Lighting for 24" Cube

[cooksa]

I'm looking to get enough lighting for low to low-medium, easy to grow plants (anubias, crypts, and such). I'm also limited to a fixture that sits on top. Currently I have one Marineland Doublebright LED (24"-36") on it (open top). The plants seem to be doing just fine, but I'm looking to add more and I'm worried this fixture just wouldn't cut it in a more lush setup.

From what I'm reading online it seems many of the 24" fixtures just won't have enough power/light to reach the bottom of the tank. Now I'm not sure if these people are trying to grow short plants that need lots of light or not, but I'd hate to purchase a $200-$300 fixture that's not going to work for me.

Any suggestions?

[Jennie]

well Stacey, if you can't find lighting for that cube, Not to worry, you can just send the cube right on to me! LOL

[cooksa]

I just bought http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/...&productId=370

Gonna try my hand at crafting a hood for it. HAHAHAHA

[Second Hand Pat]

I would love to hear how this works for you. The price is certainly great. It might be able to be mounted into a existing hood.

[Jennie]

lol

[saltydog]

I would be curious to hear how these do also. The wattage seems very low. I have been considering lowering my lighting wattage Output put and consumption from MH to T5's and also considering LEDs. So i am very interested to know how these do. It would be much cheaper to get several of these panels in my 180 instead of other lighting options

[cooksa]

I can honestly say the LEDs have grown my java moss well. Though, that is in a Fluval Edge. :-/

I'll keep y'all updated on the progress. I'm sure I'll take pics along the way, too. I'm no good at judging growth, so I need pics to prove it to myself.

[Yboat]

I'd recomend a 150 watt halide.

[saltydog]

Yeah would love to see how it lights up the tank! Very interested in this. I am looking at their reef set up with more wattage. But having to buy three of them, the one you got would be much cheaper on the wallet but i am thinking not near as effective with the dimensions of my tank. But I am liking the 6000 - 7000k spectrum on the ones you got and i can supplement with my t5 retros in actinics. I am really ready to trade I my metal halides!

[Apistomaster]

A pair of these only costs $88 and would do a very good job of lighting a low tech planted 24 inch cube.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/209302/product.web
The NO T-5 lamps are only 14 watts but they produce as much usable light as any NO of equivalent length in the T-8 or T-12 dimensions. I converted to these strips for all but my 125 gal tank which is 72 inches long and I bought 2-36 inch dual HO T-5 lamp fixtures for it.
I use budget billing so the following year my power bill dropped by almost 14% after making the lighting change.
My house has electric base board heaters but the waste heat radiated from all my aquariums does much to help heat the small house and is in effect getting to use the kilowatts twice. Once for the heating of the aquariums then again to help heat the house.
All the waste heat from the aquarium lamps contribute some to heating the house.
I think it may take another decade for LED aquarium lighting to become more affordable but it is the next advance in achieving greater energy efficiencies out of aquarium lighting.

[cooksa]

Well, I've had the new LED fixture for a while and just switched them out a week or so ago.

Apisto-I've got one of those (30") on my bowfront. It's got one 6700k, and one Colormax bulb in it. So far the plants under it are doing well, so I may swap out the LEDs for two of them if they don't work out on the cube. Thanks for the recommendation.

So far I like this fixture much better than the Marineland Double Bright. As expected the light is much more evenly distributed with it just sitting on the glass top for now. I guess time will tell how well the plants will do.