suggest lighting for a 15 inch cube

[anandaqu]

Hi,

I am setting up a 15 inch cube (38.1 cm)...that's about 14.61 gallons...planning a lot of rocks as hardscape in the middle and only HC Cuba all around it.

What lighting would you suggest for this set-up. It will have pressurised Co2 running with a ceramic diffuser.

thanks

 

[anandaqu]

please

Suggestions, please? Any one with any experience, please help...

thanks

 

[Gerryd]

I just posted a nice reply and lost it (!@#!$$#!$)!

Okay second try but less verbiose lol

Do not go over 15-20 watts TOTAL for this tank.

Try and mount the fixture so it can be adjustable.

Any decent compact flourescent (CF) bulb between 6500 and 10,000 kelvin based on your choice should be fine. How it looks to you, as the plants do not care.

I don't think you will need a T5, but small tanks are not my area of expertise.

Remember that any reflector will really enhance any light. This is not a large tank, so it is easy to overwhelm it with light.

It is easy to have issues related to too much light. Higher light drive higher rates of growth and more need for all nutrients, esp c02.

Hope this helps.

 

[VaughnH]

Two of these: Compact Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting: Mini-Freshwater & Mini-Aqualights is what I would be looking at if I had that tank. You need more watts per gallon for tanks that small than you would expect. If you have good DIY skills you could use the guts of these fixtures fitted into a DIY hood, possibly with a better reflector, and suspended over the tank so you could raise it a bit if it is too much light.

 

[anandaqu]

thanks

Thanks Gerry & VaughnH...value your inputs

Gerry is suggesting a total of 20 watt...

VaughnH is suggesting 9 w X 4 PLs (36 W) ...

I am aware of the danger of overwhelming the tank with too much light...so I am planing to get 2 X 18 w PLs in a DIY fixture over this tank, but run the lights this way (idea borrowed from a Tom Barr suggestion in another thread)

10 hours total:
Use 18 watts for 6 hours total, 36w for 4 in the middle of the day period.

So the rear bank comes on at 10am, the shuts off at 4pm.
The front bank comes on at 2pm and shouts off at 8pm.

Having two lights with independent timers gives me a little bit of flexibility to adjust the light based on the results I get...

Is this a good plan of action? Any other suggestions?

thanks
anand

 

[VaughnH]

A lot of people use the midday light surge as you are planning, but my preference is to use the same light all day. If you are suspending that light above the tank you don't have to raise it very far, just a few inches, to reduce the intensity a great deal. Oregon Aqua Design | Come in we are OPEN!!!! is one option for suspending the fixture.