SHO bulbs?

[Ilikebutterflies]

OK. So like I posted in my other thread, I have a 29G not being used so I thought I would cut up my large branch of driftwood (which I might add was hard as a rock and smoked like crazy when I cut it down last night) and propagate plants onto the chunks as well as grow some java moss and a few other plants. I might put one of my giant males in there just so I can have his 10g for something else. Anyway, I need good lighting as this is a deep 29g. I have no intention of buying a T5 or LED or similar that will give me enough light for an aquarium in my laundry room so I stumbled upon the SHO lights and ordered one. One 65W SHO is supposed to give me 2.24 watts per gallon and that is considered med lighting for SHOs as they throw off A LOT of light. Anyway, I'll keep you guys posted and see if my $30 purchase was more wise than a $90 T5 that would give me less useable light.

[eatmice2010]

hi and no

[xjenuhfur]

Can you post pictures when everything is set up? :D
Lighting is a terrible pain for tanks.

[kfryman]

Will the light be sitting on the tank? If so even T5HO could end up being too much light depending on what fixture you will be using and how many bulbs. But yeah, SHO provides some of the most extreme PAR ratings.

PAR is the correct way on how to measure how much light you have as if you have 30 PAR at the substrate and so does someone else does but they have different lighting it is the same thing as distance from the fixture to the substrate, bulbs, and fixtures will usually vary with everyone. Saying 30 watts means anything, 30 watts or like 2 wpg with T8 is so much different then the same but with something like SHO even T5HO.

You would be way better off with T5HO lighting if you must, two bulbs and you may still run into algae in a low tech tank though, you may need to get more floating plants to block some light, dose more ferts, and possibly some other stuff.

What is the dimensions of this tank?

xJenuhfur Lighting is not that bad when you are somewhat use to other plant enthusiasts that have hundreds of fixtures lighting their tank. I am like a novice/intermediate by their standards lol.