# Help me! :) Finnex Fugeray Planted Plus or Current Satellite+?



## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

Hi everyone, I'm new here... I have looked all over like a maniac and see several threads about each of these, but honestly no one that I seen has really compared these two lighting options. 
I'm new to the hobby and about to purchase one to start my 55 gallon planted tank... very excited! My plan is to plant HC, (baby tears) for sure and anything else is to be determined.

I plan to have a very high mound of soil on one side while lower on the other. The tank will be 20" tall, so with substrate it may range from 10-18" below light.

So I could really use some expert advise... Finnex Fugeray Planted + or Current Satellite Freshwater Plus? :help:

Thanks so much!!!

Dan


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

Well, idk about either of those, but if you're wanting HC I don't think you'll have luck without the highest of high light and pressurized co2...although honestly, I'd recommend just not having HC instead of going high tech for your first time round.

As far as planted + or satellite +, I am unsure, I think though that for medium lighting, either one should fit the bill. But I am not 100% sure.


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

http://current-usa.com/is-the-satellite-freshwater-led-plus-bright-enough/
at 18" you'd have a PAR of 28, which is low light but is good enough to grow the most common plants (and you'd have less maintenance)

I am unsure if there is PAR data on the planted plus though, but what I do know is that a single FinnexFugeRay will get you to a PAR of no more than 48, which might be a little high for medium light but it wouldn't be super high light. You could always raise the light, which would get you better spread and lower the intensity if the need every came.

It sort of depends on what you want out of your tank, really.


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## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

Thanks so much for your response!

I am looking to have nice, simple, low growing and dense ground cover. I don't like the big leafy stuff as much, nor the tall plants as much either, but will probably get other stuff as well. At this time I just know I like the dwarf baby tears and would like that to be the primary plant in the tank. Unless there's similar options that require easier care?

But again, I would like to have some driftwood, rocks and low growing plants, with big elevations throughout the tank. I'll share photos once I get this all going. I'm pretty pumped, but want to do it right before I buy stuff and screw it up!


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## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

Can anyone else offer any insight? 

I am starting to see that it looks like dwarf baby tears can only be kept with CO2 systems... and I don't think that is the route I want to go. If I could buy a light and create a setup that would allow me to keep those, well that's how I would go, but if it requires CO2, I guess I'll ask for other options!

So any other recommendations?


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## Charlieeex3 (Aug 18, 2013)

I highly recommend getting a co2 system, especially with dwarf baby tears...never had much luck with out it. Although iv seen it grown without co2 but they dont look as lively. And with a light like finnex planted+ or Sat+, you should get a co2 system because without it you'll have algae. 
Theres basically 2 options of co2 system that i think you can go if you want to go dwarf baby tears.

1. DIY co2 system: Sugar+yeast+water in a bottle = co2 
Cost:About $10 to make. Then recipe of sugar and yeast about $1
Maintenance: Every 1-2 weeks you have to remake your recipe. 
2. Buy a paintball canister + co2 regulator + timer. (highly recommend) 
Cost: About $130 from amazon
Maintenance: 2-4 months you have to refill the bottle which cost about $4.50
You will cry now but the investment is well worth it in the end. You wont have to worry about your co2 ever only when it runs out. And with the timer, it will turn on and off automatically

Look at my journal to see my experience with dwarf baby tears. You can see the difference with DIY co2 and Canister co2. Just imagine if i didnt use any co2 lol
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=436881&highlight=


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## Whjdm069 (Dec 14, 2013)

If you want high light get the ray 2 ds. I was thinking of changing my 55 so I emailed finnex. They said the planted plus would not be enough. In my 10g it works but it' works for medium light plants. The problem is it makes my plants look more red and brings the reds out. Not bad if that's what your after. I would assume you want the greens to look green. If you want to spend the coin BML has a 7000k that would work. But as stated by other members you will need co2. The par on the planted plus is between the ray 2 and fugeray. Search finnex ray 2 par on Google and you will find a post on here that has the par of the 2 lights I listed. Good luck on your decision.


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## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

Charlie, that's an awesome tank! Your HC looks great, pretty much what I would like to do, except on a much larger level ha
Thanks for all the references. I just have to figure out if I want to go down the co2 road, and if I do that, learn exactly what/which equipment to buy, and how to use it... and that's whats holding me back with it. In my research I see that co2 can be a gamble and could cause harm if not done right, or malfunctions. I'm just unsure if I want to add more maintenance and add risk at the same time.

I guess I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. haha 

Too bad there isn't a way to just get an awesome light, and avoid co2 and algae. 

Hmm.... I ran into a different groundcover called Riccia. It looks nice, any thoughts on that as opposed to dwarf tears? Any other ground cover similar to these that I should consider?

Thanks guys!


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

Monte Carlo might not be as co2 needy. Glosso is also a choice. You would need medium and not low light though.


