lighting

Hi All, Twinstar has just released the G-Line series, which will most interestingly be waterproof. Some have mentioned on UKAPS that they like the Twinstar, but the lack of waterproofing causes concern. Here are the details for those interested. I have been talking to Aquarium Gardens who are...

I’m getting back into the hobby after a little hiatus after moving house. I’ve got a 55l Dennerle scapers tank and arriving any day now, which I’m planning to run with co2, aquasoil and probably a chihiros a II light (probably dimmed slightly), not super high tech and hopefully fairly low...

Hi, I have a 60cm x 30cm x 30cm tank and I have been offered a Chihiros WRGB2 90 at a discounted price. What would be some ideal mounting options considering the length of the light is more than my aquarium length ? If I decide to mount it hanging from the ceiling or using mounting stands, do...

Hi guys, I have never had a light turn on or even had proper lightings in a non-planted fish tank. It never strikes me that I need one until I read about fishkeeping cruelty yesterday. Now I’m wondering if it is consider cruel to not have one, and is it really nescessary in a fish tank?

Hi, I'm looking at upgrading the lights on my Juwel Rio 350L aquarium. I'm currently running the MultiLux LED's that come with the aquarium, but would like to have the option of growing more advanced plants. From research the Juwel HeliaLux lights seem to be the best option, but they are...

Hi Everyone, Since first seeing a YouTube video by Dr Bruce Bugbee of Apogee Instruments, I have often wondered if blue light shrinks aquatic plants? Please take a look at the following: Fast forward the video to around 4 mins 45 secs and watch from there. Now, it may be that what Dr Bugbee...

Dear all, This is my first post, although I have lurked on this forum many times for helpful advice and inspiration. I have a tank in my classroom and the lighting unit has stopped working. It was a Hagen t5 unit which I had retrofitted onto an old metal hood, however, the shape of the hood...

Hi all, New member (but not new to aquascaping)! I'm going to get a custom shallow, long tank soon, but I was wondering if any of you have any inspo and pictures of similar tanks? I'm going for something 4ft long (maybe longer) but not looking at more than 18" deep, and semi-heavily planted. If...

Hi Everyone, If you were ever in any doubt about the importance of light spectrum, please take a look at the following: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11120-018-0561-5 Although the document title gives the impression that blue light and cyanobacteria are being spotlighted (pun...

Hi, I'm wondering if there are any similar products to the lominie asta 20 that people know of? I really like the look of the light and it seems to grow plants well from things I've read and videos I have watched. The only thing that concerns me is the safety aspect, there are quite a few...

Hi everyone, long time no see. I'm setting up my ADA 60f again for my dwarf puffers, this time it will be a blackwater with some easy plants and no CO2. I was wondering how dim I should have my Twinstar 600e, I'm looking to grow Vallisneria nana, Cryptocoryne wendtii and Helanthium tenellum...

Hi, Just wondered what lights people are running on their nano or cube tanks? Im running a heavily planted 40cm Cube with stock AquaOne LED lighting. Recently started injecting CO2 and am thinking the light could do with an upgrade too. I'm looking at the Kessil A80 - the gooseneck mounting...

Hi Everyone, Some of you may have seen a thread I started a few weeks ago: https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/cyanobacteria-identification-at-last.60496/ In the process of reading many articles and scientific papers on the subject of Cyanobacteria (aka Cyano), I looked into Cyano's need for...

Hi Folks, For those people who would like to know more about the spectrum of light being emitted from whatever aquarium lighting you own, the i-Phos Spectrometer is a great piece of kit. I've been using one of these for about a year and I wouldn't be without it. This is it...

I want to have a lush jungle-style aquascape in my 240l (120x40x50) tank and am looking for a light that would allow me to do this. My Chihiros A1201 doesn't seem to be doing much good, as my S. repens is really struggling to live, let alone grow, and the other plants (even amazon swords) aren't...

