# light unit for growing hc in weird size tank?



## bumcrumb (11 Nov 2009)

hi all 
ive been searching all over the place in the wrong places for light units to fit a tank i brought from ebay a few weeks ago.
i brought one of them desktop stainless steel aquariums from ebay and turning it into a modern iwagumi set up.
i have started the aquascape, placed the seiryu stone and want to fill it with hc and dwarf hair grass.
what lighting should i use to grow these healty and strong?
the tank is around 13litres(2 gallons?)
length of the tank is funny and the reason im finding it hard to get some modern, sleek powerfull lighting which wont dent my wallet!
length is 55cm
width is 14cm
depth is 26cm
if anyone can please help me id be so so gratefull.
keep up the great work guys your tanks are so lovely!
chris :?


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## Steve Smith (11 Nov 2009)

you would be able to fit most 60cm luminaires over that tank as they generally have adjustable legs which slide along the length of the light unit to fit differing length aquariums.  The only thing to look out for is the width of the tank rim.  Not sure of the max size many lights will fit onto, but I suspect 1cm and below is a safe bet.


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## bumcrumb (11 Nov 2009)

cheers for the help, i like the look of the ada mini light but there is no way i can afford that price!
have you got any ideas which lights are the best to get for both growing hc and dwarf grass but still nice to look at for such a small gallon tank?


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## bumcrumb (11 Nov 2009)

here is the link to the tank i purchaced.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRUSHED-STEEL-TAB ... 35a3e7dd95

any tips on lighting or anything to help me grow a hc and dwarf grass tank will be very appreciated.
thanks all!!


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## bumcrumb (11 Nov 2009)

or does anyone know much about using a desk lamp with a certain bulb in to grow hc and grass? im really stuck on the lighting part, ive been on here all day trying to find a modern, smart looking desk light like the ada solar mini but not cost me over Â£200!
im open to all ideas and help,,, anything????? pleaseeeeee!!


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## Steve Smith (11 Nov 2009)

What about 11w Arcadia Arc Pods, or Superfish 18w lights?  Clip on jobbies that look OK.  I use 2 arcadi lights on my little (neglected) nano.


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## bumcrumb (11 Nov 2009)

do you think that 2 arc pods will be OK for the plants i need to grow? have you tried growing hc and dwarf grass in your 'neglected' nano lol.
have you got any idea what the desk lamps people use are? 
it seams to be mentioned a bit in the American planted sites like apc which i had no help with what so ever!
thanks for your help again Steve, anyone else with any ideas??


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## ceg4048 (11 Nov 2009)

Yeah,
        Here's an idea: Stop worrying about lights. If you intend to grow HC you'll need to worry about CO2. These plants could care less about what kind of lights you have but they are unforgiving if your CO2, flow and nutrition is in any way sub-par.

Cheers,


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## bumcrumb (11 Nov 2009)

well it been such a small tank i didnt want to go mad on co2, i have looked at a co2 setup in a box which you replace the bottle every few months(think its by tetra?)
i was worried about the lights due to hc needing high light,
what are the main ferts i need to add once i have them all planted up then?
cheers guys  :?


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## ceg4048 (12 Nov 2009)

Well, again, with a small tank one is best served not wanting to go mad on light. The more light you add the higher the demand for CO2, flow and nutrients. You've got the cart pulling the horse. All carpet plant want you go mad on CO2. It's the only way they will thrive. HC does not need high light. It needs high CO2. Refocus your energy away from lighting and towards CO2 because low CO2 + high light annihilates HC 1000X faster than low light could ever dream of doing.

The good news is that those CO2-in-a-box setups you noted do work quite well on small tanks. Tetra, Dennerle, Dupla, JBL all sell their versions of this system. Check our sponsors for more details, for example; Aqua Essentials CO2 Kits

Then, go to the Tutorial section of the forum and read every article there. There are articles on fert dosing, CO2 application, lighting, tank setups. Read those threads and you'll know more about aquatic plants than 99% of Earths population.

Cheers,


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## bumcrumb (12 Nov 2009)

thanks for the great help!
well thats the co2 sorted and ive got the ferts in order but i still dont have a light unit.
i need a light unit of some sort anyway, what do you recomend then? i like the one on georges featured scape page, thats the kind of setup i want to base mine on.
cheers again


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## ceg4048 (12 Nov 2009)

Yeah, sure, that would be fine. Lighting is all about personal choice. What do you like to look at? That's the question to answer. Steve had a pretty good suggestion in his post:


			
				SteveUK said:
			
		

> What about 11w Arcadia Arc Pods, or Superfish 18w lights?  Clip on jobbies that look OK.  I use 2 arcadi lights on my little (neglected) nano.



Cheers,


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## bumcrumb (12 Nov 2009)

after looking and measuring carefully i dont think the clip would fit on the edge of the tank(to thick)
have you heard of anyone using a modern desk lamp with a certain bulb in it? 
i can find a lot of info and links on the american planted sites but nothing here in the uk.
what tank have you got? any pics??
cheers once again mate!


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## ceg4048 (12 Nov 2009)

Well, according to that advert you gave the link to, the tank comes with a mounted bulb and fitting doesn't it? If that's the case don't you simply need to find a ballast like a standard Arcadia ballast?





There ought to be a few options like the "I-Bar". I just did a search on ebay for aquarium light unit and got 45 hits.

Just about any desk lamp will work as well. Probably best to use a fluorescent one as they will tend to run cooler than a halogen or incandescent.

Cheers,


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## bumcrumb (13 Nov 2009)

thanks again, you have been a great help.
i did that search on ebay a few days ago (well every day lol) and found a few different things.
sometimes it can get quite hard to understand the wattage, the colours etc of the bulb.
hopefully when i get this all done ill be looking into getting a full ADA mini s set up,they look great!
ill let you know how i get on with the co2 and lights
cheers mate


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## Mortis (13 Nov 2009)

You could also get the HaiYang light fom Aquatics online


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## bumcrumb (13 Nov 2009)

lol, you wouldn't believe it but Ive been looking at that light for some time now but wasn't sure if it was any good, i did put a bid on eBay for one but missed out by a pound ha ha.
have you got any idea how i work out how much co2 i need to put in the tank?
if i get that tetra opti one i says i just fill up the unit inside the tank once or twice a day but my tank been so small wouldn't that over do it a bit and kill the tetras?


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