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## Charlieeex3 (Aug 18, 2013)

I grew riccia before. I grew it in low lighting without co2 and medium lighting with co2. You can grow riccia in low light without co2 but it looks like crap. It doesn't "pearl" and just looks kinda dead with very slow growth. After my frustration of not growing how it suppose to look, I upgraded to medium lighting with DIY co2 and the riccia grew like a wild fire. Riccia grows insanely fast with medium light and co2 and even "pearled". It grew so fast I had to trim the riccia every 1-2 weeks.
I would still reccomend some kind of co2. Even excel from seachem would work but it won't be as good as DIY co2. Co2 is basically a must have. That's what plant use for phothosynthesis. They take in co2 and release out oxygen which is why they "pearl".
Riccia doesn't need much co2, but I would use liquid carbon "excel" from seachem. For riccia you just need medium lighting.
Check this YouTube video out this has always been my inspiration. It's a 10 gallon with just riccia and shrimp: http://youtu.be/TJLT7eY1kfI
You basically need 3 things to grow a nice tank.
1) Soil with a lot of nutrients or you can add flourish from seachem or both
2) Good lighting
3) Co2 (liquid excel, DIY co2, or pressurize)

Without 1 of the 3, the growth of the plant is limited and would grow much slower.


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## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

HybridHerp said:


> Monte Carlo might not be as co2 needy. Glosso is also a choice. You would need medium and not low light though.


I just looked those up quickly, they look nice! I just want a dense ground cover that ideally would not grow too tall, preferably no co2 and could grow with a nice LED light.

Thanks!


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## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

You the man, Charlie, thanks again. Funny, I saw that video in my search for riccia and it looked awesome, that's why I am considering it!

So I guess if not dwarf baby tears, my top 3 are:
monte carlo, glosso and riccia
or even Hemianthus micranthemoides? Looks like it would require more maintenance though, but seems easier to grow?

If anyone has any thoughts, I'm all ears!


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## Sierra255 (Sep 13, 2007)

On a 55 gallon, only one Current Satellite+ will be low light. I recommend getting two. They're cool lights, though. I love being able to add cloud effects to my aquarium. I have nothing but easy growing plants, but they've been growing great with two Satellite+ lights.


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## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

Sierra255 said:


> On a 55 gallon, only one Current Satellite+ will be low light. I recommend getting two. They're cool lights, though. I love being able to add cloud effects to my aquarium. I have nothing but easy growing plants, but they've been growing great with two Satellite+ lights.


Thanks for this info! You're probably working with a similar setup as I am planning then?
I wonder if I'd be better off with a Finnex planted+ than current sattelite+?
Do you use co2?


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## smokysunday (Nov 20, 2013)

djb7880: I just set up a tank where I'm attempting to grow HC without CO2. Might be of interest to you, especially if I fail. Tank journal.


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## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

smokysunday said:


> djb7880: I just set up a tank where I'm attempting to grow HC without CO2. Might be of interest to you, especially if I fail. Tank journal.


Nice looking setup! I will definitely follow along. I hope it works well for you. I really like the London plane driftwood you found, great find.
You should look up the other ground cover I found in research thus far (in case the HC doesn't work out)
glosso
riccia
monte carlo

These all appear to be slightly easier to grow than HC and if your taste is like mine, and it seems to be, you may like these too?


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## Ebi (Jun 29, 2011)

Charlieeex3 said:


> You will cry now but the investment is well worth it in the end.
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=436881&highlight=


+1 lol 


I cried on the initial investment, but seeing my plants pearl brought spdifferent tears to me ... :icon_wink


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## djb7880 (Jan 21, 2014)

I hope someone is still checking this, haha, I just emailed Current USA about their Satellite + LED lights. I asked if in a 20" tall 55 gallon tank if their light would grow HC without co2. They said if I get two lights it will work. Anyone have any thoughts that can validate this or object?

Here's my convo:
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Current USA - Support, Jan 23 15:01:
Yep, its plenty of light and if your using good substrate, you should have no problems growing it.

djb, Jan 23 14:07:
awesome, thank you for the reply! That's the plant I would like, most say co2 is needed to grow it though. Do you think that with two 48" satellite plus lights on a 55 gallon would work? Even without co2?

Current USA - Support, Jan 23 10:31:
Dear Hobbyist,
Thank you for contacting Current-USA, Inc. Assuming you are referring to Hemianthus callitrichoides, for this size tank we would recommend using two of the Satellite LED+ fixtures. This plant is a high light requiring plant, therefore two fixtures will provide plenty of light.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Sincerely,
Current-USA, Inc.

djb, Jan 23 10:21:
Hi,
I want to grow HC, ideally without co2 in a 55 gallon tank, (48 inches long, 20 inches high). What light would you recommend for this? Would the LED Satellite + work?


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