(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best aquarium lights
We found 1,812 Reddit comments discussing the best aquarium lights. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 433 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
21. Beamswork EA Timer FSPEC LED Aquarium Light Freshwwater Plant Extendable (50cm - 18")
- LEDs: 22x 0.50W (1000 lumen)
- Config: 15x 10000K, 3x Actinic 460nm, 2x Red 620nm, 2x Green 520nm
- Timer Ready, 2 Mode Day / Night
- Suitable for freshwater, plants, cichlid
- 1 Year Warranty*
Features:
Specs:
Color | Green,red |
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 17.5 Inches |
Size | 50cm - 18" |
Weight | 2 Pounds |
Width | 5.25 Inches |
22. Wave-point 6-Inch 8-Watt Super Blue and Daylight Micro Sun LED High Output Clamp Light
- 33 inches 39 Watt
- High output reef Accelerator Lamp
- Use with wave point
Features:
Specs:
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 6 Inches |
Size | 6-Inch |
Weight | 1.05 Pounds |
Width | 6 Inches |
23. Wave-point 12-Inch 16-Watt Super Blue and DaylightMicro Sun LED High Output Clamp Light
- Sleek aluminum hood with heat removal
- Adjustable arm made of durable high impact Plastic
- Low voltage Ulf listed transformer
Features:
Specs:
Color | Blue |
Height | 9 Inches |
Length | 12 Inches |
Size | 12-Inch x 9-Inch x 6-Inch |
Weight | 2.5 Pounds |
Width | 6 Inches |
24. Finnex Stingray Aquarium LED Light, 30-Inch
30" Pencil Thin Multi Color LED Fixture(32) 7000k + (8) Actinic Blue LEDs + (8) 660nm Red LEDsTrue 660nm RED High CRI Scoring LED Bulbs16 Output WattsTri-color Blend to Promote and Showcase Inhabitants
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 0.75 Inches |
Length | 30 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 30 Inch |
Weight | 1.4 Pounds |
Width | 2 Inches |
25. Marineland Double Bright LED Light, 18- to 24-Inch
Marinelands revolutionary LED lighting systems6000K one watt white and 60mW blue LED lighting system17000-Hour of rated life
Specs:
Height | 3.5 Inches |
Length | 21.375 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 18- to 24-Inch |
Weight | 1.95 Pounds |
Width | 7.4375 Inches |
26. MarsAqua Dimmable 165W 300W LED Aquarium Light 30 Gallon 55 Gallon Coral Reef Light Full Spectrum for Fish Freshwater and Saltwater Coral Tank Blue and White 6500K LPS/SPS with Daisy Chain Multifuncti
- Fits 2006-2009 Toyota 4Runner All Models
- 100% Brand New, Comes in a Pair, Which Means Included Left Side (Driver Side) & Right Side (Passenger Side)
- Direct Bolt On Replacement For Your Original Headlights, No Wiring or Any Other Modification Needed
- 90 Days Limited Warranty from the date of the shipment shows delivered, No exception
- Unless Otherwise Noted, Our Lights Do Not Include Bulbs, Though Occasionally Lighting Manufacturers Do Include Bulbs in the Lights.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Blue and White |
Height | 2.36 Inches |
Length | 15.75 Inches |
Size | Pack of 1 |
Weight | 6.53 Pounds |
Width | 8.35 Inches |
27. Marineland 32996 LED Aquarium Light, Natural Shimmering Light
BRIGHTER LIGHT White LEDs create a shimmering illumination that mimics sunlight’s natural underwater effect – now 25% brighter compared to previous model white LEDsNIGHT LIGHT EFFECT Enjoy your aquarium at night by switching to the blue night light modeRUBBER FEET Use with a glass canopy – rub...
Specs:
Color | Red |
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 11 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 11-Inch x 4-Inch |
Weight | 0.75 Pounds |
Width | 4 Inches |
28. Finnex FugeRay Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights, 10-Inch
Finnex Unibody Ultra Slim High LED +Moonlights4 Blue LEDs/32 White LEDs4 total Watts7000k + MoonlightsDimensions: 10" Long x 3" Wide x 1" High
Specs:
Color | Blue,white |
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 10 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 10-Inch |
Weight | 0.5 Pounds |
Width | 3 Inches |
29. NICREW ClassicLED Plus Planted Aquarium Light, Full Spectrum LED Fish Tank Light for Freshwater Plants, 18 to 24 Inch, 15 Watts
- The full-spectrum light combines 6500K white, 450nm blue, TRUE 660nm deep red and green LEDs, producing a fine-tuned color spectrum. Adjustable spectrum on 2 lighting modes achieves more control flexibility
- Provides more options to adjust the auto On/Off time and brightness. Featured 15 or 30-minute ramp-up and dim-down to simulate natural sunrise and sunset, waking the fish up in soft lighting and ensuring a good sleep with complete off at night
- Excellent color rendition with a high CRI of 91 for better appreciation of aquatic plants without distortion, restoring the most accurate natural colors of fish and aquatic plants. Suitable for freshwater or saltwater fish and low-medium light level plants
- Adjustable docking mounts on both sides provide an easy way for quick adaptability to fit most rimless and framed aquariums
- Aluminum alloy shell helps best heat dissipation, and this light is recommended for use over glass or acrylic canopy-covered aquariums
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2.52 Inches |
Length | 17.52 Inches |
Size | 18 - 24 in |
Weight | 1.543235834 Pounds |
Width | 4.57 Inches |
30. Current USA Single Ramp Timer for Aquarium
- NATURAL LIGHT SCHEDULE- Inspired by mother nature, the Ramp Timer is a fully programmable 24-hour LED lighting controller that not only turns your lights on and off, but it also simulates a gentle sunrise and sunset for your critters.
- SIMPLE CONTROLLER- A push button keypad provides an effortless way to pre-program on/off times and the large LCD display is easy on the eyes. Simply program your desired on and off times and choose between two modes: on/off or on/off with a 15 minute ramp up and dim down. A manual button even allows you to turn your lights on or off instantly.
- PROGRAMMABLE- At the pre-programmed “on” time, the Ramp Timer slowly begins to mimic a morning sunrise and gently increases the lighting level to full brightness over a period of 15 minutes. When the programmed “off” time is reached, it gradually dims the light over 15 minutes before turning off, simulating a soft dusk to night effect.
- BENEFITS- Slowly acclimates animals to the high brightness that LEDs produce. This slow acclimation helps reduce stress often caused by sudden light intensity changes and provides a more natural rhythmic daily light cycle.
- 30 DAY GUARANTEE-We are so sure you’ll be happy with your purchase that we offer a “30-Day Money-Back Guarantee” to ensure customer satisfaction of our Current USA products. If for any reason you wish to discontinue using the products, we will promptly issue a refund.
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2.25 Inches |
Length | 3.25 Inches |
Weight | 0.15 Pounds |
Width | 0.75 Inches |
31. Pecute Heater Lamp Ceramic Heat Emitter 100W 110V Pet Coop Black
- 100 Twin Blades, 10 x 10 Bulk Pack
- Fits Atra & Trac II type razors (Does NOT fit Sensor type razors)
- Aloe Lube strip, Polished chrome blades
- Excellent quality, works as well as the name brand for the majority of people
- See the extra photos to confirm what razors these blades fit
Features:
Specs:
Height | 2.95 Inches |
Length | 3.54 Inches |
Weight | 0.35 Pounds |
Width | 2.95 Inches |
32. Finnex FugeRay Planted+ Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights, 24-Inch
24" Unibody Ultra Slim High Output Planted LEDTRUE 660nm intensive photosynthesis RED LEDs(88) 7000k + (48) 660nm RED + (8) Blue Moonlights17. 8 Total Watts
Specs:
Color | Silver |
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 24 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 24 Inch |
Weight | 1.75 Pounds |
Width | 2.75 Inches |
33. Super Bright 3W 2 Mode 48 LED Clip Aquarium Lights Flexible Fish Tank Clamp Clip Lamp With Touchable Inductive Switch(Blue&White LEDs)-White 1 Pack
- 2 Mode: Only blue light on or all white & blue light on
- 40pcs white light LED, 8pcs blue light LED.
- Recommended aquarium tank size:30-50cm
Features:
34. Beamswork DA 80 FSPEC LED Aquarium Light Pent Freshwater 0.50W (80cm - 30")
- Lumen: 4000
- LEDs: 80x 0.50W
- Config: 51x 10000K, 16x Actinic 460nm, 7x Red 620nm, 6x Green 520nm
- Timer Ready, 2 Mode Day / Night
- Suitable for freshwater, plants, cichlid
Features:
Specs:
Color | Green,red |
Height | 1.5 Inches |
Length | 32 Inches |
Size | 80cm - 30" |
Width | 5.25 Inches |
35. NICREW LED Aquarium Light for 12-18 inches Planted Fish Tank, White and Tri-Colored RGB LEDs, 13W
13-Watt LED lighting unitDesigned for nano and desktop aquariums up to 10 gallonsAdjustable mounting legs fit aquarium tank from 12 inches to 18 inchesUnique moonlight mode bathes your aquarium for a beautiful nighttime effectWhite and tri-colored RGB LEDs provide excellent general-purpose lighting ...
