# Lighting for 29 gallon planted tank?



## Deng09 (Apr 28, 2012)

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good fixture for a 29 gallon tank I am about to set up?

I plan on using dirt substrate and diy co2. I would like enough light to be able to grow a carpet plant if I decide to do that. 

Thanks for any responses!!


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## MrG (Apr 28, 2013)

I've used the google to find as much as I could before upgrading my lighting. I would really advise you to do so as well! You don't wanna spend money on things you find out eventually were useless (as I did when I first started).

I also have a 29 gallon wide tank.

From what I've read a lot of, T5 HO (high output) lights are the way to go these days, unless you have a load of money for LED's, which I opted not to go for..

Dwarf hairgrass requires medium to high light to grow densely, as I have already tried once with regular aquarium light and failed. I've got my second patches in now with 2 T5 HO bulbs for a total of 78watts. I've also got the DIY CO2 going now, so you should be in the right direction.

Honestly, your best bet is to fully educate yourself on the best lighting for plants depending what you're looking to grow, and expect to spend a little bit of cash for lighting equipment. I just got my Odyssea fixture and light bulbs this weekend, so I cannot speak from too much first hand experience, just relaying information I researched before jumping in.

Good luck!


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

+1


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## Deng09 (Apr 28, 2012)

MrG said:


> I've used the google to find as much as I could before upgrading my lighting. I would really advise you to do so as well! You don't wanna spend money on things you find out eventually were useless (as I did when I first started).
> 
> I also have a 29 gallon wide tank.
> 
> ...


I gogoled for a few hours the past couple days, and it seems the 29 is a bit of an odd length for most fixtures. 

Could you possibly give me a link to the fixture you used to grow your dwarf hairgrass?

Thanks.


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## MrG (Apr 28, 2013)

How wide is your tank exactly? I thought mine was unusual as well, but mine is a 29 gallon wide, which I know they made in square as well, making it narrower

My tank is 36" wide from edge to edge. I bought a 36" Odyssea HOT5 fixture that came with bulbs from:

CANADIAN AQUATICS

No direct link to it but scroll down to it. Costs $65 from this source. Haven't had it long really so can't vouch for it but I didnt want to spend $200 on a fixture and bulbs either.
With the extendable brackets all the way in, they hang an inch over each side of my tank but its no big deal to me.

Smaller is a 24" fixture, and if you do have to go hat route, you can always set your fixture a bit higher than your tank to cast the light wider to hit the full surface of the water. I just didn't have that option due to overhead cabinets. Also, the smaller the fixture, the more linited you are to max watts per lamp. You want relatively a lot of watts..say, enough to not have an algae outbreak and such.

Again, I'm still researching all this as well as experimenting with it myself. So if anything I'm saying is flawed, please feel free to correct me.


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## Deng09 (Apr 28, 2012)

My tank is a standard 29 gallon which is 30 inches long. My tank is in a position where I don't have room to put a 36 inch light over the top.


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## MrG (Apr 28, 2013)

Tell me about it. I had to have a tank and the only sturdy place I could set it was under my kitchen cabinets on the counter. It fits perfectly and looks good, but I only have about a 5" space between the cabinets and the rim. I'm _supposed_ to set the light a little higher but it is what it is, it's working for me.


Definitely no room for a 24" raised well above the tank to cast a wider light?


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

I used a Current USA T5 HO light fixture for mine. The 30" light fits just fine. Note the bulbs are still 24" long but with the legs it sat just fine and lit the entire tank. 


Here it is on my tank. 

Keep in mind its brighter than that but my top is covered in duckweed. 


I got mine off Amazon.


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## TroyVSC (Aug 29, 2012)

Some budget LEDs that might do the trick. Finnex FugreRay2 cost around $100. I believe they have 30" as well. That would give medium lighting. I really like my 36" Fugeray (I went with less light as just have stem plants and was afraid of getting in over my head and having an algae tank) and at only 17 watts its saving me $$ as well as not getting as hot as T5 fixtures.


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## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

I have a marineland led with moonlight and timer and I really like it.go to marineland.com and take a look.


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## Deng09 (Apr 28, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies guys. 

I don't really know anything about using LED lights for plant growth, so maybe you guys can help me with that? Would the Finnex 30 inch LED Daylight be enough light to grow a dwarf hairgrass carpet?


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## TroyVSC (Aug 29, 2012)

Deng09 said:


> Thanks for all the replies guys.
> 
> I don't really know anything about using LED lights for plant growth, so maybe you guys can help me with that? Would the Finnex 30 inch LED Daylight be enough light to grow a dwarf hairgrass carpet?


The original probably not (best guess haven't tried it yet). The Fugeray2 will get you moderate lighting and should be able to grow it. Granted it will still be slower growth than high lighting so keep that in my mind. A lot of things will grow in lower lighting but do much better and really need higher lighting to thrive. The good thing is there is a wide range of plants for all types.


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## Avraptorhal (Jan 24, 2013)

TroyVSC said:


> The original probably not (best guess haven't tried it yet). The Fugeray2 will get you moderate lighting and should be able to grow it. Granted it will still be slower growth than high lighting so keep that in my mind. A lot of things will grow in lower lighting but do much better and really need higher lighting to thrive. The good thing is there is a wide range of plants for all types.


+1


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