# Low-Light Fixture Options For Common Tank Sizes



## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

Thank you for the thread. I have a lot of ideas of future tanks going around in my head and I'm figuring out what I need for them (cost of running,time). This light guide will help me out a lot.


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## Michael M (Sep 20, 2012)

Been running a Current Satellite LED+ on my 40B without any issue. I have tall plants (mostly vals) so it works pretty well.


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## Indychus (Feb 21, 2013)

I'm running a Current Satellite LED+ as well, on my 55g. Doing fine with low/medium light plants. I'm using the 48"-60" fixture (light itself is 48").


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Thanks for the tips, folks. 

Will continue updating the main post as people chime in.

And if there are additional common tank sizes I should add, please let me know.


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## PeterN1986 (Jun 15, 2011)

Maybe next to each tank size (which is in bold and underline) put in parentheses the dimensions of the tank (L x W x H). Then people can get a mental image of the height and take into account the substrate, etc. Here is a good chart of tank sizes:

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/aquariumsandstands/a/tanksizesweights.htm


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

Mr. Aqua tank light options. Looking into 7.5g light ideas.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Focusing on conventional, common tanks with rims. 

Rimless tanks from sellers like ADA, Mr. Aqua, AquaTop and such tend to be much more niche in the hobby.

Once this thread has more data, I'll start one for less common rimless tanks.


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## brybell (Jul 22, 2013)

*Sticky!*

why isnt this a sticky?!?!


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## Indychus (Feb 21, 2013)

Hopefully it will be once more people contribute! I vote for sticky-ing it as well!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

It can be linked in the Lighting Sticky once it contains more information.


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## brybell (Jul 22, 2013)

ok cool. well i posted a question about if a fugeray would be best for me and no one is answering lol. but then i found this so maybe thats why...


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## juumou (Sep 4, 2013)

Can this please be a sticky!? I've been researching for hours on TPT until I found this! Gahh!


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The plan, as mentioned above, is for me to add this to the sticky once we have more data added.


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

I run a dual t8 shop light on my 75 gallon. Crypts, Val's, swords, dwarf sag, bacopa, hygro sunset, l. repens. Good growth on everything


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Care to be more specific? Most newcomers won't have any idea what you're talking about.



tattooedfool83 said:


> I run a dual t8 shop light


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

I bought the light at Home Depot for $19.99, it's a pull string shop light that holds 2 48" t8 fluorescent lights. I have a 6500k and a 5000k bulb In there. Ill probaly change to both 6500k when I replace the bulbs. But I run the lights for 8hrs a day directly on the glass of the tank, from 12pm to 8pm and it gets a little indirect light but not much.


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

I also run a t8 15w 18" 6500k light on a 10 gallon tank. That's on for 8hrs a day as well and grows dwarf sag, jungle Val, moss, bacopa and a couple of other plants that slip my mind currently. 

On a 20gallon I run a 10000k t8 15w, runs for 9hrs a day and grows blyxa, s. Repens, h. Japan, wisteria. A bit of hair algae in this tank but I attribute that to this tank being in from of the window. 

The 10 gallon and 20 gallon are both lights From a pet store, I had the light fixtures and just put in bulbs. Works great for me and requires very little


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## jpappy789 (Jul 28, 2013)

It's kind of touched on already, but I found one of these lying around and just inserted the largest daylight CFLs I could find. Meant taking off the splash guards but could grow a decent amount of low/medium light plants in a 10g. It's an easy, somewhat cheap and non-DIY way to get horizontal CFL placement if you choose. No real reflectors though.


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Aluminum foil. Ghetto fabulous. I love cfl, never had one of these hoods though


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## jpappy789 (Jul 28, 2013)

Yeah, that could work if you were worried about losing a lot of light. I found I had enough. IIRC what was there was just some white paint. Granted, don't think most people who used these were too worried about plant lighting since they were intended for incandescents.


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## jeremy va (Dec 22, 2012)

Good string! Not to be a complete wise acre but one really, really good lo-light option is the window. EG: I have a bunch of vals in a tank next to a window that gets direct sun for the first hour or two of the day and indirect shaded light the rest of the day. I also have java fern in there which is very happy as is my frog bit. I guess the point is that sometimes a fixture is not necessary at all. 

Also, there is another post where dimmers are mentioned. With a dimmer virtually any light becomes an option and they are relatively inexpensive.


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## HuntCast (Aug 25, 2013)

Aqueon Modular LED is working like a champ on my 20H too.


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## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

*65gal *- 36" X 18" X 24" high

36" Beamswork Hi-Lumen TRI36, 121 - 0,2W 10000K leds & 8 - 0,2W actinics leds.

Comment : could we open the same kind of thread for medium light? that would help people a lot (myself included).


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## AHP (Sep 10, 2013)

buildmyled, pick your length and your setup.


