Aquarium Lighting

[Lizzy]

I should probably know the answer to this question, but how does everyone...especially Shane, get enought light into a big tank like that 130 gallon to grow that many plants? I have always been told that a tank that deep needs halogen lights. I use 2 zoo-med bulbs (flora sun and Ultra sun) on my 33 gallon and it looks as densley planted as Shane's tank, but it's not as deep as a 130 gallon. I had tried using a bunch of flores. lights in a tank that was 2 feet deep and the plants never took off. Maybe it was because I was being forced to use the crappy Hagen bulbs. Any comments?

Lizzy

:w

[Shane Tesser]

I use two Home Depot $12 fixtures. Each is a double bulb fixture, 48" in length. They are back to back, or one in front of the other. On the left over space i use a two foot fixture, double bulbed. The tank is actually larger than 130. It was a custom build that i guy ordered and never showed up for. It is actually 20" deep, or to the back....instead of eighteen. I call it a one fifty but ive never actually done the math. The glass is actually heavier as well. It is 3/4" thick. Now for the surprise. Canadian tire, plant grow light bulbs....well not all. The bulbs at the very front of the tank are standard 40 watt daylight Canadian tire bulbs....these are full spectrum and show off the fish's colours. So there is two of those... and the rest are plant grow. I have experimented with everything. Ive bought all of the expensive bulbs and the specific bulbs etc. I always had a fair amount of luck, but not really what i was after. I could never get the look i wanted. So about a year or so i got these....my cat kind of jumped on top of the tank and sent the glass cover and the fixtures into the water...needless to say everything exploded. So being cheap thats what i replaced it with. Now this i can tell you...and if i sent a recent picture you wouldnt recognize the tank....it looks totally different...ill work on sending one this weekend if Jeff brings his camera. Since putting those bulbs in, i cant keep up. Im removing a shopping bag a week of leaves. Im at the point where if i shape a plant...like a bunch plant, and cut it in half, it will be right back at where i started. Ive even had plants that i havent seen in a couple of years reappear on their own, ie Valseria (spelling?) and java moss. Now your probably wondering about algae. I get very little...on the plants, the glass is another story. I have lots of fast growing stuff in there....but i do also have slow stuff. Ie you cant tell from the photo to well, but the very left of the tank has an extremely large tree stump in it that takes up 1/3 of the tank. It is completely covered in Java ferns. In order to keep them from getting too much sun, i just use duck weed to protect it. When algae starts to bloom on the leaves i just let it grow for a week or two to protect them, then remove and give it to the goldfish. Regulation i find is a key factor....just no one ever seems to want to share their secrets. Also keeping platty's and sword tails help as well...they pick the algae off of the leaves. So now that ive rambled on i sum it up by saying try those bulbs im sure they will work....gonna try to visit you soon...we can talk more in person and ill see if i can help...hell i should just have you over. Lol. (sorry so long)

[Shane Tesser]

One little thing i forgot....you can expect a year or two at least to really establish a tank that is planted heavily...some times i find a plant seems to die off and then come back with a fury. And prune prune prune. If you take a sword plant, strategically cut all of the leaves blocking the light to new growth...not only will the new growth grow faster....it will grow bigger. I grow sword and sell them, thats why i use this example. I can get them off of the mother plant at about two or three inches, and have them at nearly 24" in six months....i bring you some freebees when i come and visit.