# Led Growing Plants?



## lokipeacocks (Sep 26, 2011)

Anyone know if the Marineland led fixture can grow plants?


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## GOSKN5 (Feb 23, 2011)

I dont have any personal experience... but from what I have read the double bright fixture can grow low light requiring plants... anubias, java fern,etc... again dont know for sure.. would like to hear from someone with the fixture and plants to see how they are doing...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

They make a special one for plants.


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## jd_7655 (Jul 23, 2004)

I have the 2 36" double bright lights on a 125 gallon and grow low light plants no problem.


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## lokipeacocks (Sep 26, 2011)

jd_7655 said:


> I have the 2 36" double bright lights on a 125 gallon and grow low light plants no problem.


 Thanks I want to do just a open top 10 gallon and was wondering about these lights.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

I have the LED hood kits. A total of 90 LED's, but my Java fern is just barely staying alive, I am planning to get actinic lighting to supplement so they can grow.


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## lokipeacocks (Sep 26, 2011)

vann59 said:


> I have the LED hood kits. A total of 90 LED's, but my Java fern is just barely staying alive, I am planning to get actinic lighting to supplement so they can grow.


 So something like this http://www.amazon.com/TrueLumen-24-...WAGC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1322065880&sr=8-3


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

vann59 said:


> I have the LED hood kits. A total of 90 LED's, but my Java fern is just barely staying alive, I am planning to get actinic lighting to supplement so they can grow.


Actinic lighting will not be helpful for plants.


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## lokipeacocks (Sep 26, 2011)

DJRansome said:


> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> > I have the LED hood kits. A total of 90 LED's, but my Java fern is just barely staying alive, I am planning to get actinic lighting to supplement so they can grow.
> ...


do freshwater plants grow better with a 50/50 bulb


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Freshwater plants grow better with 6500K or 6700K bulbs.

I believe 50/50 are 50% actinic and 50% 10000K.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

lokipeacocks said:


> Anyone know if the Marineland led fixture can grow plants?


I have two of the 36" units on my 110G. My plants do okay (they're all anubias though, which can handle low light).


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## lokipeacocks (Sep 26, 2011)

zimmy said:


> lokipeacocks said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone know if the Marineland led fixture can grow plants?
> ...


Nice looking tank zimmy. =)


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

DJRansome said:


> Freshwater plants grow better with 6500K or 6700K bulbs.
> 
> I believe 50/50 are 50% actinic and 50% 10000K.


What I had in mind was

48" T5 HO Aquarium Light 108W 2x 54W

* 1x 48" T5 Dual fixture
* 1x T5 54W 12000K lamp 
* 1x T5 54W Actinic lamp

Since all the LED plant light options I have found are expensive and/or hard to adapt, I figured I would raise the lids and set the dual t5 on top, on the legs, and at night I would remove it and close the lids, and still have LED's to use.

Would this not be good for Java ferns? If not, please set me straight before I buy the wrong thing. :-?


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## lokipeacocks (Sep 26, 2011)

vann59 said:


> DJRansome said:
> 
> 
> > Freshwater plants grow better with 6500K or 6700K bulbs.
> ...


From what I read it would be more beneficial to have a 12000k and 6700 or 10000k for growing plants. Get the best from both bulbs


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I've never read anything that said a 10000K or a 12000K would be as good or better for plants than a 6500K or 6700K.

That does not mean a java fern won't grow under other lights.

I actually have a fair amount of trouble with java fern except when supplementing with CO2. Not sure why. But it grows for everyone else!


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## Nodalizer (Nov 7, 2011)

Interesting thing I heard recently is java fern growing in the roots of anubias makes it grow better.

I thought this idea is a bit whacky and couldn't work.. but ya know what .. since I moved my java to grow from within my anubias it is looking really good. All I can think is the anubias must take something out that the java doesn't like much or something like that.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

Nodalizer said:


> Interesting thing I heard recently is java fern growing in the roots of anubias makes it grow better.
> 
> I thought this idea is a bit whacky and couldn't work.. but ya know what .. since I moved my java to grow from within my anubias it is looking really good. All I can think is the anubias must take something out that the java doesn't like much or something like that.


Interesting. What kind of lighting do you have? Is it a hard or soft water tank?


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## Ollie (Sep 22, 2009)

The key to getting LEDs to grow plants is intensity, you have to use a minimum of 1 watt LED chips. Im setting up a lowish light tank (24x14x14ins) and using x2 3w(single chip)gu10 fitting bulbs suspended 12ins above the tank and this will be plenty of light for the planned plants: crypts, echindoris, tiger lotus and java moss.
*** also seen a few high light co2 injected tanks using them to grow what are usually considered difficult plants.

Regards

Ollie


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