Specs:
Color | White,rgb |
Size | 12-18" |
36. Beamswork DA FSPEC LED Aquarium Light Pent Freshwater 0.50W (90cm - 36")
Lumen: 5000LEDs: 100x 0.50WConfig: 70x 10000K, 16x Actinic 460nm, 8x Red 620nm, 6x Green 520nmTimer Ready, 2 Mode Day / NightSuitable for freshwater, plants, cichlid
Specs:
Color | Green,red |
Height | 5.25 Inches |
Length | 36 Inches |
Size | 90cm - 36" |
Width | 0.75 Inches |
37. Finnex Stingray Aquarium LED Light, 16-Inch
- 16" Pencil Thin Multi Color LED Fixture
- (20) 7000k + (4) Actinic Blue LEDs + (4) 660nm Red LEDs
- True 660nm RED High CRI Scoring LED Bulbs
- 10 Output Watts
- Tri-color Blend to Promote and Showcase Inhabitants
- Age range description: all life stages
- Included components: led light, legs
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 0.75 Inches |
Length | 16 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 16 Inch |
Weight | 0.8 Pounds |
Width | 2 Inches |
38. Finnex Stingray Aquarium LED Light, 24-Inch
- 24" Pencil Thin Multi Color LED Fixture
- (27) 7000k + (5) Actinic Blue LEDs + (4) 660nm Red LEDs
- True 660nm RED High CRI Scoring LED Bulbs
- 13 Output Watts
- Tri-color Blend to Promote and Showcase Inhabitants
- Age range description: all life stages
- Included components: led light, legs
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 0.75 Inches |
Length | 24 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 24 Inch |
Weight | 0.59 Pounds |
Width | 2 Inches |
39. ABI LED Aquarium Grow Light Bulb, 12W (Royal Blue 450-470nm + Cold White 15000K)
Promotes growth and blooming of fresh water plants, marine plants, and marine invertebrates including corals. Provides bright illumination for viewing fish, plants, corals, and decor.Designed for optimal spectrum and high efficiency using quality components and sturdy construction.50,000+ hour servi...
Specs:
Height | 5.1 Inches |
Length | 5.6 Inches |
Size | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
Weight | 0.25 Pounds |
Width | 5.1 Inches |
40. Finnex Ray2 Aquarium LED Daylight, 30-Inch
Finnex High Output Unibody Ultra Slim LED, High PARDaylight: 7000k Dual LED StripsDimensions: 30" Long x 3" Wide x 1" High
Specs:
Height | 1 Inches |
Length | 30 Inches |
Size | 30-Inch |
Weight | 0.02 Pounds |
Width | 2.5 Inches |
🎓 Reddit experts on aquarium lights
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where aquarium lights are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
I have an 8G nano I will try to answer your questions.
My current cost is somewhere around $200 including sand, rock, aquaclear 70 refugium mod, light, refugium light, seachem purigen, heater and snail clean up crew.
I would actually buy some sand and not use the beach sand. Use the ocean direct live sand original grade its a great mix of fine and thick pieces with seashells in it.
anenome is not really good for a small tank, but there are a ton of easy to care for corals, green star polyps are quick growing and hardy, mushroom corals and zoas are the common ones. Tridacnid clams are pretty and fairly easy to care for as long as they have good lighting and food and quality water parameters i.e. ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are 0. Nitrates can be a little higher for the clam, green star polyps and mushrooms but any higher than 10 is pushing it.
As far as fish go you are kind of limited with size. You can get a goby/pistol shrimp pair, a single clown fish and some cleaner shrimp, a green chromis and cleaner shrimp, royal gramma and cleaner shrimp. If you like the pistol shrimp you can get a clown, chromis or dottyback along with the pistol shrimp. go here for more info on some common nano fish. make sure to read their minimum tank size requirements
The aquaclear 70 refugium is an excellent mod I am running it with seachem purigen, a clump of chaeto and a submersible light which is staggered 1 hour difference from my display light. i.e. refugium light on at 7, display off at 8. Display on at 9, refugium light off at 10. This helps prevent pH swing during the night. You can use a aqualcear 110 if you wish. I also found that you don't really need the divider between the intake section and the main part of the filter, just use the mesh part over the out take portion and you will be all good. In my 8g I didn't replace the impeller with a smaller version I did remove a small tab on the gray plastic part that reduces flow so that you can reduce flow even more, but I keep mine at max flow output and the corals seem to love it.
My parameters with the 9 pounds of live rock and 10 pounds of live sand with the refugium mod and seachem purigen is
ph-8.2
ammonia-0
nitrite - 0
nitrate -0
I do water changes about every other week but top off daily with RODI or salt water depending on the salinity levels, which I check at night time after the lights are out.
As far as lights go there is a wide variety you can get but I have the wave point 8 watt it provides excellent output for my corals. For you I would recommend the wave point 16 watt since it is a standard 10G tank There are other lights that would work well like a DIY Led array, Par 38 bulb or other clamp on LED's.
I bought my LR from petco.com sicne my LFS didnt have good quality rock. It took my tank about 1 week to spike ammonia and nitrite, then I added the seachem purigen and chaeto to reduce the nitrate levels which were at 40ppm. I also added a clean up crew at this point which I purchased from this awesome site. Performing 50% water changes twice within a week my nitrates were undetectable. Once ammonia and nitrite are 0 and nitrate is less than 20 you can add fish, but if you want to add corals try to keep your nitrates as low as possible.
during the cycle you will see algae which will be maintained through the clean up crew and eventually will be replaced with coraline algae (the purple, red, green cool looking stuff).
I would highly suggest you stay away from the integrated kit approach and buy components. As someone currently trying to overcome an Eclipse system, the burdens far outweigh the benefit of integrations and ease. There's more than enough on getting adequate components here, and I would be happy to help you out with the decision, as would others.
Seeing as how you (thankfully) seem to like to take your time and do this right, I offer you some suggestions:
Good luck. There's lot to research and plan, as well as to spend on, but getting a good setup is so rewarding and relaxing, that it pays back in spades.
It's a bit unclear what your experience level is. You mention "upping my game" but then say it's a "starter" tank.
I have a 2.5 gallon Fluval Spec III which has been running for about a year so I can give you some insights.
A refractometer is an excellent tool to invest in and will help you make accurate measurements.
Any salt mix that advertises as being "reef" formulated is probably fine, I seriously doubt there are big differences between brands.
Aim to do a 30-50% water change every week. Even if you slack off you will still generally end up doing it every 2 weeks which is a good pace. Water changes are essential to replenish trace elements and remove wastes.
For smaller tanks, Cobalt Neo-Therm Heaters are a good choice and have a slim profile. 50 watts is plenty for a 5.5 gallon tank (I have a 25 watt).
Get a two glass thermometers, one for the "display" of the tank and one for the rear chamber. Check them daily.
Get a suite of SALTWATER SPECIFIC test kits that cover pH, Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, Calcium, and Carbonate Hardness (alkalinity). Test strips are nice to have for spot checks but are not to be relied upon. The only parameters I actually check regularly are pH, Calcium, and Alkalinity. Once the tank is stable, other parameters are unlikely to fluctuate much between water changes.
Invest in a good light! Seriously, it's one of the most important pieces of equipment so don't skimp out. You could get away with something like this if your corals aren't picky (I did for months with this light and it actually grew SPS alright) or a dodgy Chinese LED fixture from eBay, but I recommend something like the AI Prime HD (which I just upgraded to). It has built-in wifi control so you can set things like color temperature, auto timing, and weather patterns.
For a small tank, an auto top off (ATO) is essential. I have a Smart ATO Micro and I love it, works perfectly. Without an ATO your water will evaporate, your salinity will fluctuate, you can't risk leaving it alone for more than a day, and if you neglect it your pumps might even run dry and destroy themselves. Trust me, this is $124 well spent.
Upgrade your return pump from stock. I put an AquaTop SWP360 in the back of my Spec III and it works really well, good flow and just the right size. In a 5.5 gallon tank you might get away without an additional powerhead for flow, but I'd recommend a small (small) powerhead for good measure. (Pro tip: repurpose the stock return pump for that!)
What else...
Get GFCI power strips so that you don't electrocute yourself.
If you're getting a Fluval Spec III or V, consider investing in this excellent media basket.
Well that's some good advice to start from... let me know if you have questions.
http://imgur.com/NmBvujH.jpg
/r/plantedtank is a great resource. I will share my personal experience with you to help you avoid some of the pitfalls I experienced.
If you have any more questions let me know. Hope this helps.
you can buy cured live rock, or you can also just place the rock directly into your tank if its the right stuff.
I took a look at your build list, not sure if you've changed it yet but i'd change pretty much everything in it.
Those powerheads will not push enough water. They are cheap chinese pumps that lie about their power. Pick up the hydor koralia powerheads if you want cheap.
Heaters you NEVER want to cheap out on, they are prone to getting stuck in the on position which will cook your entire tank. Look into the Jager line from eheim, very trustworthy.
That return pump is good, but you're going to need more power. The 2300 model is your best bet there. I don't think the 1200 model will even have enough head height to reach back into the tank.
Thats a good starter test kit, as you get into corals you'll want to pick up other ones.
For LEDs if you want cheap go for Mars Aqua LED lights. The ones in your build wont grow anything but the very basic corals. With Mars Aqua (or any other of the chinese LEDs) you can grow basically anything.
That refractometer is super cheap. If you get it i'd recommend testing it against your LFS every so often to make sure its still reading correctly.
Great skimmer choice, i run the octopus.
To start, great salt. As you get into more demanding corals you may want to upgrade to something with more nutrients.
I'd get an auto top off to start. Without it you either need to add water daily, or your tank may suffer. You also want to ONLY use RO/DI water as other water will hurt your livestock.
Don't get that RO system. Looks like a terrible system. Go with Bulk Reef Supply for a cheap RO/DI. You need an RO/DI unless you are planning on buying the water from your LFS.
The seneye is a waste of money. I'd start the tank without a controller, then if you feel like you want one grab the Reefkeeper (I use this) or the apex system (expensive, but has all the cool gadgets and easy to use).
Hope this helps, feel free to message me any time with questions! I love helping out.