Is there a way to use LED strip kits you can pick up on amazon for a DIY planted tank light? My tank is currently running CO2 and an interpet tri spec LED light. I have advanced plants in this tank and want to make sure they get the light they need (i daily dose ferts made for high tech...

Can anyone suggest an appropriate light bulb for a small/medium Wabi Kusa? It's about 20cm in diameter. I was thinking more like a generic light bulb rather than an aquarium/wabi kusa specific one. Could something like a 13w fluorescent work? Cheers

I’m been attempting to grow Utricularia graminifolia as a carpet plant in an 15 gallon iwagumi set up. This led me to do an online search to see what conditions have worked for others. In addition to the usual specialty web sites I looked at various blogs as well. So what follows is the progress...

Hi all, I was wondering if I should change the time of day I out my lighting on I have it on a timer for 6 hours a day but have this 0900 - 1500 the room is fairly light due to a large window. I was watching George Farmer's you tube channel and he mentioned his lighting was 1600 - 2200 as the...

Got my hand dirty, literally, and did a wabi kuza from scratch. Amazonia, sphagnum moss, sand, osmocote. Plugged in some Rotala indica "red", Rotala indica "green", Ludwigia repen, Ludwigia SP. super red mini, Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides, HM, mosses. All looks nice and sweet but now me and my...

I have a spare Eheim powerLED that's perfect for a thing I'm working on (large bottle with a kinda small, round opening), except it's way too bright. It has an inline on/offswitch I could possibly replace, but to be honest, I don't understand electricity well enough to know if I could just swap...

I am in no way associated with Soraa lighting but thought some members might be interested in the lighting profile they provide. They are designed to render realistic whites while offering a surprisingly broad colour range without the usual loss of cyan associated with LED. There are...

Hello, Firstly, nice to meet you all as I have just joined this forum :happy:. I am new to fishkeeping and I just set up my first planted tank (Fluval Roma 240L - dimensions 120W x 40D x 55H). I just wondered if anyone could offer some advice regarding lighting. I will give some background...

Hi all, this is my first post on the forum, I'm looking for help with my planted tank, I live in Cuba and I don't know the name of most of the plants, but all seem to be doing ok, the thing is I recently bought a little ludwigia plant and want to know what parameters do I need for it to grow...

I have an 800 mm tank very well planted. The light I am currently using is an Aquael LEDDY Slim 80 - 100 cm. What I would like is a Twinstar as they are great looking and the elevated position gives better coverage over the tank. The problem Twinstar do not make one for my size of the tank it is...

I am planning on re-scaping our tank and would like to plan the planting but would like some help in determining exactly what level of lighting is in our Fluval Edge 46l which has the following factory supplied lighting: This is Fluval's description: Fluval 46l "Edge includes a powerful and...

Hi New here, however been lurking a long time. Wonder if you guys would be able to help me. Had what I would call a mid tech tank (due to the liquid co2) setup for about six months now. However I'm not too happy with it. I seem to get pretty much continuous crypt melt. New growth is fine...

Hi all, Need some help with lighting. Tank details below: 100L Juwel Tank Upgraded with Fluval 106 filter (removed inbuilt Juwel filter) Hydor circulation pump for extra circulation Eheim surface skimmer (also creates extra flow) CO2 Art Advance Sodastream Kit Substrate: Deponit Mix...

Hello fellow plant lovers. At substrate level I have a PAR of roughly 57 using my fluval 2.0 and I'll be dosing liquid carbon, yes I know it has its haters but I like to run an air stone in my tanks, would you say this is classed as medium or low tech. Many thanks Paul

Hi, I have just purchased an ADA 90f (L90cm, W30cm, D20cm) tank and needed some advice on whether to go for the new Twinstar 600SP or 900SP to hang above the tank. I am planning on getting medium difficulty plants from Tropica, however wasn't sure if the 600SP would offer the coverage for the...

