I know lighting is a common topic here, but I would love to get some
feedback on this subject.

I recently bought a new 45 gallon (48"L x 12.5"W x 18"H), and I'm hoping to
have lightly to moderately planted. In the future it will likely plant it
heavily, but as I'm considering keeping mbuna cichilds right now (yes! I
know they eat plants -- I'm a glutton for punishment!) it will be mainly
rocks and rock caves.

Which brings me to my question of lighting. I know the typical
recommendation for plants is 2 - 4 watts per gallon, but I also know the
higher the wattage the more you need to worry about things like adding CO2,
algae explosions, etc. I don't have enough room to set up any sort of CO2
system (DIY or not!). So that all said, what type of lighting set up would
you all recommend?

One thing to consider is that I really only have about 5.25" of room on my
glass top to squeeze in a lighting fixture. That is, if I want the front
lid to be able to open when the light is sitting on it. Right now I'm
debating between getting a cheapo 2x40W shop light from home depot that
pretty much has no reflector, and building a shell to sit around it so it
doesn't look so ugly, or ordering from AHSupply (I'm in Canada, so this is a
_very_ pricey option!). Would 110W with an AHSupply reflector be too much
light for my 45gallon tank if it doesn't have C02? Would that fry low light
plants such as java fern (one of the few plants mbunas aren't supposed to
chow down on)? Would the 2x40W cheapo shoplight be sufficient to light a 45
gallon, as long as I avoid plants that need high light levels?

Thanks!

Would 110W with an AHSupply reflector be too much
light for my 45gallon tank if it doesn't have C02?

No. You're usually safe if you stay below 3 watts per gallon.

Would that fry low light
plants such as java fern (one of the few plants mbunas aren't supposed to
chow down on)?

No.

Would the 2x40W cheapo shoplight be sufficient to light a 45
gallon, as long as I avoid plants that need high light levels?


Depends on what plants you want to grow. It would be enough for anubias and
java fern.

One thing to keep in mind: unless you stick with low lighting, it's hard to
have a lightly planted tank. If you have a lot of light and only one or two
plants, you'll likely have algae trouble. One of the keys to maintaining an
algae-free planted tank is to plant heavily, so the plants absorb all the
nutrients and out-compete the algae.

However, you can always shade the tank a bit with floating plants like water
sprite, if necessary. Keeping that in mind, I'd probably go for the AHSupply
kit, if money's not an issue. A 45 gallon is a deep tank, and the AHSupply
reflector will help get the light down to the bottom.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/