# Lights for a shallow tank



## glugglug (May 31, 2013)

I have a tank 31 inches long ,8 inches wide and 10 inches high....kinda weird.......Id like some advice for which lights to choose(gonna put live ,lowlight plants like anubias and moss).I know the rule of thumb is 1 .5 or 2 watt per gallon for planted tanks ,but my case is particular(shallow tank)Given that the distance between top and substrate will not be big ,what lights should I choose(I cannot raise the fixture too much from the top cause I have a painting above tha tank.Thanks


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## GreenyFunkyMonkey (Nov 27, 2012)

If you have the money, an LED fixture would probably work great since you are using only low light plants.


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## glugglug (May 31, 2013)

GreenyFunkyMonkey said:


> If you have the money, an LED fixture would probably work great since you are using only low light plants.


Hi ,thanks for the reply.Yes ,i 've considered leds ,mut most of the fixtures I saw were hanging about a foot above the tanks.I'm gonna need something that sits on top of the tank since I have a painting above on the wall.


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## nate2005 (Apr 24, 2013)

im definitely not an expert on this but I've been researching A LOT lately because im thinking about setting up a 40g low tech planted aquarium. this is all based on what I have read and not from my own experiences. 

watts/gallon isn't very accurate because you get tanks all shapes and sizes(like yourself) and is completely useless with LEDs. you want to focus on the PAR rating. for a low tech setup for low light plants you want to shoot for a PAR around 20-40. Too low of par and plants wont grow and too high and you will be fighting algae(when you don't have CO2). PAR has a few variables including distance from the light. That's why you see some people have lights hanging above their tanks so they can adjust the amount of light their aquarium/plants get. Spectrum is also important when looking at LEDs because you will see some that just give off white and those will not work for plants at all. Plants use the blue/red light. LEDs that can work for plants will have blue and white (some have red also). 

check this out. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/aquarium-lighting-16326.html

I would look into 1 t8 24" full sprectrum bulb(like Zoomed ultra sun), 24" marineland double bright LED, or 24" Current satellite plus LED.


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## nate2005 (Apr 24, 2013)

also, I have been experimenting with live plants in my 16g. I have an estimated PAR of 20 and my anubias have grown slowly(2/3 new leafs in 6 weeks).


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

PAR isn't really a good thing to go off of unless you have a PAR meter. Otherwise, you're playing a guessing game.

And as stated, the WPG ratio isn't accurate with anything BUT T8 bulbs because T8's and T12's used to be the industry standard.

With that being said, I would look into a standard shop light fixture from Home Depot or Lowe's - many on the forum use them for planted tanks and have great success. You can get a good 30-40" T8 fixture for pretty cheap, and you can get a 5500K or thereabouts bulb set from the same store.

5500K refers to the Kelvin rating of the bulb, and amongst other things classifies what spectrum of light is emitted. Since your tank is so shallow, 5500K is ideal as it is more on the orange-pink side and that sort of light is the best for freshwater plants. The orange-pink light doesn't penetrate far into the water though, so having a shallow tank is the only reason I would suggest that bulb.

Hope this helps!


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## nate2005 (Apr 24, 2013)

Some manufacturers will provide par data for their lights now. There are also groups out there that have run par tests and posted results for other to reference. The par data isn't as inaccessible as its sounds like it used to be.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Perfecto Fluorescent Place-a-Lite Hood Black Aquarium Hoods
Shop ge daylight fluorescent bulb at Lowes.com: Search Results!
You mat need to place a small strip of wood(?) along each end, front to back to support it. I get a piece of double strength glass cut wide enough to fit
down in that ledge from front to back but about 4" too short for the length and leave 1" open on one end for my heater or heater cord plus air line and let the other end
have 3" open to play around/w the tweezers through but my tank(s) are 20". I just set my lights on top of it.


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## glugglug (May 31, 2013)

Thank you all for your answers.If ever should I get a more powerful\intense light than needed ,would cutting down to say 4=6 hours a day of light be the same as with using a less intense light ,algae wise?


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