Water wisteria https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/water-wisteria/
Pogo erectus https://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/pogostemon-erectus
Ludwigia repens https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Ludwigiarepens'Rubin'(033D)/4450 (won't be red without CO2 FYI)
Rotala Wallichii https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Rotalawallichii(032ATC)/18748
green myrio https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/1617/?pcatid=1617
dwarf hairgrass https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/3622/dwarf-hairgrass?pcatid=3622&c=768+1630+3622
Melon sword https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/829/?pcatid=829 (will turn red without Co2)
Ludwigia cuba https://aquariumplants.com/products/ludwigia-inclinata-var-verticillata-cuba
Ludwigia Ovalis https://buceplant.com/products/ludwigia-ovalis
Cabomba Furcata https://www.azgardens.com/product/cabomba-furcata-bunched-aquarium-plant/. Will be slightly orange and purple without CO2 but still adds color to the tank
Those are my favorites. You can do anything with low light (1 light bar), medium light (2 light bars), and no Co2. Red plants will be green without CO2 but they are still gorgeous.
Make sure you buy good fertilizers. I love Thrive http://nilocg.com/thrive . Pricey but super concentrated. Its an all in one fertilizer. Just 1 squirt per 10 gallons once a week and you're done! Fertilizers don't have to be complicated. Excel is an algaecide and not a good CO2 substitute. If you are having slight algae issues, it can help get it under control.
Edit thanks for the silver and glad i could help!
I bought this light almost 2 years ago and it has proven well to grow plants and algae for me. Your kit may already have the same type of led just in a different configuration so perhaps don't bother unless you want an upgrade and you can compare the two yourself. I only have one of those lights but its paired with a step up into the mid range of their lights IMO, the Marineland Advanced which I have a 48" on my 55 and 30" on my 29 with basic led filling the gap. If you do buy a new light you'll need a glass top for it, Finnex is another good brand with a few options for low to high light plants.
Substrate could be any good pea sized gravel and if you want to up the nutrient power you could go with a walstad type setup, a good way to start would be with a very thin layer of miracle grow organic potting soil. My 10 gallon was also set up the same way, the top layer of substrate is eco complete filled to not even an inch from the bottom of the tank and a thin layer of hand sprinkled mix of potting soil and ground up red clay. With a very thin layer of both dirt and gravel I can avoid swamp gas build and also the worst of the algae. You may want to avoid eco complete for cory fish they could cut their barbels up and depending on how deep you put the dirt and much you use they could potentially stir it up. I think you should be fine with just a small amount as long as you dont upset the gravel as much like during a water change.
I would suggest going with some hardy crypts and rotala rotundifolia/indica both fairly good beginner plants. If you do the switch over keep the media and whatever else is in the tank right now to help cycle the tank. The dirt will give off an ammonia spike but with all the beneficial surfaces and the same filter things should transition over nicely. I dirted my friend's tank last year and we kept the gravel bacterial mostly alive and also left his filters untouched, a week later there were no signs of ammonia and when tested they were tolerable with daily water changes. Ferns and mosses on wood to clear up ground level swimming space, floating plants even to soak up excess nutrients.
Good brand lights Marineland and Finnex, my 10 gallon gets by with high output t5, filters I like are aquaclear hang on the back filters and sunsun or eheim canister filters, DICI solenoids for co2 injection, Rhinox brass check valvues for co2 and IDS inline co2 diffusers. If you do jump into co2, the solenoid and co2 tank both ran me about $125 but I only need a refill every year and a half which is less than $20.
Its all in the dirt
Are you comfortable with DIY type projects? Also, what do the 5g tanks you have look like? I built my wife a 2.5g pico, so I can definitely send some links your way but I want to make sure I'm not sending you useless information. For starters, though, this is the light that hers uses (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZK80YG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). The light is extremely blue, but that is the spectrum that the corals use. I don't think it would be enough light for the more demanding species out there, but it would definitely work with the corals in the picture that you posted. Make sure to get the super blue and daylight version if you go with this - there is a 12" version as well but I don't know the dimensions of your tank. Also, there is no on/off switch, but so long as you keep the light on a timer, this should not become an issue.
As far as your stocking question, hers has a bunch of mushroom corals and zoanthids, as well as a blasto, with a sexy shrimp, pom pom crab, and electric blue hermit crab. You are at the extreme lower end of being able to house a single fish, depending upon your water change regime. I am planning on putting together a 5g for myself in the near future that will house a yasha goby and pistol shrimp combo, which is pushing it but still feasible, for example.
Let me know some more details about what you have in mind as far as setup and I can definitely send some links your way. Since this is your first tank, you definitely will make mistakes, but I wouldn't be completely terrified of putting together a small tank. In fact, I often find it more rewarding to look at hers than my larger one, and so long as you truly take your time, keep livestock demands low, and maintain water quality/salinity, you should be able to pull it off.
Links to beginners sources for starting SW tanks are very one sided. Do search for it, browse, compare few of them and you will see.
You will need RO water, TDS meter to monitor its quality; salt water mix; place for mixing SW with vessel, heater and water pump; refractometer or floating glass hydrometer to measure salinity; test kits (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates for cycling and occasional problems, KH, Ca, Mg, high range pH); substrate is optional; instead of driftwood reef rock, live or dry, should be used for aquacaping and in-tank biomedia; watch for the adult size of livestock and if it has restrictions/problems.
Simplest fishless version is here and here. 4 gal is practical limit for full weekly water changes, anything large should use partial water changes.
More expensive, also small, corals only system is here, as an example of the hardware simplicity. You are free to make it as difficult as possible or expensive and automated, if you wish, of course, as in "52 weeks of reefkeeeping".
Your task is to keep tank clean and water parameters stable.
Good luck!
Yeah that's the planted + 24/7. Just a heads up I hate them so I'm not going to give a favorable review but some people love it. It does all settings from day to night, turn on and leave it, you're done. I think it's a gimmick. I had one, it died within 4 months due to that feature, got stuck on reds and never was happy to work again. They do have a warranty but I was just done at that point
If you're down for having a shading on one side, do it, I wouldn't say it's inadvisable but I like very high lights and very few shadows in my tanks. You could always upgrade to it one day in the future if you wished.
I run these on 3 of my tanks. They're a good light, I adore them. Another light you could upgrade to.
This light I run on the other 5. It's much cheaper and it's very much a low light on higher tanks. I get better growth out of stuff with the planted+ but with what you want this could work. It's cheap enough you can always try it out and if it's not bright enough for you, you can upgrade.
I have no idea the lifespan honestly. Let me check when I bought my first one. Apparently I got it last year on my birthday lol. A year in it's still going great, everything grows way too fast. I believe it's about five+ years. Honestly it's still as bright as the day I got it a year ago.
Thanks! For a lot of red plants co2, fertilizer, and high light will bring out their color a lot more and have them growing pretty fast. I have the 3 extra fixtures on my tank because I got two of those bulbs as gifts, and decided to get a third because I’ve found they do a lot for growth and color on my red plants. Also since this tank is pretty tall, I wanted to add a bit more light than what my beamswork light can do.
The beamswork lights are pretty good for planted tanks especially if you’re on a budget. I got the 36” full spectrum LED fixture for my 40 breeder for about $50 and it works great. If you want a lot of red plants I’d definitely go with a full spectrum WRGB LED fixture like this one. it’s the exact one I use. The one pictured in this post is a different one tho, it’s only got white and blue lights. You can check my previous post here to see what the full spectrum one would look like.
Here is a link to the pink bulbs as well.
Check out the current usa led plus and the ray 2. The current usa one is less powerful, but you can get two for the price of the ray 2 and get just as much PAR. Go with the ray 2 if you want a simple and powerful light, and the current usa if you want cool storm effects and rolling clouds. I went with two of the current usa 48 inch lights on my 90 g. I can keep high light plants alive on the bottom but I will never have a carpet. Everything is growing great though, and I am having to trim about every other week. I keep the two lights on two different timers so I can have a longer viewing period while still controlling algae with a short high-intensity photoperiod.
Another thing to consider is if you plan on getting a ramp timer for cool fade in and out periods instead of the lights clicking on and off. I have one and it is very cool. To turn on and off it goes through a 15 minute "sunrise" or "sunset" so the fish don't get startled. My fish love it, and they get very active during the light changes (they also love the storms with lighting from the current usa lights). A big problem is that the ramp timer isn't compatible with the current usa lights. It causes all kinds of crazy problems and it is very frustrating. For example, some mornings it turns on my lights and sets the lights on heavy lightning instead of fading up to full lighting. Their website should have a detailed list of compatible lights, and I believe the ray 2 is on that list. If you want a ramp timer, go with the ray 2.
Edit: what is the depth of you 55g? Look up the PAR rating for each light at that depth and compare how much PAR you get for your money. With some searching you can find some guidelines on how much PAR you need for high light plants - I can't remember all the numbers right now.
I said some of this elsewhere but for lighting I have the finnex fugeray in 10" As well as a Marineland Penguin 100 filter. pretty basic, ya know. I have a diy CO2 system going using a fluval diffuser which is a really good diffuser. I also have a sponge wrapped around the intake of the filter to protect my invertibrates
For substrate, I just have some black diamond blasted sand. I have a piece of mopani driftwood that I searched months for! Found it in Petco, funny enough in their reptile section, though it said for aquarium use.
flora includes: Water sprite, Baby tears, Dwarf baby tears, Microsword, Duckweed, and a couple others' whose names I cant remember right now.
fauna includes: 1 oto, 6 cherry shrimp (so far!), one nerite snail, and a handful of malaysian trumpet snails. Very happy crew.
I dose with excel about once a week, and feed the shrimp part of an algea wafer every few days.
Heres a good list of plants that you can read up on
Heres another good easy plants list
another list go easy plants/details
Easiest plants - Java moss, Anubias plants, Java Fern
For substrate i'd recommend going for ... 2 routes to use
After you do all that and pick up w.e plants you like. You need to buy liquid fertilizers to dose/make your plants healthier.
You can also go the CO2 route but if this is expensive, go for the cheap route and buy Seachem Excel (liquid co2)
Lighting:
This is the best kind of lighting you can grab
Or this one
I can vouch for the Planted+ I have that and it grows my plants really well/amazing, down side you'll have algae (but thats what algae cleaners are for ;)) Also I use sand + flourish tabs for rooted plants.
