[Avalon]

Originally Posted by prgwin00

I have a lighting question. I have a 55gal tank and a long tube florescent bulb lighted hood. At this time, I am not sure of the wattage as the writing has either faded off, or the bulb is turned where it can't be seen. Will this type of lighting be sufficient if it is the appropriate wattage? And what wattage will be needed for such a deep tank?

If it's a fixture that came with the tank, or one that has no reflector, it won't work. Plants really don't need a lot of light, but they need a moderately intense, evenly distributed source of light. By intense I mean light that can penetrate to the bottom of the tank well. Power compact lighting, along with T5 lighting will easily allow for this and good reflectors make it possible. The older flourescent lighting (T12 & T8) runs into problems such as dramatic loss of intensity over a short period of time (changing bulbs every 6 months to a year is just absurd). There are many options available. Using PC and T5's, I'd shoot for around 2 wpg. You can grow anything in a 55g with 2 65w PC bulbs with good reflectors (AH supply). That would probably be ideal for either non-CO2 or CO2 injected tanks. CO2 boosts growth rates substantially without adding any more light. Moderate lighting will also help keep you out of major algae problems.