Hi All, I'm a bit of a newbie to the planted aquarium scene, I've recently read numerous articles and watched many YouTube videos on lighting as i am intending to create something myself with either CFL or LED (6500k). When it comes to Watts per Gallon/Litre it seems common that a Medium to...

Hey all! I've ordered 3, 15 watt COB LED, 6500K, E27 lights for a pendant fitting I'm building. These are for my 90cm tank, I've been using them for a short time on my smaller aquarium and just wanted to see if anyone else uses them and if there are any long term issues they've faced? I haven't...

Hi guys Firstly thanks for having me on your forum! I love aquascaping, and I have already seen some beautiful tanks in just a few short minutes of being here! I have an interpet river reef 94L aquarium and I want to make it planted, however I think the lighting currently isnt sufficient...

Hi all, Just purchased a Scapers tank for my office at work, but need to get a light for it. I'd rather and LED, because of the size and minimalist design of most units. Does anyone have any recommendations? The main two I've looked at so far is the Dennerle Power LED 5.0 and the Aquael Leddy...

After my Dennerle scaper 24watt led light has let me down for the second time, I would like to go for something different/better. The light is for my 50lt scaper tank (45x36x31cm), but would like it to be good for an upgrade that I plan to do within the next year. The new tank would be either a...

Hey guys. Just purchased a more or less new Dennerle Nano Cube 30 for £50 after wanting something smaller in comparison to my 200l tank, my plan is to keep a few shrimp and hope they breed so they can be introduced to my 200l tank whilst keeping a few in the 30l. I love aquascaping and am...

Tank size: 150 L CO2: Yes indicator green Lighting: 14W x 4 with reflectors on each one Filter: Eheim Ecco Pro 300 Plants inside: Bacopa Monnieri Monte Carlo Ludwigia Grandulosa Ludwigia Ovalis Hydrocotyle Tripartita Staurogyne Repens Java moss Pogostemon Helferi Bucephalandra So I have...

I'm going to be purchasing a 80 x 45 x 45cm, rimless, 162 litre / 35.6 gallon tank in the next couple of weeks and I have a few questions regarding lighting options. As a bit of background, I've only a 5 gallon low light tank in the past so I'm pretty new to this. I'm aiming to have a scape...

hello guys! finally i took the decision to go for smaller tank 3ftL x 18''W x 20''H because i need the space and i can't live without a tank lol!i still have the 5feet if someone is interested though! so now i already ordered the 3ft but i am trying to decide if i want to go with led or t5...

Hi all you lovely people For months and months all I've tried hasn't worked, I just don't understand why my plants keep dying.. All my plants, Eleocharis acicularis, Staurogyne repens, Lilaeopsis novea-zeelandiae, and Pogostomon erectus - all either turn brown, yellow, or get bombarded by...

Hi, I'm a newbie in aquariums and I'm seeking some advice on planted tanks! My plants never do too well, I dose tropica plant growth specialized and keep good water conditions. My specs: Tank: Juwel Trigon 190 Lighting: 2x T8 I run lights for 8 hours per day As you can see from the...

At the end of last year I had to strip down my high tech 120cm tank to get new heating fitted and after many months I have the bug again but not to maintain a high tech tank so will go with a low tech setup this time. So my question is does anyone have any low tech options for LED lights. The...

We are setting up a Fluval Edge 46 litre tank (Aquarium dimensions (L x W x H): 43 X 26 X 59.4 CM (16.9 X 10.2 X 23.4 IN)) with only the supplied lighting (42 HIGH OUTPUT LEDS, 7600 K) the planting with be modest (it's our first tank!) with hopefully the following: Vallisneria Nana Limnophila...

Hi there all! I'm in need of the UKAPS knowledge base again... A while ago I attempted to have a lovely colorful tank filled with a variety of pinky-red's like rotala rotundifolia and flat out natural red plants like alternanthera reineckii mini. I understand that maintaining red colours in the...

Lo all! Thinking of changing from an enclosed hood with inbuilt lighting to an open top. Obviously this will require a new lighting infrastructure. It's a decent sized tank, 330L, 120cm across and 70cm deep. Don't want to break the bank - Has anyone heard / or used this brand before, it...