Tip:
Root plants need flourish tabs (if you just go the sandroute) but if you grab the eco complete you wont really need tabs since thats already fertilizers.
Plants that dont need to be buried in the substrate (anubias plants/java fern) youll need liquid ferts
If you do go for anubias/java fern/java moss - buy driftwood and tie them down with some fishing line (they do best when tied to driftwood)
Myrio in general is pretty easy, but getting the red color in plants can be harder:
you know, i kinda assumed it had 2 cords, but looking at the pics again, i think you are right! Wow, i feel really bad giving some advice to buy something that I obviously know nothing about...
​
check out the Mars Aqua. this is the one that most people will say they have used if they have a cheap chinese knock off light. it is a bit more expensive at 110.. but its still half the price of what you were looking at.
​
this is a knock off of the mars aqua that does have both cords
this is another knock off, that also has both cords..
​
both of these knock offs are in the $80 range.. so you gotta decide if its worth it to cheap out that much, or go with the 110 mars aqua version.. again, these are all pretty much cheap chinese stuff, that you should get a year or two of good service out of. after that, if you are still in the hobby you will likely have upgraded or changed lights..
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My light is about 10" above the tank. I have mine suspended... i would guess you could make something like a stand for it.. the light itself is rather small, like 10"X16" and only like 2" thick..
As far as lighting, I love the Finnex FugeRay series. It has done my plants a world of good, and LED lights really make your aquarium look great. Hygros start to turn a pretty purple/red on their leaves in high lighting, so mine have started that on the top leaves! Also, I keep my light on for far longer than most people suggest. Since I have shrimp and otos, I have no problems with algae from it, and my plants are growing great. A 30-inch FugeRay is what you would use for a 20 long.
With heating, I would suggest this Fluval. It is digital which lets you be precise in your temperature.
As far as algae like I mentioned earlier, I have no problem with algae from my plants and algae eaters. I usually have my light on for roughly 14 hours per day, and have no problems. It also eliminated the brown algae that I had in my tank at first.
I would be wary of having that many platys. They breed like rabbits, so unless you have a local lfs that purchases fish or takes donations, you will soon overrun your tank with them, and I don't think any of your current stock will eat the fry except the platys. You will still have many that survive. Personally, I would decrease your platys and add more tetras. It's better to have a bigger school with shoaling species.
Definitely get an aeration system. Your fish will need it. I also suggest you get more than one hygro. They really help with nitrate levels, and usually turn two different colors with high light exposure.
As far as shorter, foreground, bushy plants, you can try some micro swords, dwarf baby tears, and some marimo moss balls as possibilities.
Otocinclus Catfish are small algae eating armored catfish that get about 2 inches long. They are shy, peaceful fish that eat algae. You can compare them to a dwarf pleco pretty much.
There is no need to QT plants and I'm not sure what you mean by which way the stems will grow out from. The only thing I can think of is that you're asking which way you should plant the seeds? Plants always grow towards the light, so you should have no problems there. I would recommend starting with plants that are already grown though. This way, even if you have low lighting, they'll be a decent size and you won't have to wait ages for them to grow.
I see you have new questions! Here we go:
First, no you don't need a par meter. That's a waste of money. Most local reef clubs should have one for rent, or maybe an LFS will let you rent one if you're curious about it. But it isn't necessary.
Here's how I approximate the strength of lighting when it comes to LED. First, look at the infamous "chinese leds" aka "black boxes" (https://www.amazon.com/MarsAqua-Dimmable-Aquarium-Freshwater-Saltwater/dp/B017GWDF7E). These are proven to grow even high light demand corals. If you do your research, you'll find each LED is 3 watts. Now if each LED is 3 watt, thats a 155 watt fixture. This is alot of light and you will bleach many corals if you turn it up 100%.
Let's look at another example. The hydra 26 HD. This one also grows corals well. it's 90 watts at full power and can also grow SPS. You would need multiple fixtures to get proper coverage, but it will be enough.
The Hydra's little brother, the AI Prime, is 35 watts if I recall correctly. This one can grow medium to low light corals really well, but in my experience, wasn't enough to keep SPS brown.
Then look at your fixture. If im not mistaken, it's 15 watts? But i guess that would depend on the length. Take that total wattage, and divide by number of led diodes. You're gonna get something like .5 watts or 1 watt per diode. Compare that to the 3 watt per diode of the chinese led that can grow sps, and you'll see what I mean.
So rule of thumb, anything less than 1 watt per diode isn't worth getting. 1 watt per diode (I think orbit marine falls in this category) is the minimum. 3 watts per diode and you can grow anything you want.
That's just a basic rule of thumb. It doesn't factor in spectrum, coverage, penetration, or lighting schedule which is also important. More diodes, better coverage. Stronger diodes, better penetration.
I was recommended this Beamswork light on here awhile ago and it has been great for me for the last year or so. If you are looking for a budget light this one has been great for me so far.
As far as co2 goes it is super easy to do honestly. It only cost me about $100 to set mine up and it is great knowing I can put almost any plant in and it has a chance. I am currently starting a carpet in my tank since I've had the co2 setup for awhile. Here is my setup:
But here is a copy pasted comment explaining my setup and links to all the parts I used that I gave to someone else:
Ok. I'll try to type out my whole setup.
The biggest parts of the setup are the tank and regulator. I use an Empire/Tippman co2 tank with a Double Sun Hydroponics Regulator.
Now, aquarium regulators aren't made with paintball tanks in mind, but most sporting goods stores won't refill tanks above 24oz due to safety reasons. So instead of buying a 5lb tank that no one can refill, I just use a simple Aquatek Paintball co2 adapter to attach the regulator to the tank I have. So for that part of the setup you just attach the adapter to the regulator and then after you fill your Co2 tank attach the tank to the adapter, done (make sure the regulator is plugged in and everything is tightened if you have already filled the co2 tank). Do not attach the adapter to the Co2 tank first, the adapter opens the tank so you'll just empty your Co2 into the air. So attach everything to the Co2 tank last lol.
I also use teflon tape on the tank threads and adapter threads just to help prevent any loss of co2 through the adapter. It probably wouldn't leak without it but I would rather be sure so I just wrapped up both pieces before the install.
Now that you have your regulator/tank setup we just need to get the co2 into the aquarium. I attach Aquatek co2 tubing to the bubble counter that comes attached to the regulator and attach it to a Rhinox check valve, this prevents any water from getting to the regulator, then run co2 tubing from the check valve to a Rhinox co2 diffuser, this condenses the co2 into tiny bubbles so it absorbs into the water.
Boom, almost done. We have co2, we are getting it into the tank, but now how do we know how much? We need a NilocG co2 drop checker and some Drop Checker Solution to put in it. This will come with a card that says the proper colors. I would suggest starting with low co2, check the next day, if the drop checker is still blue, increase the co2 a tiny bit and check again the next day, repeat until it turns green, yellow is bad and you might gas your fish so don't increase co2 too much at a time to protect the fish.
Are those tanks 24" deep and 17" high? If they are only 17" high, it should be fairly easy to get medium light with the Marineland Double Bright or Finnex FugeRay LED fixtures. The Marineland can be easily modified by connecting two sets and doubling its length. Not sure about the Finnex, may need to suspend it for the 140g. If the aquariums are 24" high, you'll need something more powerful like a Finnex Ray2, DIY LED or several T5HO.
Here's a handy reference for general light levels. If your tanks really are 24" deep, you'll need to suspend the lights above the tank to spread the light across the breadth of the tank. LEDs are a different beast and it's difficult to tell just how much light you'll get depending on how they are setup, but high quality LED fixtures are generally comparable to a pair of T5HO.
As for filters, the Eheim Classic 2217 or Fluval 406 canister filters should work for the 60g depending on the bio-load. It's generally best to get a filter that is rated for twice your tanks volume.
I'd highly recommend considering a wet-dry sump for the 140g since it will be much cheaper and more effective than any comparable canister.
Ah, I got this one because a website recommended it, and the amazon reviews seem to say that it's fine for aquariums. I'll see if I can return it, but do you have another recommendation? I don't mind the evaporation, I do 90%+ water changes weekly and I was actually thinking that it'd allow for better airflow compared to a hood.
As for lighting I'm getting this one: https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-ClassicLED-Aquarium-Spectrum-Freshwater/dp/B07F7391M2
Which is going to be raised a bit above the water, so it should probably be fine in regards to splashes?
EDIT: I'm looking at reviews and I do see some people saying it rusts if water gets on it, do you think some kind of cover below the lid could help prevent that? Like nylon netting or something stretched over the top below the mesh screen.
I have the same tank. I have neons in it and they seem to be doing great. You might do a dwarf gourami maybe, or something smaller like a sparkling gourami. Would highly recommend getting some low light plants if you do a small gourami though.
The light in the tank sucksss but I got a Nicrew one that fits under the hood and it is amazing. My plants are growing great despite the depth of the tank. Thinking about getting a second light since my dwarf water lettuce is sucking up most of the light.
Light:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077HKMFWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_i0XpDb5AMSDA7
One if my fluorescents burnt out so I replaced it with $25 of LED panels off amazon and am very happy with the results. My tank now is better lit, my plants are happier, and the LED's draw 10w vs the 72w than the fluorescents used.
I'm very happy with the upgrade.
For those who are interested.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FKPJJNY/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_wuritb046MRC6
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QVKBLS/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_zvritb12CEE1T
Local pick up in Escondido, CA (Daily) and San Juan Capistrano, CA (Sundays only)
Shipping : I'm not too familiar with shipping large items, I assume it would pretty ex,pensive. If someone could walk me through it then I'll ship it out for you.
