Reddit reviews BeamsWork DA FSPEC LED Aquarium Light Pent Freshwater(120cm - 48")

You may be ok with just low light plants.

Beamswork makes relatively inexpensive but decent LED lights. One possible example:

https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-FSPEC-Aquarium-Light-Freshwater/dp/B01LFF07XS

If you didn’t have enough light with the 24/7, you can add a cheap 2nd led and just have it on for 5-6 hours to give you more light during peak times.

I have a finnex fugeray planted+ on mine that does a good job growing plants, but the beamswork DA FSPEC gives you way more bang for the buck. I'd grab that, a timer, and a dimmer in case its too bright and giving you algae.


There are a couple southeast asian biotope ideas here. Just research the specific fish you want so you can provide their requirements. Like hillstream loaches need a strong directional current, cooler water, and be kept in groups of 6+

Ok so the lights you’re interested in have size restrictions?

I use Beamswork lights. More specifically the Beamswork FSPEC 10k lights seen here:

https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-FSPEC-Aquarium-Light-Freshwater/dp/B01LFF07XS/ref=asc_df_B01LFF07XS/

They are the best cost/perf lights in my opinion, but they do not offer any frills such as dimming or sunrise/sunset mode etc.

Fair enough - shows why I'm a biology person and not a chemistry person. lol

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I was discussing this topic with a colleague today (physics/chemistry teacher and avid potter), and he was explaining to me the chemistry of clay and explaining it's aluminum content. So that all makes sense now, but I just still don't fully understand how the aluminum could move from the form found in clay (or Flourite) to the plants. I guess I need to do some more research on that aspect of all of this...

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Also, I crunched the numbers and found that 10 µM = 3,703.7 mg/kg and 75 µM = 27,777.8 mg/kg. Now compare that to the Seachem products: 10,210 mg/kg (Mineral), 33,150 mg/kg (Black), and 15,710 mg/kg (Red). Again, this leaves me to look into what the chemical processes are and how the aluminum is both fixed and able to move between the involved components.

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Of course one of the first things that I came across was all of the ADA stuff but...

1. I don't have money like that. Again, I'm a teacher... lol
   
2. I originally wanted to create a true biotope and have every aspect as true as possible to the organisms' native area.
   
   So with that in mind, I've gotten to the point where I think I'm going to layer my substrate and aim for a Walstad Method-esque approach. I'm currently planning on doing a clay layer to assist with CEC, iron needs, and root attachment; a layer of Rhyzomat with Flora-spore to further encourage strong root growth; and I'm still debating about how I want to set up the top layer.
   
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   I already purchased an 8 kg (17.6 lbs) bag of Fluval Stratum Plants that I plan to mix with some other leftover aquasoil that a friend passed on to me (no idea what brand it is exactly, though). I've thought about putting down a layer of the aquasoils capped with Black Diamond blasting sand but I've also thought about doing the opposite (soil on sand). Suggestions?
   
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   Also, for reference, I'll be running an overflow sump and I have two 4 ft Beamsworks lights (DA FPEC and DA 6500K discus). I'm still figuring out if I'll use ferts or not and I have no intention of using CO2 in the near future.

65 bucks!

I was in the same boat as you on my 55 gallon CO2 tank and decided to give the Beamswork LED on Amazon a shot. So far very impressed but only time will tell as it has only been setup since Friday

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LFF07XS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the one i bought
BeamsWork DA FSPEC LED Aquarium Light Pent Freshwater

here is the amazon link
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LFF07XS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


not sure my mine is not bright :(

Beamswork DA FSPEC

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LFF07XS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1