't working well, probably due to the fact that they are only 4100K and not to sure about the Lumens either. The reason I have them is because I had not intended on having any plants in the tank. I'd like to upgrade to something other than T12's more along the lines of T8 or T5 for more efficiency and stay away from having to put 1000+ watts over the tank. As I mentioned I've read where people have said that over a large tank the WPG rule doesn't fit but then they give no answer as to what will work. Thanks for the tip tho, every bit of info helps.

 

Thank you

I did Co2 once on a 55G planted and uhh.... no way will I do pressurized on a 600 lol I'll go the Excel route. For the moment I'm leaning towards the T8 route @ 1000bulbs.com Fulham Workhorse 5 T8 ballast that runs 4 bulbs for $24.13 and .40 per socket then a case of 36 T832W 6500K bulbs for 104.01 which works out to under $3.00 a bulb. I just need to find out exactly how many ballasts I'll need. I can go 6 ballasts, case of bulbs and sockets for under $300 shipped. the 6 was because I was planning on Over Driving them but I'm not looking at making any purchases till December I don't like rushing stuff like this I planned my tank out for a loooong time before I started the build and I plan on doing the same here.

 

Your right with the Excel and Vals. I did a Google search and the 1st link that came up and I went to was nothing but "Excel melted my Vals" I wouldn't even know where to start with Pressurized CO2 on a tank as big as mine.

 

With the T8's should I use 16 T8 ODNO or just standard 32W 8 on a side (16 total)? The Automated water change should be fairly simple for me to do and good motivation to do it if I can bypass CO2 in doing so. Thank you for the tip! it looks like I finally came to the right place.

 

The biggest reason is cost. I realize tho that a majority of the cost of CO2 is up front with the Regulator and canister but I really need to look a the cost overall for everything I would like to do. Now if I do go with CO2 I don't think getting even distribution in the tank will be an issue because of the way the water is delivered back into the tank. When the water is fed back it is split up into 8 jets in 5 different locations in the tank. It would be easy for me to tap into the main line going back and more than likely the CO2 would be completely dissolved into the water before it left the jets if I used a quality diffuser but still there is the initial cost issue. here is a pic of the return lines before I put it in the tank and covered it with the substrate.

 

I had initially wanted to go with the spotlight effect with the screw in compact fluorescent light bulbs inside a reflector but I was told that those would not work. The bulbs were 105W 6500K bulbs (6700 lumens). I'm still not clear on if Tom Barr meant standard or ODNO T8's in 2 banks of 8 over the tank.
The root tabs sound like a good idea to keep the extra nutrients out of the water column and keep it away from the algae. Now are Jungle vals low or medium light plants? I see different requirements all over the place.