$55 | 36" Finnex Fugeray Planted Plus - Works great as you can tell by the photos. I own this old model and the newer 24/7 model. I honestly can't find a light output difference between Original Planted plus and 24/7. | https://imgur.com/gallery/FdpSY | This light sells for $114 new on Amazon | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GH9HUQ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_v9K0AbFH4JM2K
SOLD
$20 | 30" Finnex Stingray | Fully functional light, pretty obvious that this light does not fit this tank. I can take photos of it on a 20L tomorrow if you'd like.| https://imgur.com/a/xqV3W | Selling on Amazon for $52 | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAFQ6CI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_E-K0Ab3KYKS9VAh nah that's it right there. Unless you bought a tank specifically labeled for planted tanks that light is probably too week for any non mosses. After all the hobby was rather fake not too long ago and still had to deal with algae so making lights that show off the fish but don't grow algae was a good thing. Get yourself a cheep full spectrum light if you want plants. I use these (beamsworks). They aren't the cheapest, nor do they come with any fancy bells or whistles, nor are they the best but they're full spectrum, ready for timers, and do a good job growing basically whatever I throw in the tank. You know, besides the dead half of my Monte Carlo. The live half's at least growing though! lol!
And uh, maybe look into the walstad method if you're serious about running planted tanks. A lot of people swear by it's results and it just makes sense.
Of course! I got the jar from walmart for about $10. There is about an inch and a half of gravel that I got from petco. The driftwood is some hardwood that I found by my local lake and soaked in a washing soda solution, then a bleach solution, baked in my oven, and finally soaked in water countless times to get the chemicals out. The filter consists of [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LV2KUS/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) powerhead along with a fluval prefilter sponge. For lighting, I just got [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008QVKBLS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and stuck it on my english textbook that I never use. The plant to the left if the filter is an amazon sword, to the right of the filter is a java fern, and in the front is something else that I can't remember the name of. Shortly after I took this picture, my friend brought me some duckweed that she smuggled out of the LFS where she works (I know some people hate duckweed, but IMO it is the greatest aquarium plant in the world). In all I probably spent about $60. I plan on adding maybe a half dozen RCS and a couple bamboo shrimp since there is a very strong current. I'll make sure to post an update once everything is done!
If your planning to do a carpeted tank like I “thought” I could do, make sure to not add large aggregate substrate as it will make carpeting difficult if not impossible. I do weekly water changes of about 30-40%.
My stocking is 7 (used to have eight) neon tetras, one clown pleco, one albino bristlenose pleco, and one Werner killifish. Since I have a relatively high stocking with so much live algae and microorganisms, my plecos produce a lot of waste, so I feel the need to do regular and relatively large water changes.
I’ve bought like three different lights trying to find a good cheap one that does the job and promotes strong plant growth and i have settled on this one light. I really like it and it has a plug that you can connect a timer to control both, day and night lights if you want to.
Here is the link:
Light:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019YXYO1E?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
Timer:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EDMOHH8?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
Basking bulb during day, Ceramic heat emitter at night. https://www.amazon.com/Pecute-Ceramic-Emitter-Reptile-Brooder/dp/B00ORM0JK8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478401573&sr=8-1&keywords=ceramic+heat+emitter
100w ceramic emitter is going to be HOT STUFF. MUCH hotter than a 100w light bulb as all energy is radiated as heat, not heat + light. Not sure how cold it gets in your homies room at night but maybe try starting at 50 or 75w. Its Amazon, buy a few, test them out, return the ones you don't need.
Ceramic bulbs emit just heat, no light. I live in the NorthEast US. It gets cold af at times. In the winter when I know my furnace can't keep up, I have two timers synced. When the lights go off the ceramic heat emitter goes on. Timers are cheap, $10. plug it in and set it when you know your room will drop below 55ºf at night. This rarely happens for me, but you need to be prepared if you know your room will get cold. Apts can be easier to heat steadily than houses with zoned heating. For me, it makes more sense to use ceramic heater than to turn on zone 2 and keep 4 rooms at 68º all winter. You might be in same boat if in northern US.
Monitor your temps closely. Get a temp 'gun' of some sort https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Areptile+temperature+gun&keywords=reptile+temperature+gun&ie=UTF8&qid=1478401750
Best of luck!
I second the heat emitter suggestion. Beardies can get burned easily from underbelly heat sources since they cannot sense heat very well from underneath. As the other person stated, Amazon has these for pretty cheap. http://www.amazon.com/ZGY-Infrared-Ceramic-Emitter-Reptile/dp/B00ORM0JK8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1419641837&sr=8-9&keywords=ceramic+heat+emitter. This is an example. They come in different wattages just like a light bulb so you can pick what works best for your enclosure size.
Java moss is great for beginners, best thing you can do for it is provide regularly (weekly) water changes to the tank, which you should be doing anyway. To clean it when it accumulates excess food or whatever, just pull it out, swish it around in a bucket of aquarium water you've already pulled from the tank to dislodge any debris, then squeeze it gently and place back in the tank. I grow it and most of my live plants under [these Marineland LED bar lights.] (https://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Aquarium-11-Inch-Aquariums-Inches/dp/B004HSYGFQ)
Thanks! I haven't spent too much time searching yet (because I haven't a clue what specs I should be looking for), but my brief search just now I came up with these:
Finnex String Ray
Aquatic Life Reno
VivaGrow, which looks almost identical to my Finnex Planted but the name is different. (I really like my light, I just don't want to spend $100-120 if possible.)
Are there any lights you would recommend that aren't too pricey (I'd love to spend no more than $50 or $60)?
Whats the height of your tank?
Stingray is suited for low light plants. To my knowledge, is has a single row of LED's you can see here on Amazon and also shows the Planted+
For the Planted+, I think there are 2 rows (maybe 3) of LED's and more of the 660nm red LED's as well but also has a stronger output of light.
Ive never owned a Stingray cause Ive always kept high light tanks. I just took my 30" Planted+ on my 20 long off and tore the tank down, but had great growth of course with fertilizers and pressurized CO2.
I use mainly LED lights on my tanks. I have had the best luck growing plants with these lights on 29g tanks:
finnex planted plus
finnex stingray
current USA LED freshwater
DIY LED flood light
I have also used clamp shop lights from lowes and the great value daylight led bulbs
I have the same marineland light setup on one of my 29g tanks and it is barely enough to keep a ball of hair algae alive.
Aside from thanking everyone who replied, I want to take the time to update on whats going on.
After I posted, I was leaning into purchasing a Fluval Spec V to house Fishy. 170). I started looking for other options such as buying another tank, buying at a LFS or commissioning a tank.
A reputable tank maker quoted me US$45.00 to make a 15 Gallon tank, with the following dimension 16.25''x16.25''x13.25'' (LxWxH) made with .88 mm glass or aprox 1/3''.
In turn, I would have to buy a filter, a heater and light (as well as substrate and plants). Here is what Im leaning towards, advice would be very much appreciated, as its my first tank in about 10 years:
Heater: Eheim 25 watt.
Filter: Aquaclear HOB Power Filter 20.
Light: Finnex Stingray 16'.
An acquaintance suggested I buy this filter instead:
Aquaclear Power Head + Aquaclear Powerhead Attachment.
Even suggested I fit my tank with two of those instead of the HOB filter.
Being a noob, I dont really know much about those types of filters.
For plants Im thinking something like this:
Fluval Anubias 12'.
Fluval Lizard Tail.
Substrate: Im looking forward to adding real plants in the future.
Soil - ADA Africana.
Sand - something along that color.
I already own an APC UPS, similar to this one or even the same one (i dont really remember).
Again, any tips or suggestions are welcome.
I don't have any canister filters -- mine are all HOB (Hang On Back), and my favorite brand by far is Aquaclear. Their smallest is this 20 gallon filter. I like it because it is extremely simple to assemble and clean, and if you're looking to have a planted tank, you can leave out the carbon packet entirely (if you choose). Plus, it's clear acrylic so you can see what's going on in there (and if any fish happen to have swum into it!)
I have upgraded from my standard hoods with crappy lights to glass canopies with Marineland double-bright LEDS. I do NOT recommend having the glass top shipped to you -- they are available at PetSmarts and some Petcos, and are relatively inexpensive. Paired with the LED lights, the effect is just stunning compared with standard fluorescent lighting.
I have these lights on a 20g and 29g and they grow plants quite well (mostly low-light plants). In a 10g, they will be even more effective because you're not trying to get the light to reach into such a deep tank.
One more thing I'd recommend that hasn't been mentioned yet is your substrate. I strongly recommend Eco-Complete planted substrate. It's like potting soil especially for planted aquariums. I don't have to rinse it at all (like another one you'll find in stores called Flourite), and plants love it. You can cap it with sand or gravel, or just plant straight into it.
The great thing about a 10g tank is that it doesn't cost very much to "furnish" it. The challenge is that there is less margin for error, and you'll want to keep a close eye on your water quality as you introduce fish and get things stabilized.
And one last thing, since you're a beginner and I swore I would try to help others avoid my mistakes: DON'T BUY THE PLANTS IN THE PLASTIC TUBES!! There are a few exceptions to this, but you need to know that most of the plants you find in the plastic tubes at Petco or Petsmart or elsewhere are not truly aquatic plants. They will rot away in your tank in a matter of weeks and you will feel like you have done something wrong. Bamboo and dracaena are also NOT aquatic plants (even though they are all over the place in pet store aquariums) and will rot eventually.
When you're ready for plants, come back for ideas and recommendations and plan to do lots of homework if you don't want to lost money killing plants. :-) (Speaking from LOTS of experience on that one...)
I’ve really never liked buying kits and I always have bad luck with them — you almost always get stuck with shitty tanks, heaters & filters while paying way more than what they’re worth. Most cheapy HOBs also don’t provide any real biological filter media either — just charcoal (which is useless & potentially harmful over time) and filter floss that they want you to buy replacements for.
If I were you, I’d invest in a 10g tank (14 usd at petco & 10 usd during the dollar per gallon sale), this heater or a similarly priced one, and a cheap sponge filter like this. Same cost for a bigger, better tank with a reliable filtrarion that you won’t have to suppress the flow on. You can also go with a 5g, but that’s a minimum and if she’s an active fish, she’ll definitely appreciate the 10g. it’ll also be easier for you as a new fishkeeper to keep the water parameters steady in a larger tank.
