# 29 Gallon Light Question



## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi elbandito78,

Welcome to TPT! I did a lot of research before starting out three years ago and I determined that it was not only the wattage of the fixture/bulbs but also the shape and material of the reflector that determined the amount of useable light that reached the lower areas of my aquarium. As a result, I went with a DIY fixture using a kit from AH Supply. It is inexpensive, has an excellent reflector, and because it is air-cooled I have no noisy fans.

I also learned that it is really helpful to know what type of plants I want to grow and what conditions they require. I see you have done your homework and have a good idea of the plants you want to grow. Since you don't want to do CO2 I would recommend a 1X55 watt AH Supply kit. With the MIRO4 reflector iIt will give you sufficient light to reach the bottom of your aquarium for good growth yet should not cause excessive algae if you regulate your photoperiod to about 6 hours a day or less. I would also suggest you supplement your Eco-complete with Seachem Excel for carbon and possilbly Seachem Flourish Comprehensive for macro and micro nutrients.

30 Gallon with AH Supply kit


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

If you stick with REALLY low light tolerant plants, you should be able to work with a two T8 strips, just probably won't have the best looking stem plant growth. Rosettes and ferns should do fine, though. 3 rows of T8s would probably be ideal.

If you're handy with DIY you could make your own double T5NO with parts from Home Depot.

You could use the T5HO if you suspend it up off the tank and leave yourself the ability to raise or lower it as needed.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The 55 watt AH Supply kit is too much light for a non-CO2 tank (notice the drop checker in the tank in the post above.) I agree with LauraLee about what lights would work best.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

I just googled the Coralife fixture and found 2 places so far that have it in stock according to their websites. I have this fixture above my 29 low light...so far I like it alot.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10927/product.web
http://www.petstore.com/Coralife_Aq...r_Aquariums-Coralife-ES58121-AQLIFUFL-vi.html


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## kuni (May 7, 2010)

I have a Coralife T5NO 30" that I'm not using. PM me if you're interested.


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## naturelady (Dec 14, 2009)

Hoppy said:


> The 55 watt AH Supply kit is too much light for a non-CO2 tank (notice the drop checker in the tank in the post above.) I agree with LauraLee about what lights would work best.


Second, and third! I have a 55 watt power compact (although not from AH Supply) over my 29 gal, and it is just a bit too much light to run without CO2. In the winter, I have no CO2, and it is a constant struggle to keep the algae in line. In the summer, I run DIY CO2, and everything works great.

I have many of the same plants as you want in your tank, and they have worked very well. So I think you have made good plant choices. You may want to reconsider the hornwort and java moss though... I had both of those, and they were so messy. The hornwort drove me nuts, so I pulled it all out and gave it to a friend (she loved it). The java moss is impossible to take all of it out, so I am okay with just pulling out the stray stems each time I am trimming the tank, but I think I would have preferred a less-stringy moss overall. However, many people have and love those plants, it is all personal preference...


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## elbandito78 (Apr 23, 2011)

Thanks for the tips everyone! 

Luaraleellbp- I like the diy idea but would be hard to incorporate into the hood I am planning on building. It looks like the best bet would be to go with the fixtures kamikaze suggested. What do you think? I've read a lot of your posts and respect your opinion. 

Kamikaze- Thanks! I guess I was mistaken about those fixtures being sold out. 

Nature lady- thanks for the plant tips. The hornwort was on the bubble but I do like the look. I know it can be hard to manage so I may not try it. What other moss would you suggest, instead of java?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I wouldn't put one of the Coralife fixtures inside a hood- they're likely to run too hot, which at best will shorten the fixture's lifespan and at worst could cause more serious issues. If you're building your own hood, then I think you are pretty much stuck learning how to DIY some lighting or buy some retrofit fixtures (which also usually need to be assembled).


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## elbandito78 (Apr 23, 2011)

Thanks for the tip. I didn't know the fixtures ran that hot. Is it the same with all T-5 fixtures both NO and HO? 

Would it be better to get the coralife fixture and have this as well? http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3790 

Would too much light be reflected off of that lid? 

I like the open tank look, but feel I need a cover. I'm not set on building my own hood, just wanted something to go over the aquarium. Once the aquarium is up and running, I would like to get some killies, who are notorious jumpers.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

What I did for the time being was take the light off my standard 29 hood, there is a glass section that protected the light. I put my Coralife over that glass section. 