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## flutterbug (Jan 8, 2012)

Can you add in suggestions for 5' long tanks?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Only focusing on the most common sizes. You can find information for tanks that long by using the search function.



flutterbug said:


> Can you add in suggestions for 5' long tanks?


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## Jack Gilvey (Jun 16, 2008)

Don't forget the Fugeray-R. I have one over my 12" cube (30-C) and I'm getting all the growth I want (meaning, noticeable but slow/manageable) using weekly EI dosing, Osmocote-Plus in substrate, and daily Excel. This is probably the biggest tank you'd want it over as it's only 10" long and 5 watts.


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## flutterbug (Jan 8, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> Only focusing on the most common sizes. You can find information for tanks that long by using the search function.


I did a search and found nothing. Maybe I am searching wrong.


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## cowfish007 (Sep 9, 2011)

Anyone using one of the retail brand fluorescent fixtures like a 1 or 2 bulb Aqueon "hood?"


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## sadchevy (Jun 15, 2013)

Std 6ft 125g---- 5 23w 6500k cfl's in 6" brooder/clamp light fixtures works well, grows most plants
Std 4ft 75g---- 3-4ft. T8 6500k bulbs (1-2 bulb shop light, 1- single bulb aqueon fixture)
Std 4ft 55g---- 1-4ft shoplight with 2 6500k T8 bulbs

Plant growth is good in all tanks, all tanks low tech.


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

I am on the hunt for lighting for my new 125g tank (72"L x 18"D x 21"H). I have seen there are a ton of options!!! So I currently have a canopy that I'm debating on rebuilding or if I am going to fix it. So if I fix my current canopy, there is a divider in the center. So putting the light need for 2 36" fixtures. If I rebuilt the canopy I am going to open up the top and give the area more space versus the 5 of so inches of space for lighting (the canopy top hinges upwards).

I could do this 96 Watt Bright Kits, or some sort of LED fixture. Like this 



. 

Almost forgot to mention that I am looking to do a low tech non CO2 heavily planted tank, not sure on the fish or lighting yet. I'm just focusing on the refurbishing of the stand and figuring out my equipment first. As well as I'm trying to stay around or under $200 for lights, but the less the better.


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## sadchevy (Jun 15, 2013)

see my post above


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## aquabruce (May 10, 2012)

cowfish007 said:


> Anyone using one of the retail brand fluorescent fixtures like a 1 or 2 bulb Aqueon "hood?"


Like this?

Marineland hood filter/2 T8 bulb combo on a 20 long.

I only use 1 24" Zoo Med UltraSun Super Daylight 17w T8 6500k

on for 8 hours, no ferts, no co2. Java fern and Anubius are growing well.

I don't use the biowheel filter section anymore, switched to canister.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/yourtanks.php?do=view&id=11833


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

sadchevy said:


> see my post above


I noticed your post, but I can't fit anything more than about 5" tall above the tank. However I am debating about rebuilding the canopy cover as it was a craigslist find that someone had a salt tank that did some damage to the inner wood parts of the cover. If I do this then I will make the cover taller to accommodate some standard CFL lamps for some low cost lighting solutions!

Currently the best I can do is some sort of 36" long light fixture.


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## onedollarinmywallet (Sep 24, 2013)

HuntCast said:


> Aqueon Modular LED is working like a champ on my 20H too.


Hi, just wondering if you're running the Aqueon Modular LED with just the single stock LED light strip, or did you augment it with additional (one or two) LED strips, either the daylight or ColorMax? I currently have a 30" Aqueon Modular LED on my 29G and debating whether or not to replace it with a 30" Finnex FugeRay as I make the transition from plastic plants  to a low-tech live plant setup.


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## Carlin (Sep 9, 2013)

bump!


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

I need a light for my 2.5 gallon. I am using the deep blue stick on, and my plants are starting to really suffer.
I saw this 10" fugeray. Would you recommend it?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

The Fuegray R is for rimless tanks.

If it's a standard 2.5gal tank, go with the 12" Fugeray.



waterfaller1 said:


> I need a light for my 2.5 gallon. I am using the deep blue stick on, and my plants are starting to really suffer.
> I saw this 10" fugeray. Would you recommend it?
> Amazon.com: Finnex Fugeray-R Ultra Slim Aquarium LED Light Fixture: Pet Supplies


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Thank you. It is actually a vintage metaframe tank.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

What are its dimensions?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

12x6x8"


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Definitely get the 12". If it's too much light, you can always add a layer of fiberglass window screen material. It'll look cool on the metal of that tank, as well.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Ok, very good thank you.


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Would it be a single or double bright beamswork for a 10 gallon?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I'd pick the strongest one you can get. Can always cut the levels down with window screen.



tattooedfool83 said:


> Would it be a single or double bright beamswork for a 10 gallon?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Can you please tell me specifically which fixture I am looking for? They come with moonlights, is that correct?


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

There's only one 12" Fugeray fixture. 

Yep, comes with moonlights.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

You have been very helpful. I appreciate it! Finding the right lighting for nanos has always been difficult.


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