"t" wrote in message . com...
I have recently setup a 125 gal tank I'd had in storage for quite a while.
I never kept plants in it before. Somehow, over the years, the original 1
tube hood/light cover got ruined. I build a new, flip top out of plywood.

Have you seen the prices on 6' long high-output systems? I'd have to take a
mortgage out to finance my hobby? So, I'm putting in more generic lighting
and will get about 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon.

I'm running a 125-gallon with 4 F25T8s on an electronic ballast, and
am having great success growing a variety of plants. No CO2 injection,
and I'm still pruning the faster-growing ones at least once a week.

The real fast growers are Limnophila sessiliflora and Vallisneria
spiralis. Bacopa monnieri is growly slowly but fine. Echinodorus
tenellus is slowly spreading. Floating Ceratopteris pteridoides does
great. Of course Christmas moss and Anubias have plenty of light.

I've read a number of articles that argue pretty compellingly that
larger tanks need fewer watts per gallon than smaller thanks.
Certainly my own experience seems to back that up. I don't think you
need to consider this a "Low, LOW light" setup.

- Jim