Greg Curtis

I'm getting ready to setup this tank in about a month or so. I've never had a planted aquarium before just used plastic or silk plants. I planned on using Eco Complete for a substrate and am using a single actinic 03 bulb 48". Is my lighting sufficient for low light plants. I was planning on keeping Amazon Swords, Java Fern and Anubias Nana. Are there any other plants I should be considering. I realize the plants I have chosen aren't all from SA but I believe they are low light plants. Or should I go to a 2 strip cover and use 2 - 48" bulbs. Any sugggestions would be greatly appreciated.

jnaz

actinic lights are for saltwater. How many gallons is your tank?

Greg Curtis

Tank is 90g and I wanted to use actinic blue for low light to see the catfish better instead of them hiding all the time.

trenac

You can use the actinic bulb in combination with a plant bulb (5500k-10000k), but the plants will not survive with actinic only. You will need at least 135 watts with plant bulbs (the actinic does not factor in) to grow low light plants.

Fishtory

Hi Greg,

You're right -- those are low light plants. My Anubias nana are under plant lights, but I have Amazon Swords and java fern in some tanks that only get sunlight through the window. Been there for years. They just grow very slowly.

The actinic bulb/low light idea is a good one. On my newest tank, a 6'2" 125-gallon, I have eight bulbs. Each pair has timers that are set differently, sort of simulating the sun going up and down. My plecos come out of hiding when 2 plant light bulbs (the pinkish ones) are on. If you are wanting plant lighting, this could be a good alternative.

Oh -- I also used ecocomplete, and it was so much better than any other substrate I've ever used that I spent last weekend stripping down another tank to replace the gravel/laterite with ecocomplete!

Good luck.

Greg Curtis

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I'm about to get a 2 strip light fixture. Would leaving my blue actinic in with a plant light do the trick. Or does anyone have another suggestion.

Greg Curtis

Okay I ended up buying a Current USA Orbit. It has 4-65w power compacts. 2 are actinic which I plan on changing out for 2 6700K daylight tubes. 4 Lunar lights will give me that nocturnal effect that I like so much in reef tanks. The 4 tubes will give me 260w on a 90g which I believe to be enough to grow swords, crypts, anubias nana & maybe some kind of moss. How would Vallisneria do under these lights.

jrb77

With all 4 bulbs running you're looking at 2.7 wpg which is not a low light set-up, more of a high-end medium light/low-end high light range. You should be able to grow most any plant you want, BUT, you need to think about CO2 injection, as algae growth may become a problem....

davemonkey

With 260 watts on a 90 gal, you can grow pretty much what you want (except the light will be weaker by the time it hits the substrate due to the height of a 90 gal) .

If you still want low-light, only use two bulbs (130 watts) and you'll be right on target for swords, anubias, crytocorynes, java fern, mosses, and even some marsilea (for groundcover).

I wouldn't use the actinics because, although the plants may not use that light, it will still add some amount of brightness, in combination with the other bulbs, and your fish may still be reluctant to come out in the day.

-Dave

Greg Curtis

Plan on putting the lights on timers during the day and using the lunar lights more at night to entice the plecos to become more active. Is 10 hours of light per day the norm for Swords, Crypts, Vallisneria and Anubias Nana. Would something like Excel work instead of a CO2 setup.