Lighting Help Please

[Joel Smith]

Hey folks,
Just signed up, laying down my first post, and in need of help. I run a 90gal tank 48"Lx18"Dx24"H. Hooked up to it is a Rena filstar XP3 canister filter, semi-auto CO2 system, and then my light is a Fluval 32W Ultra light LED strip light.

I have a variety of plants requiring different amounts of light, but my biggest desire is to get the dwarf hairgrass to spread out. My set up is "U" shaped, with the dwarf hairgrass in the valley.

Could you guys help me out on choosing a lighting system that would benifit my tank setup? I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[Iain Sutherland]

Welcome Joel, you need to look at your filtration as much as your light. With a 90gal tank you will likely need 2 filters of 1300lph rather than one. Flow is more important for good growth than high light. However you could look at the tmc range of grow beams, strips or tiles. But like I said without good water movement to circulate co2 and ferts growth will still be poor. Generally speaking high tech tanks aim for 10x the volume of water in filter capacity which allows for drop off with media etc...


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[Joel Smith]

Wow, I had no idea it needed to be that much of a turnover, I really thought 4x an hour would work great. So if I install a second xp3, and continue with the CO2, then a stronger light would become benificial? I was looking at the Aquaray Grobeam 1500 Ultra but after hours of research couldn't come to a conclusion on whether it was the right route to go.

I have a glass canopy with a hood as well, and realistically there's about 4" or 5" of space in between. So the tile would be pretty close, would that still be optimal? If so, in your opinion, one or two?

 

[Joel Smith]

Have another Rena Filstar XP3 (large) on the way. Also adding a 48-Inch Marquis T5HO Freshwater Dual Lamp to my tank to run with the LED that I currently have. Can't wait to see the results!
Thanks!