Lighting recommendations.

[DefconWombat]

Evening.
New to the concept of actually having plants in a tank. Been a Cichlid keeper for a number of years so it’s always been a pointless exercise. However that’s now all changed and I’m embracing new things.
Looking for some recommendations on lighting for a 500l tank I’m currently putting together (1500x600x600mm).
Also any good suggestions on where I may be able to pick up used units.
Many thanks.
Matt.

 

[Krzysztof 82 (Kris)]

Hi all,

What's your budget (how much you can stretch it) and expectations? Will it be a tank with demanding plants+CO2+fertilizers, or maybe something like mossy/epiphytes with relatively low to medium demand of light?

Regards,

Kris

 

[DefconWombat]

Hi all,

What's your budget (how much you can stretch it) and expectations? Will it be a tank with demanding plants+CO2+fertilizers, or maybe something like mossy/epiphytes with relatively low to medium demand of light?

Regards,

Kris

Hi again Kris.

I understand I dropped quite an open ended question with lots of variables. Just trying to get a consensus on what people feel. Had some great help from different shops, it’s just each one comes back with a different suggestion. I guess it depends on what they stock/partner with.

Budget- Whilst not unlimited, I’m happy to spend what’s needed if it’s needed.
Expectations- Probably too high for my experience level. Inspiration for this has been taken from Aquarium Gardens 1500 display.
Plants- Not a clue. Going to leave selection up to supplier. I don’t know enough about them.
CO2 and fertilisers will be added.

 

[Krzysztof 82 (Kris)]

Hi all,

The supplier would need your preferences too, so it would be helpful for him/them and you too, to get to know what you are planning to recreate/create and what conditions will require.

Regards,

Kris

 

[DefconWombat]

Hi all,

The supplier would need your preferences too, so it would be helpful for him/them and you too, to get to know what you are planning to recreate/create and what conditions will require.

Regards,

Kris

Fully appreciate that Kris.
I’m guessing my (badly written) question is more along the lines of wondering what people’s experiences have been with different manufacturers.
Take an ADA Solar for example. If that’s the sort of level of lighting I may end up requiring, then fair enough but is there another brand alternative that performs equally as well???

 

[_Maq_]

If you're a crafty person, you'll do well with DIY lighting. Either LED chips or simple LED bulbs. There's a lot of fuzz about spectral balance but I think it's unsubstantiated. White bulbs work very well for me.

If you're new to plants, you should start with water report from your water provider. If your water is hard with high alkalinity, you may consider getting reverse osmosis. Most plants prefer soft water.

 

[Krzysztof 82 (Kris)]

Fully appreciate that Kris.
I’m guessing my (badly written) question is more along the lines of wondering what people’s experiences have been with different manufacturers.
Take an ADA Solar for example. If that’s the sort of level of lighting I may end up requiring, then fair enough but is there another brand alternative that performs equally as well???

There are even better options than ADA Solar, for instance Aqua Illustration "AI" but then you need to look for more than two light units. For the length of 150cm you would need 3 or even 4 of those. Also there are cheaper options like Pop Bloom, which is good too.

 

[oreo57]

3 MT-450's for $600 US or 2 MT-600's for $540 US

LED aquarium light, LED lights, Nano reef aquarium, Reef Builders, Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog, Aqua mini, Aqua Pro, LED nano, micmol

LED aquarium light, LED lights, Nano reef aquarium, Reef Builders, Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog, Aqua mini, Aqua Pro, LED nano, micmol

micmol.com

The sort of "go to" lights are the AI Prime freshwaters but at $265 each and needing 3 is $795US
These can be mounted on, I believe, only rimless tanks, for extra $'s

Prime 16 LED Freshwater Light - Black Body

A Smart Aquarium LED for Freshwater Aquariums Perfect Spectrum for Plant Growth Simple Built-in App Control Optics That Optimize Power & Coverage Made with aquatic plant growth in mind, the AI Prime 16 Freshwater is not only great at growing plants, but also brings out the true colors of...

fresh.bulkreefsupply.com

For ultra-premium lighting look to the GHL Mitras line.

Mitras LX 7004 (Freshwater) – GHL USA

www.aquariumcomputer.com

Probably at least a 1/2 doz more lights.
Decide what you want and what you need.