lighting for 90 gallon tank

Planning out my 90 gallon tank for redfin pickerel... I'd like to include plants from the fish collection area and want to make sure I have enough lighting.

I'm seeing a ton of 260W "Power Compact" lighting systems that will fit this tank but I'm not sure if these are bright enough for healthy plants. Am I going to fall short with that? Should I instead be looking at this lamp for one of my (not as tall) 55 gallon tanks?

I've never gotten into plants. In about ~30 years in the hobby, this is going to be my first serious stab at keeping plants alive.

Viridari,
I dont't know all that much about CF lighting in aquaria. I tend to work on the less expensive side, and the stuff I see in pet/fish stores always seems overpriced to me. I like to work with regular fluorescents: T12s and T8s (and maybe T5s someday if they ever make big ones). You can use a shoplight as is, or take it apart to use the parts and make your own hood. There are several good ideas on the web if you search for "aquarium" "hood" "plans" etc. There are some good DIY hoods on this site too, and I'll add the links if I bump into them.

For a well-lit 55-gallon, I use 4 4'long fluorescent bulbs. For higher light plants, a taller tank might need 5 or 6. Lower light plants would lessen the demand, but most of our native plants need higher light.

I would recommend starting with a smaller tank for your first planted tank, so that playing with the setup isn't as much of a pain if you decide to change something. Even just putting a 10-gallon together for a couple months will give you a better feel for it and make you more confident.

I would also recommend "The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" by Diana Walstad. It is a very good introductory book. I don't agree with some of her conclusions, but it will give you a good overall understanding of planted tank setup. The one thing I would caution you about is that she advises against deep substrates to avoid hydrogen sulfide buildup. I (and FarmerTodd) have deep substrates and have found no problems. True aquatic plants are able to deal with hydrogen sulfide quite well. I think that if she were to write a revised edition, some of her conclusions might change. BUT, her explanation of soil chemistry is very good. And it's a very readable and understandable book.

One think about keeping planted tanks is that you should be wary of anything the pet store tries to sell you. There's a lot of marketing in this hobby, most of it unnecessary. Aquatic plants are largely like the other plants in your house, just underwater (and needing light since we tend not to put them in the window)

I'm seeing a ton of 260W "Power Compact" lighting systems that will fit this tank but I'm not sure if these are bright enough for healthy plants. Am I going to fall short with that? Should I instead be looking at this lamp for one of my (not as tall) 55 gallon tanks?

Howdy Viridari,

I feel that a fixture in that range would be appropriate for that tank. You can also fit two 2-bulb shop lights with a single aquarium strip that'll give you 200 watts, but might look really clunky, but is about 1/5 of the cost. You will have some constraints on your plant choices and the rate at which you can grow, but either of these will serve you well.

Then there's the whole retro thing, but let's just steer clear of that. By the time you build a hood and all that rot, you've spent twice as much money with your time than getting a box from the friendly man in Brown, unwrapping it, and plugging it in.

If I were going for sleek, this is my baby, this is my dream tank, and I'm willing to part with the money (which is the PC fixtures too)... I'd go with halide and get a 2 lamp 150w or 175w fixture (which you can also go nuts with these). The increase in PAR, or Photosynthetically Available Radiation, will be something to deal with, but that can be addressed and mostly, by more plants and nutrient conversion. You'll also save on lamp replacement costs, and will get more bang for your energy buck. I don't have time to get into all the physics there today, but maybe at a later point, I can address that.

The appearance of halide light is unsurpassed. You can put 5000w of floros over a tank and never see a glitter line, which is what makes me get all giddy like I'm actually snorkelling

And because there's such a market now... Lighting is a pain in the arse. It's like the tyranny of choices. You could also start with a smaller tank, but I think "Why waste the money?". You can do planted aquaria right from the git go. And a 4' length tank is a great place to start because you can use anything from a standard fixture to halide.

Todd