# Less than 1 watt per gallon



## honest (Dec 17, 2013)

anyone?


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## twentypoundtabby (Dec 7, 2013)

I found the standard strip light on my 29 gallon to be inadequate for even crypts and java fern. I gutted the old strip light and added two double screw-in-bulb fixtures (which are cheap) and put in 4 CFLs (two cool white and two daylight) which brought the wattage up to 46. My plants, which are all low light plants such as anubias, java ferns, crypts, pennywort, elodea and mosses are doing well.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I have a dual 24inch t5ho on my 29g. The thing is it just doesn't fit! I grow java ferns in there and they have filled the tank. It helps to have some floating plants to cut down on the light. Crypts would do fine. My lights are quite old and I haven't replaced the bulbs in a few years.


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## honest (Dec 17, 2013)

so if i got the 2x24 watt t5ho this would be low light still?? i wanna keep it low light so i dont need co2, maybe diy co2 could be possible..

i might try the 4x CFL mod, this would be cheapest and fun to do! im not sure if i could fit them in my stock hood though, its the fluval tank with the low profile lighting hood, im gonna have to measure it up and look for a DIY for this..


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## honest (Dec 17, 2013)

well i just measured my hood and i only got 2 inchs of space for the CFLs and that aint gonna fit..

prob gonna go with the 2x24watts if i wont need co2 and ferts.. can someone tell me if i need co2 and ferts for the 2x24 watts t5ho??


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

xmas_one said:


> Might be fine. My brother was growing MONSTER (24" +) java ferns in a 50 gallon tank with just one 15w t8.


Java fern do not grow that long, your brother must be confusing them with another plant perhaps sword or crypt species, or have them raised above the substrate on something such as wood/rock to add many extra false inches to that length.


I have no feedback on T5 lights, I use LED and CFL bulbs. If you haven't read it yet, look at this thread: www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184368 it has lots of helpful info about lighting types and intensity for plant growth. If nothing else check out the graphs in the first post.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

The Philippine java fern will grow very large.

I use ferts in all my tanks and highly recommend it. I don't use co2 for the most part.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

BruceF said:


> The Philippine java fern will grow very large.
> 
> I use ferts in all my tanks and highly recommend it. I don't use co2 for the most part.


The longest I can find from research is 16 inches, most record them at 10-13 inches in length.


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## Nolan (Feb 12, 2013)

The watts per gallon "rule" is pretty much obsolete. I've grown med light plants in a 37g with 36 watts of light with success, and Ive run a 1 gal bowl with 15w as a low-light setup(no co2 or excel) with even more success.


I was quite confused on the lighting subject until I read this. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184368


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## Nolan (Feb 12, 2013)

Water wisteria and Ludwigia have worked well for me in very low light set ups. Here is a little tank I kept next to a north facing window with the blinds always closed and no other light than just the room lighting. 








No idea what that is watt/g or PAR wise, but I could tell just by looking that it was very low light, I believe the low light is what caused the wisteria and my ludwigia to basically jump out of the top.

Oh I forgot to suggest a light as you had asked. I used the coralife 30in t5 normal output fixture listed on the graph in the article i linked above for my 37g. I had it about 22 inches above the substrate. Which you'll see is in the very lowest of the "low-light range". Under this light I grew red tiger lotus, amazon swords, wisteria, and I had an apogenoten that flowered like crazy.

I think it would be a great light for you.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

xmas_one said:


> It was java fern. I'm not going to argue with you because it's stupid. I've had the same strain of java fern since the early 90's, and that's the same one I gave my brother many years ago.


Its not an attempt to argue, I simply coudln't find anyting about java fern reaching such lengths. I'd love to see a photo of such monsterous plants.


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## honest (Dec 17, 2013)

i made the light work, i had a extra 20 gallon long hood sitting around and got 4x CFLs to fit in there, this thing is super bright!!

so i got 4x 13 watt bulbs in there, a total of 52 watts on a 29 gallon...

i would like to know am i still low tech??


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## II Knucklez II (Oct 31, 2011)

honest said:


> i made the light work, i had a extra 20 gallon long hood sitting around and got 4x CFLs to fit in there, this thing is super bright!!
> 
> so i got 4x 13 watt bulbs in there, a total of 52 watts on a 29 gallon...
> 
> i would like to know am i still low tech??


Watts per gallon doesn't mean anything, lighting for aquarium plants is measured in PAR (photosynthesis active radiation) You should try reading the link that was posted before and you will have a way better understanding of what you would need for the type of tank you want!
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓


Nolan said:


> The watts per gallon "rule" is pretty much obsolete. I've grown med light plants in a 37g with 36 watts of light with success, and Ive run a 1 gal bowl with 15w as a low-light setup(no co2 or excel) with even more success.
> 
> 
> I was quite confused on the lighting subject until I read this. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184368


Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk


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## GadgetGirl (Oct 11, 2013)

I agree PAR measurements are far superior to the old method of WPG. The problem that this presents is that most people cannot afford, or do not have access to, an expensive $300 piece of equipment that they would rarely use. I fall into this category. I can't justify the purchase. Therefore, people come to these forums for help with their lighting situations. With 4 CFL's over a 36 gal bowfront, I still have no idea if this is appropriate for a low-tech setup! 

I looked at the charts for CFLs. I assume the measurement is for 1 bulb. I have 4 bulbs with 8" reflectors. Do I multiply the PAR measurement by 4 or is this not accurate? 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

GadgetGirl said:


> The problem that this presents is that most people cannot afford, or do not have access to, an expensive $300 piece of equipment that they would rarely use.


theres a guy who sells par meters for $60 on this website...can probably find the thread in the for sale section.




OP: I have a 29 gallon too. I have a catalina t5no light on it, and my plants are growing just fine. I have also considered buying a finnex fugeray or a current satellite plus.

i want to switch from t5 bulbs to leds so I don't have to buy new bulbs, and so the fixure isn't so hot!


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

So it has been a LONG time since I have been on the forums, but here is my opinion based on what has worked for ME (short answer...the stock light you have is probably fine as long as the bulb is new)

I have a 30g low light, low tech tank. I have a single 36" T5 NORMAL output (not HO = high output) fluorescent tube over the tank and Crypts, Java ferns, bolbitis, and anubias grow very well in my tank. All of my tanks are low light, low tech with similar amounts of light, and crypts do very well for me.

I do not add CO2 of any kind. The only thing I do add occasionally (read that "if and when I remember every 6-12 months" :tongue is put fertilizer root tabs under the crypts, which does seem to make a difference, but is not something that needs to be done daily which is a bonus. I like my tanks to run on a "set it and forget" basis these days.  

My husband has very low light over his 60g tank and java ferns, mosses, anubias, and bolbitis grow out of control for him too. 

I do not have experience with T5 *H*O lights, but if you want to keep things super low tech, it seems like that might be a bit much in my humble opinion. 

Final sidenote: I have airstone / bubble wall aeration in all of my tanks and it seems to help for some reason. I am not 100% sure why, but anecdotally, I have noticed that when the bubbles stop running for one reason or another, the plants suffer.


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