Question 1 of 50

Need a unit with legs for the above tank, will be planted

2 or 4 lamp? and can anyone recommend me a unit & supplier

Ta

Andy

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pe ... 171883.htm

Hi Andy, please update your profile with your location, that way help can be a bit more location specific

Profile updated

If your wanting to have a good planted tank the more lights the better, it's often a limiting factor for both plant growth and the types of plants you can keep.

what's your budget? :lol:

If your wanting to have a good planted tank the more lights the better, it's often a limiting factor for both plant growth and the types of plants you can keep.

Within reason. A 1000w MH over a 2ft tank is probably going to burn everything underneath it

Within reason. A 1000w MH over a 2ft tank is probably going to burn everything underneath it

That is why most human beings have brains....

That is why most human beings have brains....

Yes, I know. But there are some people who read "the more lights the better" and think "Hmm... lets blast my tank".

Yes, I know. But there are some people who read "the more lights the better" and think "Hmm... lets blast my tank".

ones without brains? :lol:

Within reason. A 1000w MH over a 2ft tank is probably going to burn everything underneath it

I dunno...Peak solar insolation if I remember right at the equator at noon midsummer is about 3500 watts/square meter. So 1000 watts(Ignoring a mh isn't 100% efficient) would put you at about 2/3rd of that. So there's LOTS of room for improvement.

I dunno...Peak solar insolation if I remember right at the equator at noon midsummer is about 3500 watts/square meter. So 1000 watts(Ignoring a mh isn't 100% efficient) would put you at about 2/3rd of that. So there's LOTS of room for improvement.

Sounds like a challenge

what's your budget? :lol:

Budget = I want a good long lasting quality fixture

Look at T5HO units. Like the hagen one linked earlier.

So just a two lamp unit?

its high output, and will be more than sufficent.

Arcadia Lights any good?

I'm currently running an Arcadia tube and I like it alot. But have had mixed results with their fittings, the really old black boxes are good seem to go for ever but are only T8, but I have two newer T5 ballasts and they have both broken, thank fulling one was only loose wires so I got it up and running again. I haven't tried their "light hood" setups but seem to remeber reading a few posts with similar problems to mine with the ballasts.

The Glo units seem to be okay and a resonable price, they use 30 odd of them to run the tanks at The Pet Center in Porirua and have had no problems with them so far.

I have the same tank dimension as yours 36x18x18. I have the Hagen Glo T5HO 39x2 watts. For me, it is too much light if I don't have CO2. I have problems with algae. Now I have CO2.

If you want to go for 4 lights ( more than 2 watts per gallon ), you must have lots of plants, pressurized CO2, and not missed on your fertilising regime.