Anyone Keeps Freshwater planted aquarium, I have a question about light.

[Paolissimo]

Hello

i just set up a low maintenance 20gallon long freshwater tank. I have some basic plants, rubin sword, water sprite and anubias. I would like to get more plants, and especially carpeting plants. Can you recommend a light for a planted aquarium? By doing a quick search online, people seems to use finnex but on Amazon, these lights seems to burn out quickly. Aqua Illumination makes a freshwater light, but its out of my budget. I have an old ATI fixture that i used in my reef tank, can that be used over a planted aquarium (I forget which bulbs i have in there)
Thank you

 

[Dre]

You can use the Chinese LED's with the blue off.

 

[5thChorseman]

Yes you can use the old ATI fixture, once you get the right bulb for it. General freshwater tank look more natural 6000 k - 10000 k. You can also get a beamsworks led fixture on amazon for less than $50 dollars.

 

[jjfriscia]

Co2 helps with a lot of these carpeting plants.

 

[Paolissimo]

Hey guys,
I see that Giesemann makes a Planted Super Flora t5 for planted aquarium.. I might get that--it's just my ATI fixtures uses 3 plugs. I'll check out the LED fixture you suggested.
As for CO2, I didn't want to start messing with that just yet. Right I am just shopping for the best light possible that I can affor

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[Dre]

Use your ATI and buy the Co2. You'll get better growth with the Co2 than with a new light.

 

[jjfriscia]

I use the
FLUVAL NANO FRESHWATER LED 15W
I think they are great lights I've had great success with them. Able to control everything from your phone. If you did 2 of these on your 20 gallon I think you'd be money. As for C02 look into it. I picked up a tank from my local welding supply shop that will continue to refill it for me and got a Chinese regulator for 50$ off amazon.

 

[jjfriscia]

Also carpeting plants like loose soil. I usually do stratum and then a sand topper or very small grain substrate. I think that's a huge key to growing them. Since they use runners to grow.

 

[aclman88]

I have the Beamswork DA 6500... plants respond well and it's cheap.

 

[jjfriscia]

My cousin has that beams work on hes 55 gallon. It works ok.. it will probably do better on the 20 gallon. Also the timer system sucks on that light but half the price of the fluval.

 

[aclman88]

Get a cheap inline digital timer and you can adjust power and have ramp up/down.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KYLX2P6/?tag=reefs04-20

That's what I use.

 

[Paolissimo]

A couple of people on a Facebook group suggested the finnex planted 24/7. Seems like a nice light.. I am going to compare the two

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[Geraud]

On my 5 gallon paludarium I have an ATLEDIS, they are really nice. Not cheap but nice. Bought it about 2 years ago now. They sell it in different sizes.