Some advice on a light please?

[frizzlefish]

Before I order it ----

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Single Satellite Aquarium Lighting System With Lunar Light. It's to go onto the hood of the stainless steel tank I already have. The take is 29g, planted but not heavily and I'd rather not get into the co2 bit so is this over kill? Just right? Not enough?


Also, am I going to have to have it above on those legs or will this one sit right on the hood? (which is what I'm trying for)

It's a steel hood as well, my Dad built a "lip" around the light part that he made so this fixture would fit over that and stay in place. I have a sheet of plexi under the steel hood right now - Dad didn't have ANYTHING between the old screw in bulbs and the water before!

[Chrona]

65 watts will be borderline requiring CO2. I don't know how your lip is set up but mounting legs help in most situations.

[frizzlefish]

65 watts will be borderline requiring CO2. I don't know how your lip is set up but mounting legs help in most situations.

So it may be overkill? Let's look around and see. What I like about this one is the moonlight light built into it too.


Thanks Chrona!

[hungryhound]

Before I order it ----

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Single Satellite Aquarium Lighting System With Lunar Light. It's to go onto the hood of the stainless steel tank I already have. The take is 29g, planted but not heavily and I'd rather not get into the co2 bit so is this over kill? Just right? Not enough?


Also, am I going to have to have it above on those legs or will this one sit right on the hood? (which is what I'm trying for)

It's a steel hood as well, my Dad built a "lip" around the light part that he made so this fixture would fit over that and stay in place. I have a sheet of plexi under the steel hood right now - Dad didn't have ANYTHING between the old screw in bulbs and the water before!

Most of the lights that come with legs allow you to take them off so that they sit directly on your aquarium top.

I agree that the built in lights are a nice feature, but they are really hard to find with a good plant light.

If you are more worried about a slim appearance on top than having the moonlights then I can make a recommendation.

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[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
This light has two t5 bulbs at 18 watts each for a total of 36 watts. IT is very slim. I have the 36 inch version on my 30 gallon and love it.

The dimensions are 1"H x 3.5"W x 30"L

It seems to put out a descent amount of light. I have it running on my shrimp tank, with no co2 for about a month and I have not seen any algae yet. Not even diatoms. So I doubt that it would need CO2.

The only draw back is that you would have to purchase your moonlights separately.

[Lady Hobbs]

I like mine, too. Throws out a lot of light. I use it with my regular tank light.

[jttt3]

It's a bit overkill for a 29 gallon, I'd go for the 32 watt total. That's where I am plan to head with my 29 gallon as well, right around 32watts, which with floursent give out about 2000-2400 lumens.

6500+ Kelvin (K) doesn't promote algea growth as much, so go 6500K-10,000K as far as temperature range. Algea likes to obsorb at the more yellow and red end of the spectrum. The higher the K (kelvin) rating, the more white-blue the light is.

Actinic lighting is cool, gives a nice ripple effect in the water, I love it, but have it off most of the time in my fresh water. You don't really need it unless you are doing saltwater corals and your lighting is under 10,000K in temperature range.

I'd go with the light recommended if only the facts that it uses less electricity and is cheaper but gives the same type of lighting that isn't overkill.

[Chrona]

Any spectrum that is good for plant growth is good for algae growth. However, given good growing conditions, plants will outcompete algae, so you want to get whatever light is best for the plants. The color temperature is also mostly for aesthetics, as you can have two 6700k bulbs with distinctly different spectrum outputs, which results in the wide ranges of results people get with different bulbs of the same K rating.

As for overkill, it's only overkill if you aren't injecting CO2. If you inject CO2, overkill would be in the 180+ watt range for a 29g.

[frizzlefish]

As for overkill, it's only overkill if you aren't injecting CO2. If you inject CO2, overkill would be in the 180+ watt range for a 29g.


Right, and I don't want to try messing with that for at least another 2 or 3 tanks yet :thumb: