# Lighting a 15gal column tank



## CoryLover8 (Jul 31, 2014)

The tank's exterior dimensions are 21" tall, 8.5" sides, and 14.5" wide. I plan on going with low tech with most likely some excel as I plan on having a background of rotala indica with a carpet of staurgyne repens. The midground will be taken over with a resin tree covered with an undecided moss. What type of light should I use?


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## koiboi (Sep 4, 2011)

I have a similar tank that's roughly 24" tall, with 13x13 footprint and I'm using 2 Finnex planted plus 12" fixtures. I'm growing Java moss, Java Fern, Crypt Wendii, and various stems. I had a carpet of dwarf hairgrass going but I had an attack of BGA recently, but I attribute that more to water flow than lighting.


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## hitmanx (Jun 24, 2012)

I have an aqueon 15 gallon column, 13x13x24tall and I use a 23w 6500k CFL in a 10.5in brooder light... it's about 23in off the substrate... PAR is probably around 30-40 at substrate and its lowtech non co2, no water change, 5 months old...

I've had trouble growing crypt parva and my staurogene repens is looking pretty thin... but that could be due to many of the other variables in a planted tank or lack of co2... I'm still not convinced its low light as I have some issues with gda and oedogonium algae...


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## koiboi (Sep 4, 2011)

Very nice hitman. I added a circulation pump like you did as well when I had BGA issues; that seemed to help get rid of it.
The nice thing about columns is even though they are difficult to upkeep, you get a completely different view from all four sides. Almost like different tanks.


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## CoryLover8 (Jul 31, 2014)

Bump! Is there a good inexpensive light out there that would work but would be great for red plants?


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## hitmanx (Jun 24, 2012)

I'm no expert, but from what I've read, it depends on what red plants you are talking about... some deal well with low light while others need high light...

From what i gather you can pretty much grow any plant with 50 to 60 PAR lighting... it all depends on a bunch of different variables like co2 and ferts and substrate etc...

As far as inexpensive, $20 for the brooder reflector and $10 for the cfl bulb is pretty good... according to testing done by members here the light should give you enough light for most plants... it depends on where you hang the light... I chose 23in above substrate because any lower and that starts to get into medium light... aka I would have to add co2...

As it is I'm thinking it's too bright at this height... I'm thinking of using a lower wattage bulb

Bump:


koiboi said:


> Very nice hitman. I added a circulation pump like you did as well when I had BGA issues; that seemed to help get rid of it.
> The nice thing about columns is even though they are difficult to upkeep, you get a completely different view from all four sides. Almost like different tanks.


Are you running co2? A thick carpet of dhg isn't something I thought possible with the led lights you have... great lights but I didn't think they penetrated that deep


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

CoryLover8 said:


> Bump! Is there a good inexpensive light out there that would work but would be great for red plants?


Without spending 2-3 three hundred bucks for a Kessil pendant, I think your best bet is a 23 watt spiral CFL bulb, in the 5000-6500K range, mounted vertical in an aluminum dome type reflector. (what hitmanx suggested up there)

You can find a lot of dome type fixtures, desktop lamps come to mind. The inside reflector plays a big role and some of them have better reflectors than others. White is good. Polished aluminum is better. 

One excellent reflector is the common clamp-on type work light fixtures like you find at Lowes or Home Depot for $8-12 bucks. I have two of them over a high-tech 20H with high light. At 16" off the substrate, 23 watt bulbs proved to be too bright. I couldnt run them more than ~six hours without seeing some algae. I've since went down to 18 watts and the tank has become a lot more manageable.

Here's a pic - 











You can easily remove the clamp part and hang it some other way. I think one of those would be pretty efficient suspended very close to the surface. The top half of the tank would be in the high light range, enough to color up most stems. At substrate level you'd be somewhere in the lower medium range (just a best guess). 

Im not sure it would be bright enough for the SR to make a nice capret and not turn leggy, but it might. You'd just have to try it and see. You could always go to a less demanding plant like crypt parva. They can make a nice ground covering too. Since your tank is so tall, it could easily accommodate a taller "carpeting" plant.


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## CoryLover8 (Jul 31, 2014)

Thank you to bothburr and hitmanx. I will go that route and cross my fingers, toes, and eyes that the red plants stay happy. At least my wallet is happy until I use poor logic to think hey now Ihave more money for plants!


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## koiboi (Sep 4, 2011)

Yes I'm running pressurized CO2. I planted the DHG as an experiment and it grew in pretty thick. I wasn't expecting it to do that. I reallly like those Planted + lights.

I will say the columns are definately a challenge in terms of light, water circulation, trimming, and most everything else! Very high maintenance but worth it.


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