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Lighting options for a 30" 26 gallon tank
I'd like to increase the lighting on my 26 gallon tank. Here's a brief:
26 gallon Natures View (30" long)
Fish load:
2 Bolivian Rams
2 Curviceps
1 Cupid
2 Checkerboard cichlids (not the filamentosa)
3 corys
1 reg.pleco
1 dwarf pleco
6 neons
Substrate is 100% Seachem Flourite - 3 - 4", with daily PMDD and Florish
tabs to boot.
Barclaya Longfolia is dominant plant.
Eheim 2213 with surface skimmer, no carbon
Lighting is 2 20 watt Coralife bulbs.
The fact that the tank length is 30" is inconvenient. It means that you
have to use 24" bulbs, which are too short and leave darker spots on the
ends of the tank. I have a dual bulb Oceanic fixture, but at 2 x 20 watts,
it is not enough light. The Longifolia grows, but it grows long stems which
I believe is an attempt to get the leaves closer to the light, so you have
leaves laying on top of the surface. I think that if I have stronger lights
the stems and plant in general will grow shorter.
One thing that kinda irritates me is lighting for aquariums. You either
have weak lighting made by the usual companies, or you have companies that
make lighting for marine applications that is too strong for the usual
freshwater tank. I'd like a 70-80 watt fixture that will light up the tank
sufficiently, but that means about 4 20 watt bulbs.
I don't know that much about my options. Metal halide only seems to come in
high wattages (75-100+), VHO I don't know much about. I'd like to be able
to light the ends of my tank as well as the middle, so something longer than
a 24" bulb is what I'm after.
If anyone knows, fill me in!
"I wear black on the outside because black is how I feel on the inside".
-- Morrissey
Kelly Beard, Cat IV, Team Allanti
President, Allanti Cycling Club - http://www.allanti.com
Race in Tennessee - http://www.tbra.org/98-road.shtml