Hey guys, i need help from plant experts or those with experience and want to know what you guys think. Im trying to decide what kind of lighting i should get for my 29g dwarf cichlids. I want to put a lot of plants in it and i just cant decide which one to get. So id like to find out whats best. Ive really wanted to get LED with the moonlighting by aqueon, it comes with 1 daylight LED strip and has additional slots for 2 more LED strips and if i get this lighting i'll add another daylight and a colormax LED strip. I really want the moonlight effects at nighttime so Im leaning towards this. Is this set-up enough to keep and maintain a planted tank?? If not my other option is to just get the aqueon T5 that comes with 1 colormax and 1 6.7k daytime flourescent bulbs.. LED with lunar effects or T5?
Which lighting for a planted dwarf cichlid tank??
verbal
CCA Members
At this point getting a new fixture, I would go with LED lighting. If you have 3 strips you should be able to grow some plants.
Rasta Fish
Members
In my experience most any aquarium light will work for growing plants in a 29 gallon tank
i think the Key is what Bulb you need, if you already have a light fixture just get a good plant rated bulb....save your self some money
i think the Key is what Bulb you need, if you already have a light fixture just get a good plant rated bulb....save your self some money
Ive read reviews on both fixtures and didnt really get possitive ones on the LEDs on plants and it is expensive without the promise it'll be enough for a heavily planted tank. The T5 has got great reviews so i think i'll go with it. I can live w/o the LED moonlighting just not my plants dying out.. I'll just have to find other alternatives for that.. So any suggestions on that? lol. Also the light fixture I have now is really old, is a big old single bulb(most stores now only sells the new thinner bulbs) and i'd like to make sure my plants will get plenty of light. I want to save money but i dont want to be too cheap and its about time to get a new light fixture. Hopefully the aqueon T5 with its dual lamp will be worth the money. Thanks guys. Oh and also Im looking for some java ferns.. Anybody? Lol
-Matt
-Matt
corrado91
Members
I personally use coral life fixtures. They cost roughly 60 for 48inch and provide plenty of light. The ones I bought came with a daytime bulb and a 50/50. Believe they are t5 bulbs as well. That fish place in Lancaster also had other bulb choices.
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
rsretep
Members
I also use coralife t5 fixtures, the k rating my plants prefer are 6700 and 10000. Other planted tanks that i keep use compact flourescent bulbs. A good source for cheap priced and quality ligthting is Aqua Traders, check them out. I believe Samatha (samobb) was selling some nice Java fern
scientist0724
Members
I love T5 lights for planted. I am looking into getting some LED lights soon for my planted tanks.
I think it all depends on what types of plants you are currently growing. T5 and T5HO lights are great fro high tech and demanding plants, especially those who have red, pink, or orange colors.
Come to a GWAPA meeting to learn about how to grow plants and lighting. Many of our members are starting to switch over to LED lighting and they can tell you how much they spent, what lighting they bought and their considerations for the specific light they got. Our next meeting is in Rockville on the 23rd.
www.GWAPA.org
Arlene
I think it all depends on what types of plants you are currently growing. T5 and T5HO lights are great fro high tech and demanding plants, especially those who have red, pink, or orange colors.
Come to a GWAPA meeting to learn about how to grow plants and lighting. Many of our members are starting to switch over to LED lighting and they can tell you how much they spent, what lighting they bought and their considerations for the specific light they got. Our next meeting is in Rockville on the 23rd.
www.GWAPA.org
Arlene
Thx i'll check if she still have some javas available. I just went and got me an aqueon T5 and its way cheaper than coralife. Now for the plants.. They are being sold bunched together, are they suppose to be kept that way when i put them in my tank or could i seperate and scatter them around? This is my 1st time setting up a planted tank and trying out dwarf cichlids like apistos and rams. Ive never had to ask all this questions(with lighting and plants) with my other all male medium sized nw cichlids tank..
Hawkman2000
Members
I would go with the Marinland Planted LED with Integrated Timer. A bit on the expensive side, but will cover all the bases. I plan on getting one or two for myself soon. Good reviews on them.
We switched our 55g Demasoni tank to LED using PAR38 LED bulbs suspended on track lighting, somewhere on the boards is a picture. It really has made out Jave Ferns in the tank do much better than the old 2xT5NO (one Actinic, one 10k) that we been using.
Not cheap mind you, but it is pretty. I think there are a total of 74w of LEDs with a mix of 12k (33%), 6.5k(33%), Royal Blue and a small amount of actinic(combined 33%) LEDs(the diodes are rated that high, they are unlikely to actually be running at max). It is less blue than the 10k/actinic T5s but still a very cool/blueish light overall - not so noticeable in the tank, but the spill onto the walls is pretty blue.
I think the PAR30/38 solutions (which fit into a standard light bulb socket) are interesting as they open up a real variety of fixture options - i.e. anything that takes a standard light bulb. A cheaper solution that might be worth considering is using the mass market LEDs you find in home depot, the daylight color bulbs are probably ok, but the power tends to be a bit lower. Probably wouldn't work on a 55 but fora smaller tank might not be a bad way to go.
Hawkman2000
Members
Actually, if you are going to do a DIY, that tank is small enough to use 2 x MR16 LED bulbs.
You could use a couple of these for moonlight. -
http://www.petmountain.com/product/...11442-524609/true-lumen-led-lunar-lights.html
You could use a couple of these for moonlight. -
http://www.petmountain.com/product/...11442-524609/true-lumen-led-lunar-lights.html
T
tug
Guest
HiMattGT323,
Separate the plants from the bunch, plant them individually in an area where water easily flows through them about 1 to 1.5 inches apart or so. Long handled stainless tweezers will help your nerves when trying to plant stem plants but if your good with chop sticks I've used them before I owned a set of tweezers. There are a lot of other considerations to growing plants and some plant options that might fit your tank more to your liking - get to Rockville on the 23rd if you can.
Im interested in these for my 29g. Do you use it yourself? Does it run on battery or do i have split wires and connect to my fixture?
T
tug
Guest
Greater Washington Aquatic Plant Association, (GWAPA) will be hosting Sean Murphy, to lead a discussion on how gases dissolve in our aquarium water, affecting the respiration of our fish and growth of plants. It will be my first meeting but this is a good one for plant enthusiasts. We will also be looking at the clubs PAR meter along with the clubs regular auction. 
http://gwapa.org/wordpress/2013/03/march-meeting-4/
http://gwapa.org/wordpress/2013/03/march-meeting-4/