You may need to buy a light or lid, but you do have the option of buying a light that will grow plants or the cheapest LED you can find.
You could try EcoComplete Fine, it looks like people have had success raising corys on that.
I feel like it's worth noting though that with the cost of buying enough special substrate for a 75gal, it might actually be cheaper to just buy a grow light...EcoComplete is about a dollar a pound, and you can get a light for around $50-70: [1][2]
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077HKMFWM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A5193J8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hQgpDbBS7950B
I have that light with that dimmer on a 12” x 12” cube.
The dimmer isn’t absolutely necessary but the light is bright so you’d probably want to dim it down if you aren’t doing a high light/ high tech setup.
As you progress in the hobby, it’ll give you room to raise the brightness as you get into co2 injection and fertilization.
I didn't even think about that. Although I'm about to set up another 5.5 gallon tank with smaller gravel, if I have to I can move him between the two?
The light is this from Marineland --> http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-LED-Aquarium-Light-11-Inch/dp/B004HSYGFQ/ref=sr_1_15?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1398378771&sr=1-15
It's honestly a little too small for a 10 gallon tank. I might be adding a separate light later on to make sure it covers the entire tank. I'll see if I need it. The blue works fantastically though. It has 2 led blue lights. I just wish it spread out over the whole tank on the white part. I still like it though, if it's not a bit cheaply made on the switch. If I remember I'll let you know a few months down the road if I still like it ;)
Try to find the hardscape first before you focus on growing your plants. It'll make it much easier to create the scene.
For a light, moss can grow (slowly) with almost any cheap crappy light, but I'd recommend this light. It's great for low to medium light plants, and I feel like, as you get more into aquascaping, you'll want to explore into a bit more variety than just mosses.
https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Stingray-Aquarium-Light-36-Inch/dp/B00NAFQ6RI?th=1
Thanks! I am using a Beamswork LED light, you can find them here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LFF07I8?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
It is pretty bright, I had to cut it down to 5-6 hours a day or I start getting algae build up. Great for high light plants though, and has a "moonlight" blue setting if you are into that kind of thing.
For the CFL's, they should have them at the big chain stores or your local place. PetSmart, PetCo. PetCo looks cheaper right now, since it's 25% off.
The 50/50 one linked there is the one I've used before (long time ago) and I had good luck growing plants with it. They will also have one that's closer to incandescent colors, which will make red/orange fish look a bit more intensely colored but isn't as good for plants. If your fixture uses two bulbs, one of each will give you a good balance of the two.
What's the dimensions on your 5g? Our little rimless 10g, the finnex light for it cost $25 or so. They sell them at 50% off pretty regularly.
Wow, thank you! I appreciate it. I'll break it down for you if you're curious.
Fish:
Plants:
Tank:
Your tank is looking great! I honestly just got rid of the filter/light on my chi this morning; replaced it with this light and this filter. It's already much better!
http://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Stingray-Aquarium-Light-16-Inch/dp/B00NAFQ97A
Slightly less light output/PAR than the Planted+, at a much more reasonable price. I use a 20" one on my 10-gallon low-tech (dirted with only Excel dosing) and have had great success.
Here are some pictures of someone using a 16" Stingray on a 5.5-gallon tank.
To be honest, that’s a high light fixture. There are even cheaper models that would be more medium light like a Nicrew or a different model of beamswork like EA. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019YXYO1E/
$30 to light a 10g is actually a pretty high budget.
I bought this one off Amazon. Definitely not disappointed. I'll try to get a better video later tonight.
I also bought this with it too. Instead of just turning on the lights, it slowly increases the brightness to full in a window of 15 minutes from the time you set to on and slowly dims the lights off in the off time, again in a 15 minute window.
Leopard geckos will eat less just so you know. My baby bearded dragon eats about 20 dubia a day plus greens atm and that's with relocation stress. The leopard gecko is eating 5 dubia and 5 mealworms a day. :)
But onto the heating. You'll want a cermatic heat emitter like this with a dimmer because they get super hot. Really you'll want a dimmer on your basking light too. Flood lights are a lot cheaper than the basking bulbs you get at the pet store. You'll also need the UV light and r/beardeddragons recommends the long tube Reptisun 10.0 mounted inside the cage.
I won an auction for the betta at the end of the album; and decided I needed to set a new tank up for him instead of putting him in my community tank or Endler breeding tank.
The tank is an Aqueon Evolve 4 Gallon and the light is a Finnex Fugeray 10". I'm just using the stock filter; which is questionable as to if it will be too powerful for the betta...
I'm intending to go fairly low-tech. I'll probably keep the Rotala in there and find some variety of Anubis. I don't really have any experience with low-tech tanks.. so any suggestions would be more than welcome!
Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED +
And Timer (sold separately)
http://www.amazon.com/Current-USA-Satellite-Freshwater-Aquarium/dp/B00C7OTF9E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418682203&sr=8-1&keywords=current+usa&pebp=1418682189836
http://www.amazon.com/Current-USA-Single-Timer-Aquarium/dp/B00FDV1AFA/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_img_y
This is the set up I use for my tank, it still comes on even at the lower light fairly suddenly, but not matter what you do from no light to light will be sudden. If you have the spending money, I'd do the Satellite Freshwater LED + Pro (new model) It has some cool new features the Plus doesn't have. It includes the timer, and auto switches to a moonlight mode after sunset.
Here's a video, if the link doesn't work right, start at just around 1 minute in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmhv8mtcz98
Good luck!
I also check out this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007ZK816S/ref=pd_aw_sbs_2?pi=SS115&simLd=1
I had the freshwater version on my mini planted tank and it worked great and looked amazing.
I had good luck with the Nicrew lights. They look good and grow plants:)
The 10000k beamswork is 49 . I was told that the 6500k option wouldn't be enough light and I would need the more powerful light. But I need to look into the light you posted. It might be a good option for me.
Their timer is $15 the reason for this timer is that it lets you set a time for both daylight and moonlight.
Which adds up to $65
The Fennex is $85 so difference is more like $20 so is there a $20 quality difference in the two.
All of these are low light plants (which will work well with the non-CO2 setup) but to avoid algae on the leaves (especially anubias), you will need a low light plant worth LED.
Without a PAR meter to measure, the best we can give our suggestions that work for us. I've had a lot of success with low light tanks with the finnex stingray. No algae on the walls and none on the leaves. Growth is slow, but normal for non-CO2 tanks.
NICREW LED Aquarium Light for 12-18 inches Planted Fish Tank, White and Tri-Colored RGB LEDs, 13W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077HKMFWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0y7RCbCDTG7WK
went and found the Amazon link for ya! this setting is the "nighttime" setting and the daytime setting is what it's usually on (on top of the tank not sideways) and it works so well my Java ferns have been growing wonderfully under this!
I have an extra one of these laying around: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004HSYGFQ?vs=1
This would use less energy than the fluorescent I believe, but I'm pretty sure I need to limit my plant options.
This Hagen Fluval LED 24-Inch Daylight/Plant Lamp, 25-watt
has served my 30gal low-light planted tank well. Here's a pic of it in action: My 30g!
I also have this Finnex FugeRay Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights on my 5gal tank.
Honestly, I prefer the Fluval, due to it's ease-of-use and the way the light colors the water. But the Finnex has a nice, well-built mechanical look. YMMV.
As bortko76 recommended, get a glass top such as the 30" Versa-Top, I picked one up at Petsmart for my 29g. Eheim canisters are good. I'm running an Eheim 2236.
For led lights, take a look at the Fugeray 30". These work very well for low light plants. The Ray 2 is available if you want to do a brighter light.
It is a Beamswork DA FSPEC LED Aquarium Light Pent Freshwater 0.50W (90cm - 36"). The unit works great and I’ve never had any problems with it for the many months that I’ve had it. I would highly recommend this light. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LFF0878/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zMFQDbVB32ZTK
For a 5 gallon reef all you would need is some live rock from your fowlr, a small 50 watt heater, a small circulation pump like a hydor 240 and a light like this would grow pretty much any coral in a 5 gallon.
https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-Timer-Aquarium-Freshwwater-Extendable/dp/B019YXYO1E/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491484353&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=beamworks%2Ba120&th=1
Just got this light in the mail today. I am starting a dry start planted tank here soon and it looks like a pretty intense light for how inexpensive it is. Has both a day and night time setting and there is a timer you can buy for it as well.
Thank you, my entire setup is below, I do 10-20% water changes weekly depending on water quality and nothing else
15 gallon ~15x15x15 aquarium
Penguin Biowheel HOB filter ( most here will say never use HOB but I've never had an issue in the 2.5 years I've had it)
Hydor Koralia Nano 240 powerhead
The light is a 12" wavepoint 16 watt LED, half super blue half daylight
http://www.amazon.com/Wave-point-12-Inch-16-Watt-DaylightMicro-Output/dp/B007ZK816S/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=023TVC4Y08SYZT2GA6XC
Sure! Here you go! It’s done very well for me for low-medium light plants. The moonlight setting is nice too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B077HKMFWM?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
I have a old spec V and a new Spec V and the new light is far better.
I also have used these with great sucess, I have the older version of this on my SpecV.
https://smile.amazon.com/Beamswork-Timer-Aquarium-Freshwwater-Extendable/dp/B019YXYO1E
This is the one I have (6500K version)
https://smile.amazon.com/Beamswork-Timer-6500K-Aquarium-Freshwater/dp/B01A9F85SO
On my 1.5g pico I use a combination of the Wave-point 8W model and this 2W from HOSSEN. The smaller lamp is used as a spotlight for 4 hours on my sps. I have seen 1/3" of growth on my birdsnest and a few new polyps on zoa if it's any indication of how bad/good I'm doing with these lights.
Honestly, I would have forked out the money for a par30 bulb had I not been a dumb penny-pincher when I started.
