# 20gallon long - newbie



## kuopan (Sep 6, 2010)

I'm planning on starting a 20gallon long planted tank. I've only ever kept cichlids so a planted tank is brand new to me.

Couple of questions I hope you guys can help me with. 

1) The Marineland Silicon is black and Aqueon is clear - is one better than the other? on a price perspective, they are the pretty much the same (AI starphire tanks are outside my budget)

2) Open tank vs glass lids - water evaporation is a bit of a concern to me since i live in a 630sq foot condo. i know most planted tanks have open tops but will glass tops prevent plants from flourishing?

3) Lighting recommendations? T5, T5-HO or LED? how many watts per gallon should I aim for given that the tank is only 12 inches tall? does the 2-3watt rule per gallon still apply? and what are some light fixture recommendations? i've looked into the below:

- Aquatic Life T5-HO Freshwater Linkable Light Fixture - 2 x 24 W - 30: i read this might be overkill because the tank is only 12 inches tall - last thing i would want is an algae outbreak
- Finnex FugeRay Planted (LED) lights: good price but not sure if this will be adequate

EDIT: realized this is in the wrong section, can one of the mods please move? Thanks


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