Lighting for a planted tank....

[SDEVO8]

I just have a 3 questions for everyone.
1. How many wpg does everyone have hear (any size tank) with your discus planted tanks?
2. What brand of lighting are you using (coralife, current usa, DIY etc.)?
3. Which are you most happy with (the brand, if you have used different brands)?

I am leaning to get the coralife 48" pc 2x65W (for a 60 gallon). I dont think I want to go to the 4x65W with Discus, too much light for Discus? Thanks for any info!!

[ernest]

175w Metal Halide, 5500k bulb

single pendant over a 58g.

Almost 3 wpg

The plants grow like mad but I think the discus would come out more with a lower light planted tank. They still do come out and look for food but they end up right back into their hidey holes in the weeds. I don't know, these are my first discus but 2 x 65w on a 60g, I would think that would be just about right. Ofcourse you would be somewhat limited to low-med light plants.

[shalu]

302w AHSupply.com pc lighting over 100gallon. My discus hang out in front most of the time.

[svdfinally]

5 40w NO fluorescent bulbs over 75 so that comes out to about 3wpg and I can grow just about anything. (high tech tank). Lights from Home depot that I built.

210 gallon tank has 3 175w 6.5k metal halides over them (hamilton) so I guess that's about 2.5 watts/gallon. I used metal halides because the tank is 29" deep.

My other biotope tanks are 55 gallon and have 4 40watt NO fluorescents. I have an african tank with a lot of anubias and slow growers so I only have 2 bulbs over it.

[dandestroy]

4 x 55watt AH supply. for a 80 gallon high.

work like a charm.

[pcsb23]

Running about 4wpg on my planted tank, discus don't mind at all.

[Bainbridge Mike]

Running about 4wpg on my planted tank, discus don't mind at all.


Paul:

Do you inject CO2 in this tank? What ferts do you use?

MW

[Blue Ram]

I personally did not like the coralife pc freshwater lights for the discus tank. I like the coralife T5's much better. You may also end up having to inject C02 and fertilize with the light you are contemplating so the plants grow and the algae does not!! I had the coralife 36" (96 watts) on a 35 gal planted tank and had to inject C02 and fertilize.