Sounds like a finnex stingray would work great for your situation.
Ok I will leave it in the small coral tank for now and turn off the 240 gph powerhead and plant light all together. That will leave a 5-20 Gallon AquaClear HOB filter and the finnex light only. https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Stingray-Aquarium-Light-16-Inch/dp/B00NAFQ97A
Do you think it will be enough light and flow in a 5.5 gallon tank for them? It was opening the pink xenia.
Also, do I need to do water changes with no fish in the tank or should I just clean the filter occasionally?
Finally, Thank you for all the help.
Currently have a flourescent light bulb tank light from my marineland all in one 29g bf kit that's about 9 years old, currently fishless cycling a 46g bf tank, and am currently proving to myself (and my girlfriend, so help me out here) that i can keep fish alive for a long time (she had bad experiences when she was little and her fish would always die, and 7-9 years ago i didnt do my research and knew nothing of the nitrate cycle).
Currently have a slightly overstocked goldfish tank in the 29g, and will be giving a few fish away here shortly and spacing them out into the 46g also. But in terms of energy saving, i wanna get rid of my flourescent bulb tank light, and the new 46g doesnt have a tank light.
So far i think it's either going to be this Fluval or this Current USA or this Finnex 24/7
or this Finnex too
A little more background, the old 29g is in need of a facelift, it's got the blue gravel from 9 years ago and some sun/flourescent light bulb and quite possibly bleached/vinegar'd decorations (im not sure how my father cleaned the tank in my absence after i moved out of his home and went to school) however the decorations look terrible like all the color on alot of surfaces is gone and they are starting to look white.
I wanna do a planted tank, been reading up on substrates, and would love to do sand, but then i also see that sand can't hold certain plants well and you need some other substrate to assist.
In terms of actual species of plants, im lost. There's so many to pick from. I wanna probably do some sort of carpetting plant and then some vertical ones too obviously, and the tank in dire need of a facelift, ill probably go towards driftwood and stones or possibly go out and buy another fake deco from petsmart (not that i really want to, id love a more natural scape if i can).
I have a rubber lip pleco that will be transfering to the 46g when it's finished cycling and a clown pleco that will be staying in the 29g, my goal is to do a tropical tank of some sort. I keep trying to get the girlfriend involved in picking out fish, but so far she's a sucker for the neon colored ones, which are fine.
TLDR - need help deciding between one of the two lights for both of my tanks, im lost and slightly nervous of putting plants in my tanks, there's a lot to pick from and afraid of not doing a good enough job and killing them off as soon as i put them in the tank, also have an empty cavass in the 46g and the 29g needs a facelift as well. Help!
~Much love, thanks for your patience in reading this all, i appreciate any and all suggestions/links/directions you can offer :)
EDIT: Found a Finnex LED light, and added it to see what you guys think, the reviews/warranty is slightly unnerving, also found a 2nd Finnex light
I use my old aquarium lights as plant lights. Nice and white. The ones I have are Finnex Ray 2, rated for high lighted tanks. Seems to be a really good light 1 year later on my vivarium. https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Ray2-Aquarium-Daylight-30-Inch/dp/B00BDDIPAU
​
I also keep one above my plant table to supplement the sunlight since my neighbor has a big tarp covered area blocking a good portion of the window.
I had all of my current corals in a 5g fluval spec and I used a Wave-point 12-Inch 16-Watt Super Blue and DaylightMicro Sun LED High Output Clamp Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZK816S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ftlOybHXRMNXM on it. Paired with an actinic marine land strip it looked decent though the colors faded over time...
Which led me to believe I wasn't getting enough blue spectrum. Is the wavepoint and actinic strip combo enough for the 12? Or could I stand to get more light in there?
If I need more light would this suffice going on top of the glass on the edge? VIPARSPECTRA Timer Control 165W LED Aquarium Light Dimmable Full Spectrum for Coral Reef Grow Fish Tank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UMXAR5S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_lElOyb5RS6Z9J
https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-ClassicLED-Aquarium-Spectrum-Freshwater/dp/B07F7391M2 I have this and it caused a lot of algae in my 8 gallon low tech, but allowed me to grow dope plants. And the algae went away in a couple of weeks. Great light.
I love the look of LED's but finding a decent one for a low price is kinda difficult.
I really like this one, but it would be months till I could afford it.
If I could just find like a floor lamp where I could shine 2-3 CFL bulbs straight down on my tank I would be so happy. =(
Okay thanks, I ended up going with a bag of eco-complete off of amazon. For the light I went with this:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008QVKBLS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Would that work for plants?
I think the 30x12 inches is a 20 gallon long. I have this model and it works really well: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LFF07I8/ref=twister_B01LFF08QO?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1.
It's a little bright for a 20g long so I would get a dimmer
I do have a co2 system in place. So you would recommend this
http://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Ray2-Aquarium-Daylight-30-Inch/dp/B00BDDIPAU/ref=sr_1_1_m?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1462303109&sr=1-1&keywords=finnex+ray+2
over what I have in my original post?
https://www.amazon.com/MarsAqua-Dimmable-Aquarium-Freshwater-Saltwater/dp/B017GWDF7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525976463&sr=8-1&keywords=marsaqua&dpID=510-YtX88TL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
2-3 of those would work well I think. I have never used them but plenty of people including a few local fish stores swear by them for cheap effective lighting.
Thanks for the quick response! I might hold off on the CO2 then and add it in the future when I become more experienced. I do have a piece of driftwood from my fluval edge 6 gallon that I can use instead of the seiryu stones. As for the betta, I have seen some people successfully keep it with RCS but I'm still deciding on if I want to risk it or not.
Some questions about lighting - how does the stock light for the fluval spec v fare for keeping low light plants? It could save some money and I could hold off on buying a finnex light for now. If that won't work, I also have looked into this finnex stingray , a cheaper option. Will the stingray suffice for keeping monte carlo with the CO2 system I was planning to use?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017GWDF7E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1/144-0438777-2979746?ie=UTF8&qid=1525984045&sr=8-1&keywords=mars+aqua&dpPl=1&dpID=510-YtX88TL&ref=plSrch
Looking at mine right now, they have 4 rings on the back, you could probably mount it onto a rail, but you’d have to diy a good deal if you didn’t want to hang it
Well the CHE screws into the fixture. A CHE is basically just another kind of bulb that doesn't give off light so you need a fixture to screw it into and then the fixture gets plugged into the thermostat and the thermostat gets plugged into the outlet.
There are two basic kinds of fixtures for this. This type is what you want if you have a metal mesh lid on a glass tank. It will be on top of the lid aimed down into the cage. This type is used for wood or pvc cages with solid ceilings. The fixture will be mounted inside the cage on the ceiling and then have a metal safety cage installed around the fixture/bulb.
Im in the same boat, 20 gallon long on a budget, so I think this was the best option for me.
I use the same thing. Cheap and it works like a charm.
Edit: Added link
Yeah no problem haha.
DA and EA are the different models of Beamswork light, EA series has 3 rows of LEDs and DA has 5. I would buy the DA model of the 2 for sure, more room to work with.
The Beamswork lights come in 6500k and FSPEC, they just have different LEDs on them. You have the 6500k EA light in the post, I would recommend the DA FSPEC
https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-FSPEC-Aquarium-Light-Freshwater/dp/B01LFF0878/ref=asc_df_B01LFF07BU/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198072615033&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=588379920801468170&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9010452&hvtargid=pla-349201330750&psc=1&th=1
What size tank is it? My tank is a 8 gallon and my corals have been doing great with this light that was 20 bucks. https://www.amazon.com/ABI-Aquarium-Light-10000K-Actinic/dp/B00CXTZN2Q
Seconding this. I have a 6" version of this on my fluval spec, works and looks great.
Edit: Here is the one I bought
/u/plowz is correct! I had the night light on to reduce stress. Except for taking the picture it was the only light in the room and at night it's a pretty neat ambience.
I have two 24" finnex fugeray planted+ on the tank and the plants have been loving it. https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-FugeRay-Planted-Aquarium-Moonlights/dp/B00GH9HSI0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=fugeray+planted&qid=1568898812&sr=8-1 It has the normal daylight LEDs and the blue night time mode. Unlike the 24/7 planted+, you can't customize the LED lights but I run mine on a timer without an issue.
Oh yeah, You definitely have enough power. Almost too much. You will most likely end up having to raise the light up a bit. Right now for my white channel I'm only using 64% power. In the future you can buy the timer/channel mixer separately. https://www.amazon.com/Current-USA-Single-Timer-Aquarium/dp/B00FDV1AFA/ref=pd_bxgy_199_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WGB80Y75D31HWCBSS38P
+1 for wavepoint, also try these, they're super cheap so even if you need more than one you'll be saving money http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CXTZN2Q/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8
I'll be having my lights on 6-8 hrs a day since my tank is right next to my room window and receiving semi-indirect sunlight for several hours while I'm at work. Currently using this LED Light I got from Amazon and my current plants are growing really well with that schedule.
I have this bulb over my 5.5 zoa garden. My zoas are happy and its affordable. Though the bulb is bigger than it looks. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CXTZN2Q/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ooh very interesting about the light. Could that be the cause of some of the tip burn (lights have been on for 16 hrs a day), or are cheaper grow lights not really strong enough to cause tip burn? I've been using a Nicrew aquarium light.
My pH is around 7.0 - 7.5, but I already have iron supplement (for aquascaping) that I am not using anymore, so I might as well use it.
Obviously not my tank but it looks like it is this one or this one. There seem to be quite a few that look nearly identical. I've been contemplating getting one myself.
This is the light I have. Is it too bright?
