# Lighting



## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

I have a 75 gallon tank, plants are water westeria, java fern lace, and some java moss. My lighting is one standard fluoresent bulb, and two GE sunshine shop light fluoresent bulbs(32w, 5000k reading each). I fertilize the gravel with sechmen tablets, and the water with sechmen fluorish. Good to go? Thanks!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Personally, I think 5000k is a little on the low side and would go for bulbs in the 6500-10000k range. Not sure what you mean by standard fl bulb, as even the 5000k bulbs you have are standard bulbs. I would make all 3 the same.


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## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

Thanks for the reply. The one bulb I refered to as standard is the one that came with the 75 gal aquarium kit. The two sunshine bulbs are much brighter. Ok, so 6500k, I actually read that elsewhere as well. I hope Lowes will accept these bulbs as returns because there out of the package. And one other thing, the bulbs are in a dual fixture, but its a shop light type meaning it's supposed to hang, the way I have it set up the bulbs are resting directly on the glass cover of my tank. Is that ok? Thanks again!


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

imp1979 said:


> I have a 75 gallon tank, plants are water westeria, java fern lace, and some java moss. My lighting is one standard fluoresent bulb, and two GE sunshine shop light fluoresent bulbs(32w, 5000k reading each). I fertilize the gravel with sechmen tablets, and the water with sechmen fluorish. Good to go? Thanks!


Hello imp...

Ideally, you want to use 6500 K bulbs. This type comes closest to natural daylight at 5500 K. The light blue color hue of this bulb is recommended for planted tanks.

The best fertilizer I've found is the stuff produced by the fish, but if you don't have a lot of them in the tank, then something in liquid, dry or granules is fine. Just dose according to instructions. I like a hydroponics micro fert called "Microblast", it's good stuff.

One other thing that keeps plants healthy is water with a high level of minerals. That's done through large, weekly water changes of at least 50 percent.

Follow these and then you'll be "good to go".

B


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## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

Thanks. I got back from Lowes a couple of hours ago. My setup is now three 6500k ge daylight 48" bulbs. My sister has a 55 gallon heavily planted, she is using two GE 40watt 6500k daylight bulbs t12. I just added the seachem flourish so I'll have to wait till next week to do a water change. I can't wait because my water looks like tea because of a huge piece of driftwood. And my fish are 8 rosy barbs(3 of them long fin) one African Brown Knife Fish, one albino bristlenose pleco, and one bumblebee catfish. Thanks again!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

That's good. Just for future ref, you would see no growth differences between 6500k bulbs and 10000k bulbs. They both provide different looks to your tank. I use both types.


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## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

It's been almost one week since I have installed these lights, and the top of the wisterias are improved big time, they look exactly like they do in images you see of healthy ones online, but the rest of the plants body the leaves are still curled. Not enough light? Or since they are further away from the light they will improve, just take more time?


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## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

I WISH my wisteria looked like this.


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

Hello imp...

Water wisteria just needs stronger lighting. It's a stem plant and stems don't have to be planted in the substrate. They grow just as well attached to anything that floats. I have some taller tanks and attach this plant to pieces of driftwood with very thin sewing thread and it grows extremely well. You have to keep it trimmed or it will cover the surface of the tank and cut off the light from the plants below it. I do the same with others like Java fern, Anacharis, Pennywort and Banana lily.

Just a thought.

B


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If you just added the light I would cut the stem above the area that doesn't look as healthy and replant and see if it will continue to grow more healthy. Wisteria does not need a lot of light. I have grown it with no problem in less than 1WPG of T8 grow bulbs.

**Edit** my statement should have read "does not" need a lot of light.


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## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

So should I add one more daylight bulb? I was thinking about it.


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## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

This is what most of the leaves on my wisterias look like.
(not an actual picture of mine)


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

imp1979 said:


> So should I add one more daylight bulb? I was thinking about it.


Hello again imp...

Add up the watts you have and if you have anywhere near 150, then you can grow about any aquatic plant available. A couple of 48 inch, 32 watt T8s or 40 watt T12s would grow more than enough different plants to fill a 75 G tank. 

The local hardware stores carry 48 inch, 6500 K, GE aquarium plant bulbs for no more than $12.00 each and the bulbs easily last a year. I use them in my 55 G tanks and the plants grow very well.

B


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## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

Thanks for the reply. I have a total of 96 watts of light. Three 6500k ge daylight bulbs, 32w each. One in a single reflector fixture, and the other two in a dual, no relector fixture. Probably going to replace the single with a dual reflector fixture. Thanks!


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## imp1979 (Dec 28, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> If you just added the light I would cut the stem above the area that doesn't look as healthy and replant and see if it will continue to grow more healthy. Wisteria does not need a lot of light. I have grown it with no problem in less than 1WPG of T8 grow bulbs.
> 
> **Edit** my statement should have read "does not" need a lot of light.


Okay tomorrow I am considering choping off the lower half, the half with the leaves that look like the pic i posted a couple posts up, and replanting the portion with the healty, bushy leaves. Gonna throw out the other portion. The stems now are tall, within about three inches of the waters surface.


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