Gumbo99 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 Hi all, I recently scored one of the Aqueon frameless cubes that Petco has had on sale lately, and I would like to do a really nice shrimp display tank. I would like to keep it relatively "low tech," so no CO2 to keep up with. I am sort of ignorant as to aquarium lighting, the tank is almost 15" deep, so it seems like a decently strong light would be needed to get decent PAR at the bottom? How much is really needed for a low-medium situation? I like the look of the gooseneck style lights, but it seems like they are pretty weak light-wise and designed for shorter tanks-Finnex clip-on, Kessil a80 sun, etc. What other options should I consider? I can also provide a list of plants I am considering if it would be useful. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBOzzie59 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 Finnex clip on or the Fluval Nano would be my two choices. The finnex would be plenty bright for a 15" deep tank, the Fluval is good for 20+ for sure as I have 4 of them on deeper tanks as spot lighting. Price-Wise finnex wins hands down, but the Fluval light and their app are a toough combo to beat (at the moment). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBOzzie59 Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 An even cheaper choice. Amazon I have a few of these, currently 2 are on a standard 20 gallon with anubias and dwarf chain swords. One on a 10 gallon, it started out on my 10 gallon test tank and worked very well with a variety of plants. They also come in handy when culling fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 The Fluval Nano is great and the networked app control sets light period, spectrum and duration. The negative is that It has a very short mounting bracket so it’s impossible to center it on a tank that’s more than about 10” wide. I have a 14” cube and it delivers uneven lighting from front to back. If the mount was higher and longer it would be perfect. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 I love my Fluval Plant Nanos. You could probably bend a right-sized piece of aluminum to make a custom L piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenFins Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 The Fluval Plant 3.0 Nanos are SUPER expensive though! But if your willing to drop that kind of cash, go for it!!! you wont regret it. Another option would be the Aqueon Planted Clip on Light its only like $60 on amazon.ca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 2 hours ago, Streetwise said: I love my Fluval Plant Nanos. You could probably bend a right-sized piece of aluminum to make a custom L piece. I agree, and I think one could also add a piece of bar stock to the end of the existing bracket. I’m also hopeful that they’ll introduce a spotlight type with the same network capability as the current 3.0 series. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaneFishGuy Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 (edited) @Patrick_G I have a fluval nano on a 15" tank - you should be able to flip the way you have the bracket and use the longer side in the light vs using it as the vertical riser and get it centered. In the photo below the light is centered and you can actually raise the light a few inches - I have it set low because the way my home office is arranged the light hits me right in the eye if I dont keep it low. Ive learned the hard way after losing control of algae that the fluval nano on my 15" tank really needs dialed back for my set up - Im still in the process of getting it dialed in but think Ive stopped new growth. Edited March 26, 2021 by PlaneFishGuy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 3 hours ago, JamesB said: The Fluval Plant 3.0 Nanos are SUPER expensive though! But if your willing to drop that kind of cash, go for it!!! you wont regret it. Another option would be the Aqueon Planted Clip on Light its only like $60 on amazon.ca. Yes it is expensive! I went to the Aquarium Coop retail store to get a light and they recommended the Nano without hesitation. I was surprised to be buying a light that cost more than the tank, but I’m very happy with it. The app has helped me shorten the learning curve when balancing my tank. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 31 minutes ago, PlaneFishGuy said: @Patrick_G I have a fluval nano on a 15" tank - you should be able to flip the way you have the bracket and use the longer side in the light vs using it as the vertical riser and get it centered. In the photo below the light is centered and you can actually raise the light a few inches - I have it set low because the way my home office is arranged the light hits me right in the eye if I dont keep it low. Ive learned the hard way after losing control of algae that the fluval nano on my 15" tank really needs dialed back for my set up - Im still in the process of getting it dialed in but think Ive stopped new growth. I think there’s two versions. The one I have would be difficult to use the long end of the bracket. I agree with the potential light intensity of this thing! On 100% it’s a mini sun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBOzzie59 Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Patrick_G said: I’m also hopeful that they’ll introduce a spotlight type with the same network capability as the current 3.0 series. Yes, very much this! I'd buy a dozen of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwayne Brown Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 If you want quality I would go with the fluval nano. The cheapest option would probably be a DIY. This link looks like its a good option. https://bantam.earth/diy-led-aquarium-lighting/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 (edited) https://forum.aquariumcoop.com/topic/131-fluval-plant-30-scheduling-and-programming/ Edited March 26, 2021 by Streetwise 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumbo99 Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 Thanks for the suggestions , everyone. I like the look of the finnex planted plus, but the neck wasn't long enough-found it only really covered the back third of the tank. I ended up picking up a Fluval nano light, and it is pretty sweet. This is going to end up costing me a lot of money, because now I want to upgrade all my lights. Loving the amount of control the app gives. I will have to read through the thread Streetwise linked and get an idea of what settings other people use. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 (edited) @Patrick_G, there is only one version of the Nano, but there are two ways to use the L piece. Edited March 30, 2021 by Streetwise 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumbo99 Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 I was able to mount mine backwards with the long piece horizontal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streetwise Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 @Gumbo99, I think long mode is the default, and tall mode is a hobbyist mod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now