Aquarium lighting

[Chouin]

They have those on Ebay for cheap :
http://stores.cafr.ebay.ca/topdogseller ... =218232819

[Blackhawker]

I love the SA setup Shane!

Off base question, do you use C02 in that tank?

So the fish byproduct is enough to keep your swords/anubias healthy?

[MatsP]

I love the SA setup Shane!

Off base question, do you use C02 in that tank?

So the fish byproduct is enough to keep your swords/anubias healthy?

Yes, many of the more common plants will grow very well with good light and "fish waste". The LFS' will want you to buy lots of stuff to add to the tank, but in general, it's not absolutely necessary. Of course, if you have specific requirements for CERTAIN plants (rather than accepting that NOT everything will actually grow well in the tank), you may need to investigate what those particular plants need.

--
Mats

[Shane]

Mats is correct. I have run many, many heavily planted tanks over the years without CO2. Stick to fairly hardy spp and you will not have an issue. Anubias, swords, java fern, Vallisneria, Nymphaea, Bolbitis and dozens of other aquatic plants will do just fine without CO2.

CO2 helps the most with fragile stem plants, especially those with red and pink leaves, and many "carpet" type plants used by aquatic gardeners.

-Shane

[apistomaster]

In my planted tanks I do not use CO2 but I use enough light that CO2 would help but it is too much trouble and expense since I am not first and foremost an aquatic gardener although I do use substrate fertilizers in potted plants. I pot all my plants I consider more valuable.
Once in awhile I will use a 1/4 tsp of Orchid Fertilizer crystals to my 125 gal planted tank. I have used this for years and it has worked fine and is extremely cheap. For small or multiple tanks I mix a stock solution of diluted fertilizer so I can accurately dose the tanks. A little goes a long ways.

There are only a few and still expensive LED's produce 6400K light with good CRI, PUR and PAR parameters and none of these are cheap or available off eBay. The new Marineland LED strip lights use earlier generation LED technology which have poor plant growing qualities although they do light a tank well and cheaply they are not so good for growing plants. That is what is difficult to understand for most because our eyes see well but the critical spikes in the spectrum for plants are missing.

There are some excellent screw in compact fluorescent lights which work extremely well in cheap hard ware store pendant lights and can be a very cheap way to get good plant growth at an affordable price. They are 6400K, and have good PAR, PUR and CRI ratings with regard to plants. They are popular in hydroponics. In general, look to the lights used by hydroponics as they are at least ten years ahead of the curve compared to aquarium lighting.

CFL, LED, T-5 and T-2 are only good to about 20 inches. For deeper planted tanks MH HQI are still the best.