You can check out this one and the reviews for it, i just got mine shipped and it's bright as hell. I haven't gotten my tank set up yet but it seems very promising.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LFF0878/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
When I started my dry start I just used two clamp-on lights from home depot each with a 6500k cfl bulb in them and it worked great. Based on the budget you mentioned below maybe you might want to try this light (https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-Timer-Aquarium-Freshwwater-Extendable/dp/B019YXYO1E/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491484353&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=beamworks%2Ba120&th=1)? Not sure if anyone else has had experience with it but here's the video in which I heard about it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uun4umTRNxY).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007ZK816S/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1418946229&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40
This is the light I use on a marineland contour 5 aquarium. Everything is open and happy including softies and lps, some of the reviews try sps but I'm not a fan so I don't have a first hand account. My main gripe is no on off switch (its on a timer anyways). It's a blueish light for sure and you don't have a nighttime setting is also a bummer. But for the price I'm happy!
This one?
Marineland Double Bright LED Light, 18- to 24-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00325575S/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_t628tb1JN4ZN4
I've been looking at this one and the fugeray planted+. Can't make a decision.
Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/MarsAqua-Dimmable-165W-LED-Aquarium/dp/B017GWDF7E
They're cheap but they grow almost anything. Not many bells and whistles and you never know how long they'll last.
Here's the T247. I think they might've just quit making it. I don't see it on Amazon any more.
https://www.ebay.com/i/113892260906?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=113892260906&targetid=541454035572&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1015504&poi=&campaignid=6470552628&mkgroupid=81274342767&rlsatarget=aud-412677883135:pla-541454035572&abcId=1139336&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8svsBRDqARIsAHKVyqHh61jgbVB5p90e7p7K_wBAAhlAgH9TSgrwprUthtL1aWCnG58uBGQaAqz6EALw_wcB
Wave-point 12-Inch 16-Watt Super Blue and DaylightMicro Sun LED High Output Clamp Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZK816S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.gSXDbDV2YG6G
No filtration besides the foam that came with the tank and rarely a little carbon bag.
definitely more lights.. you can order via Amazon.com
i would go with LED and for the 6500k ,, i got one of this cheapy for my 2.5g shrimp..
Get one of these.
Make sure none of your tanks make bubbling sounds by using internal sponge filters with small power heads.
Get two of these.
Put babyproof locks on the cabinet doors for when you are away and you are set.
Marineland makes a pretty small LED light Here is a link, you would just need to figure out a way to rig it in place in the hood. If you're not growing any plants you could get some of those stick on LED strips like these for example and place them in the hood.
Nicrew classic led plus.
NICREW ClassicLED Plus LED Aquarium Light, Full Spectrum Fish Tank Light for Freshwater, 18 to 24-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F7391M2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BbdkDbH6TRE7B
Make sure you get the correct size
I'm using an LED light meant for low-light aquarium plants. I've successfully used this in the past for other cacti/succulent seedlings, but never saw this color before
This is the light I'm using
if ebay isnt your thing amazon has the mars aqua lights as well, 99 bucks and prime shipping
does the end of the cable have a female tip with 4 pins in a square pattern? I cant really tell from the amazon photos, my beamswork has 4 male pins at plug the end of it.
Personally I like the NICREW ClassicLED Plus LED, I have it on both of my aquariums but there are alternatives.
Current USA also sells a single or double ramp timer for their lamps which work on a 24/7 schedule and have a sunrise & sunset setting. It's about $32 on Amazon.
Current USA Single Ramp Timer
Ceramic heat bulbs. Safe, cheap and no extra light in there.
I got this LED light for a 10g tank. For a 1g bowl I have a desk lamp with a CFL bulb. Both are connected to the same mechanical timer (recommended!).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F7391M2
Walstad originally used fluorescent lights so I don’t think it’s critical to spend a ton of money on a “full spectrum” light. This one happens to have red LEDs which I’m led to believe helps aquatic plants.
Both of these fixtures will likely be extremely high lighting for a 10 gallon.
From experience, even with the full co2 and ferts setup the height of a 10 gallon will make algae grow out of control.
You could get the pawfly and just dim it to the lowest setting, however I would recommend getting something like the nicrew classic plus with the dimmer.
Here is a video on par for the nicrew classicled, you can expect slightly more par for the classicled plus, and then a lot more par because a 10 gallon is significantly shorter then a 29 gallon.
You can expect medium-high light out of this fixture if ran on the highest setting, however if you don't run pressurized co2+ferts I would dim it to about 50-60% to avoid algae maybe more if even that is too much.
A standard 5.5 gallon would be my choice. You can outfit it with a glass top and LED lighting, along with the filter and heater of your choice.
If you're looking for a kit, the Fluval Spec V is a reasonable choice. The filter is often said to be a bit too much flow for fighters; but it's not hard to modify it to reduce the power of the jet.
this maybe?
depends if you prefer how that looks to 6500k spectrum with blue
https://www.amazon.com/ABI-Aquarium-Light-10000K-Actinic/dp/B00CXTZN2Q
Check these and similar products out instead.
Had someone ask for an inventory list and thought I'd post it up here for visibility.
Coralife Biocube 14 - $199
Lighting System - $141
Filtration System - $122
Arline System - $32
Decor - $140
Flora - $114
Fauna - $46
Tools - $12
NICREW ClassicLED Plus LED Aquarium Light, Full Spectrum Fish Tank Light for Freshwater, 18 to 24-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F7391M2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2O-qDb5WQMEV4
yup
I've been looking at this guy
You need a CHE bulb: https://www.amazon.ca/Infrared-Ceramic-Emitter-Reptile-Brooder/dp/B00ORM0JK8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474045056&sr=8-1
A mount: https://www.amazon.ca/Aquarium-Reptile-Holder-Infrared-Emitter/dp/B00WLTQZT8/ref=pd_bxgy_199_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YC0QHJXY11P6Q8ZDSTRV
And a thermostat: https://www.amazon.ca/Zilla-100111403-Controller-Temperature-500-watt/dp/B0018CLYNG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474045128&sr=8-1
Basically the mount plugs into the thermostat, and the thermostat plugs into the mains/power.
The thermostat comes with a sensor which goes in the viv, and when the temperature is below the setting, it'll send power to the bulb.
I am trying to decide between these two:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GH9HSI0/?coliid=IS63UYPU585PA&colid=35BZPHCLURD0R&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAFQ6FK/?coliid=IH2ZEINNYWJAS&colid=35BZPHCLURD0R&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
this plus this should work.
I actually recently (two weeks ago) upgraded from a similar setup as yours to LED lighting. I went with Beamswork DA FSPEC. Beamswork DA FSPEC LED Aquarium... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LFF07I8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
So far so good! Plus it was only about $50 for the 30’’.
You could try the beamswork one. The timer is sold separately though.
here ya go
I bought a small LED and intergrated it into the old cover of mine, but these might work for your situation!
This one can sit over an open tank:
http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Double-Bright-Light-24-Inch/dp/B00325575S/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1416409662&sr=8-9&keywords=fish+tank+light
Even less coverage:
http://www.amazon.com/Zitrades-Aquarium-Light-Flexible-48led/dp/B00GXYAP4I/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1416409662&sr=8-5&keywords=fish+tank+light
My light stays on for 6-8 hours a day.
It'a a Marineland LED.
Couple of cheaper options:
I am not running CO2 in my tank yet, but use this ramp timer for the lights which works amazingly.
https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-FSPEC-Aquarium-Light-Freshwater/dp/B01LFF0878/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1520120765&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=beamswork&psc=1
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https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-6500K-Aquarium-Freshwater-Discus/dp/B016P96UA8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1520120765&sr=8-6&keywords=beamswork&dpID=51qWKmCc9xL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
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Either one
Two of these
MarsAqua Dimmable 165W LED Aquarium Light Lighting Full Spectrum For Fish Freshwater and Saltwater Coral Tank Blue and White LPS/SPS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017GWDF7E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gex9AbNEZAEWH
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007URO5QG/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1469470581&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=finnex+light&dpPl=1&dpID=31URcpHRgDL&ref=plSrch
That one.
Perhaps this is what you seek.
http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Double-Bright-18-Inch-24-Inch/dp/B00325575S/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1394154555&sr=1-2&keywords=aquarium+led+light
That's what I was looking at.
EDIT: forgot to post the link in my earlier comment. Sorry
https://www.amazon.com/MarsAqua-Dimmable-Aquarium-Freshwater-Saltwater/dp/B017GWDF7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478884045&sr=8-1&keywords=165+watt+led+aquarium+lighting
I have never heard of your brand, and it doesnt look like it has much of a spectrum. These are dimmable too.
I'm really not sure what to get but I'm leaning towards this light. Thoughts?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017GWDF7E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493092942&sr=8-2&keywords=marsaqua+dimmable&dpPl=1&dpID=510-YtX88TL&ref=plSrch
If you want something high light
If you want something cheap and just to illuminate and maybe grow some low light plants
No cO2, correct. Lights are these purchased in Jan 2015.
It's been a while since I removed the built-in light fixture, but I believe it came out cleanly by removing a few screws.
Maybe somebody else can advise if this wasn't appropriate, but I just used some aquarium silicone sealant to affix the new fixture to the inner roof of the hood afterwards. Seems pretty solid but it's only been four months. At least I don't have 120v dangling above my tank anymore in case it does fall, though.
16" Finnex Stingray, by the way. Now I'm just waiting for the pump to die so I can replace the whole filter.
I have two light fixtures right now while I wait for the finnex ray 2 i have a fluorescent bulb in the back and an led light in the front. They've done a below average job with the plants sadly.
Apologies for my light-light ignorance, I've been browsing the web and found a few candidates. Would one of these be more suitable?
uno
dos
I'm using this one in my low tech tank, 21" tall, with low/moderate light plants. Someone's gone through the trouble of collecting par data with a 20 gallon long and comparing it with several other LED lights, here.
20 gallon long. with a bit of planning, you can make this tank into a heartbreaker.
AquaClear 100, a tiny bit on the noisy side, but extremely customizable as far as filtration options.
BeamsWork DA, 30", cheap, and you can actually grow a ton of plants with it.
As for plants most anubius species can basically live on hopes and dreams, if you kill one, it was probably premeditated murder.