Lights

Hi guys i recently decided to uograde my tank to a 700L tank and i want ti try and grow plants but i have no idea on the lights and temperature the tank gets some sunlight but cant put all the plants in one spot anybody got any tips tank has been running for aime time

 

Hi Dirk. Welcome to the forum.

Direct sunlight is a bit dangerous on your tank. It can heat up your tank beyond what you want the temps to be at. It can also contribute heavily towards algae in your tank if the parameters etc are not spot on.

On a tank that size your lights can add up to quite a bit, so maybe some DIY LEDs if you are on a tight budget?

 

Ita not directly on the tank but my tank is n nice temp i need to buy a temo meter today.

And diy leds mmmm juat normal led light strips

 

That can work yes. I have seen some of the other members even doing some fittings with LED flood lights in them. Looks quite cool.

 

Ok so there is no idea of the led specs you could give me i know nothing about lights at all

 

That all depends on the dimensions of your tank. You would also want to be in the 6500K range to get good plant growth. I am sure that some of the more experienced members will be able to give you a bit more info on the wattage etc. that is required.

 

2meter long 600 wide 600 deep

 

Perhaps @Pezulu, @MariaS or @A new day will be able to shed some light on the matter so to speak.

 

Tank i did have a look at her tank stunning and i did send her a message

 

Hi Dirk, welcome.. Best decision ever to have joined the forum... You will get plenty of advise here !!!
Secondly, congrats on the mighty upgrade !!!!

What plants do you want to grow ?

700l is quite a bit of water and you gonna need some serious light to get the required lumen rating. The most important thing to look for 6500k(daylight) globes and lumen rating, don't worry about PAR rating.
I would recommend going for floodlights as the lumens are higher than any other house hold bulb. As long as enough light is hitting the substrate you should be able to grow anything. My planted tank is running on 3x 1100 lumens phillips bulbs ( https://www.makro.co.za/home-garden...MI3vGz-aiH5gIVQbTtCh1ogQZSEAQYBCABEgJYgfD_BwE ) but its only a 3 feet tank. You will need about 14 of these globes to get 20 lumens per liter, therefore I recommend floodlights. If you install two at 7000 lumens each = 14000 lumens @ 20 lumens per liter. ( https://ecodepot.co.za/products/eurolux-led-100w-led-floodlight-6500k-black )


Here's a pretty good explanation on lighting that can help a lot.
https://tropica.com/en/guide/make-your-aquarium-a-success/light/

 

Thanks man now i have a idea yeah flood lights are bit out my buget like way out but ill have to save up then for them. Yeah that upgrade is kick ass just the lights to sort out and move some thungs around in the tank this weekend.

 

Hi @Dirk Human , im actually running a 55cm deep 3 foot planted, so have an active learning curve happening plant lighting wise.
for main lighting i am using a 10w spotlight,on my centre brace, glass diffused.
i find the smd style to generate marginally less heat and give better spread than the cob variants(smd multiple diodes, cob single/clustered diode)
i also use two clip on chinese led lights, 6500k with 460nm blue added for "10000k" final spectrum but that is more fill lighting.
the tank is pretty heavily planted and im not seeing undue stretch or the plants nor clear die off in its first 2 weeks
the depth can be negated by building up substrate depth to an extent, i used rock and covered over to avoid air pockets.
i wouldnt recommend t5 or baton light style solutions, wont have the intensity to get lumens to the bottom

 

can pick them up from pnp at 2 or 3 for R100 quite often, china shops too