Ok so as some of you may be aware I'm new to aquascaping. I currently have an interpet fish box 64 which was originally meant to be used as a big standard tank until I caught the aquascaping bug. I'm currently doing my best to improvise it and test my DIY skills. However, the lighting just...

Hi All, I'm Andrew from India and newbie in planted aquarium, before had only normal aquarium so i need to clarify some of my doubt, do appreciate your valuable tips and help to make my tank success. Below is my tank spec Tank size - 36 x 18 x 24 inches Substrate and fertilizer - JBL florapol...

I want to hang these 3 bulbs as seen in pic. I cannot find the right brackets / or hanging kit . Any help would be appreciated , thank you.

Hi All, I have ordered everything for my 90x45x45 optiwhite except the lights. I will be running a high tec setup which will have the works on it CO2 etc but cannot decide what lighting to go for. I know this is completely dependent on individual preference but I would like to hear what some...

Hello all, I'm brand new to the world of freshwater and have been researching planted tanks for a little while now. I'm wanting to run a low-tech heavily planted 35l and I've been reading so much conflicting information on lighting that my head hurts. I have bought a light after reading Sudeep...

Hey guys! Again im still wondering what lighting options to go for on this Scapers tank of mine, I can get the 24W scapers light for £80 but tmy question is what makes it so special? Would there be much of a growth difference if I was to have say 3x Dennerle 11W lights? (Have one) and...

Hi, so I am hoping to start my first aquascape soon, it is a 25 litre cube and I think I'm going along the high-tech route because I have CO2 and I want to grow HC which I know needs high lighting. Anyway, the LED I currently have is 3 Watts so I was wondering if that would be good enough to...

So i have very minor problems with algae in my tank for the most part. I get brown diatoms every few weeks for about 2 days and then they disappear again (testing is still inconclusive here as to why it happens) and apart from what i believe to be stag algae thats the only problem i really get...

So i found this on eBay and i was wondering if anyone else has used this product with success? 15 Colors 15.7in 24 Key Remote Controller Aqauarium Fish Tank LED Lights Bar New | eBay Im currently trying to up my lighting and filtration whilst sticking to a budget. I will be keeping to my...

Ive recently set up a scape which includes glossostigma as the predominant carpeting plant. It isnt over shadowed by other plants so logic would say that its getting enough light but it continues to mainly grow vertically? The specs of the tank are 30l-45 l x 25 h x 25w cm Dosing Ei and...

So i started a tank 6 weeks ago. Its a 60l which is a little overstocked but i keep up with my water changes regularly and everything seems to be going well so far with an oversized HOB filter (not my ideal filter but it suits my needs and available space). I have 3 cherry shrimps, 4 assasin...

Hi all, I thought I'd post two comparison photos showing the difference between the ADA Solar I metal halide with NA-Green bulb (150w, 8000K) and 2x TMC GroBeam 1500 Ultima (2x 30w, 6500K). ADA Solar I ADA Solar I by George Farmer, on Flickr TMC GroBeam 1500 Ultima TMC 1500 Ultima by...

I'm keeping "Medium" Level plants according to tropica.(It said medium on the side of the plant tub) I'm currently using stock lights,which aren't too bright-they don't reach the bottom very well and the spread isn't the best. What would you reccomend? Would a TMC Aquaray 400 tile be ok? I'd...

Hello. Was hoping people could advise on what the best lighting set-up is for aquascape photography. Have seen a few 'professional' sets like this one for £150 which would give 3 * 200w tripod-mounted flashes as well as a whole load of stuff to put in the attic... and are really quite...

Hi everyone. I`ve got a question about the Jewel reflectors I bought .I notice they are deeper one side than the other and as I know nothing about Jewel tanks could anyone tell me why this is. I have made my hood so I am just fixing the reflectors to the wood and am not sure on positioning...