My eventual plan is to use eggcrate/light diffuser on either side of the light with terrestrial plants growing in the eggcrate. And have glass strip down the with my light. 

If I don't do that then I will be getting a glass top like you linked and my light above that. 

One thing I'm running into though is I want to place my filter and heater on the end, b/c the tank is viewable from both sides. So I'm trying to figure out how to make that work with lids. 

If you are getting a T-5 NO or HO light then I would get a glass top. The Coralife T-5 NO I linked early says in the instructions and on box that it is to be used in conjunction with a glass cover. I guess the light is sealed for moisture protection.


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## colisalalia (May 17, 2011)

I too am doing my first set up and trying to figure out what to get. So I was reading your thread. Someone else had said the coralife was being discontinued.

So I called the company. They said the normal output T5 dual fixtures are not being discontinued. The single fixtures are being discontinued.

I have a 20 gallon long (30") and thought I would get the coralife 30 inch T5 dual. I want to do a low tech tank with java fern, moss, bacopa monnieri or bacopa caroliniana, and possibly other low light plants. I may use swords too. 

I can use some floaters but they may not cover everything. The tank is so shallow after adding substrate I may not want the entire surface covered with floaters. 

Anyway I can only lift the light 4' above the tank (there is a cabinet). So is the T5 going to be too bright? What do you recommend?

Thanks,

Christy


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## elbandito78 (Apr 23, 2011)

kamikazi said:


> What I did for the time being was take the light off my standard 29 hood, there is a glass section that protected the light. I put my Coralife over that glass section.
> 
> My eventual plan is to use eggcrate/light diffuser on either side of the light with terrestrial plants growing in the eggcrate. And have glass strip down the with my light.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I must have missed the part where it says it should be used with a glass cover. Looks like that may be the route I go...Coralife fixture abovea glass canopy. 

I like your idea of terrestrial plants to take advantage of the spillover light. Pretty neat. Also, cool that your aquarium is viewable from both sides. I was looking at that glass canopies and it suggests the 30x12 canopy for 29 gallon aquariums. Would you be able to get the hood for the 20 gallon high instead. It measures 24x12, so you would still be covered on the width. But 6" is a lot of space, you may not want that much. I know they 

http://www.marineland.com/uploadedFiles/Marineland/Products/SAST Glass Canopies.pdf 

Ot get the correct fitted one and take it to a glass shop and have them cut it. Not sure how pricey that would be. Thanks again for the help everyone! I'm sure I'll have more questions after I get started. Glad to know there's so many knowledgable people here.


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## elbandito78 (Apr 23, 2011)

colisalalia said:


> I too am doing my first set up and trying to figure out what to get. So I was reading your thread. Someone else had said the coralife was being discontinued.
> 
> So I called the company. They said the normal output T5 dual fixtures are not being discontinued. The single fixtures are being discontinued.
> 
> ...


Thanks for checking on that. I probably should have gone straight to the source instead of Googling and seeing rumors all over. 

Unfortunately, I don't can't help you with your lighting question, but I bet someone on here will chime in. Good luck!


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

elbandito78 said:


> Thanks! I must have missed the part where it says it should be used with a glass cover. Looks like that may be the route I go...Coralife fixture abovea glass canopy.
> 
> I like your idea of terrestrial plants to take advantage of the spillover light. Pretty neat. Also, cool that your aquarium is viewable from both sides. I was looking at that glass canopies and it suggests the 30x12 canopy for 29 gallon aquariums. Would you be able to get the hood for the 20 gallon high instead. It measures 24x12, so you would still be covered on the width. But 6" is a lot of space, you may not want that much. I know they
> 
> ...


Thanks, I can't take the credit for the terrestrial plants thing that would have to go to wkndracer check the thread out where he shows it http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/842842-post28.html
Nice idea about the lid for a 20 and having room at the end. I'll look for into that.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

colisalalia said:


> I too am doing my first set up and trying to figure out what to get. So I was reading your thread. Someone else had said the coralife was being discontinued.
> 
> So I called the company. They said the normal output T5 dual fixtures are not being discontinued. The single fixtures are being discontinued.
> 
> ...


You do not need to lift a dual T5 normal output light above you tank. 

If you get a dual T5 High output you might need to lift it.

The lights I linked earlier in this thread are the Normal Output Coralife T5's


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