# What plant lights for 36" x 36" exo terra?



## Xanneth (Jul 4, 2013)

Hi all,

I hope I am posting this in the right section. I was just wondering what plant lights would be best to use on such a large/tall terrarium (36" x 36" exo terra). I have read a lighting guide which recommends 3 x 40w Jungle Dawn spot lights, but would that be overkill? Could I get away with something else and has anyone else had any success with other lights for such a large enclosure?

Thank you in advance,

Leela


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## BlueRidge (Jun 12, 2010)

I have a 40G breeder that I'm going to start and it currently has 36 inch T5 Giesemann 6500K bulbs on it but I really want to try out those Jungle Dawns. For my tank it says I need 2 of the 17watt bulbs, which seems like not enough to me., but I'm going to try them.

Everything I've read about the Jungle Dawns is good!


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## Xanneth (Jul 4, 2013)

Thanks for your reply. Which lighting guide did you follow? I'm wondering if it's the same one I used. I wish I could use 3 jungle dawn 40w spots but I just don't think I can justify spending that much on lighting at the moment. I know you get what you pay for but I'm really hoping there's a more affordable option that will still do a decent job.


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## empire3569 (Apr 4, 2014)

I am using this for my 36" tall tank: EVO Quad 24" Timer 6500K LED Aquarium Light Freshwater Plant Tetra Discus 28x 3W | eBay

It's super bright, no problem getting light down the bottom. I believe that seller has a 36" model as well


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## pooky125 (Jan 16, 2012)

empire3569 said:


> I am using this for my 36" tall tank: EVO Quad 24" Timer 6500K LED Aquarium Light Freshwater Plant Tetra Discus 28x 3W | eBay
> 
> It's super bright, no problem getting light down the bottom. I believe that seller has a 36" model as well


I'm using two of the standard EVO's on my 36" tall tank, which is the equivalent of one of the quads and I have fabulous growth and coloring all the way down.


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## BlueRidge (Jun 12, 2010)

Xanneth said:


> Thanks for your reply. Which lighting guide did you follow? I'm wondering if it's the same one I used. I wish I could use 3 jungle dawn 40w spots but I just don't think I can justify spending that much on lighting at the moment. I know you get what you pay for but I'm really hoping there's a more affordable option that will still do a decent job.


For the Jungle Dawn's I used the guide on the NE Herp website. I really like that company and they tend to have better price points than others. I grabbed a LUX meter app and I think I will try to compare the two. I'm sure the JD bulbs are brighter.


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## Xanneth (Jul 4, 2013)

pooky125 said:


> I'm using two of the standard EVO's on my 36" tall tank, which is the equivalent of one of the quads and I have fabulous growth and coloring all the way down.





empire3569 said:


> I am using this for my 36" tall tank: EVO Quad 24" Timer 6500K LED Aquarium Light Freshwater Plant Tetra Discus 28x 3W | eBay
> 
> It's super bright, no problem getting light down the bottom. I believe that seller has a 36" model as well


Terrific! I will definitely look into these. Now it's just a matter of figuring a way to have enough room on top of the enclosure for the LED's, UVB and heat light (it's my first build). 



BlueRidge said:


> For the Jungle Dawn's I used the guide on the NE Herp website. I really like that company and they tend to have better price points than others. I grabbed a LUX meter app and I think I will try to compare the two. I'm sure the JD bulbs are brighter.


I think they will be too. That's the same guide I used. I really wish I had the $ for the JD's..have considered using a few 22w JD's but I just don't know if that would be enough.


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## Gibbs.JP (Feb 16, 2016)

I just got a Current Satellite+ Pro for my Exo Terra 36x18x36 so I'm hoping it will work out well enough!


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## Xanneth (Jul 4, 2013)

Gibbs.JP said:


> I just got a Current Satellite+ Pro for my Exo Terra 36x18x36 so I'm hoping it will work out well enough!



Fingers crossed! It looks like an amazing unit but I just read on NEHERP it's only recommended for enclosures 18" tall. I guess it would depend on the positioning of your plants and what you are growing too.


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## Gibbs.JP (Feb 16, 2016)

Xanneth said:


> Fingers crossed! It looks like an amazing unit but I just read on NEHERP it's only recommended for enclosures 18" tall. I guess it would depend on the positioning of your plants and what you are growing too.


Right. I spoke with Mike from NEHerp a while ago about getting it for my 18x18x24 and he advised against it. They carry the Satellite+, and I got the Satellite+ Pro which is supposed to be twice the light output. I emailed the company and a rep said the light should be more than enough for my size tank, so I'm hoping it will work!


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## Sammie (Oct 12, 2009)

I see a lot of people using led flood lights for tall tanks, you can get them pretty cheap on ebay. 
That's probably what I'll do for my next build.


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## Xanneth (Jul 4, 2013)

Gibbs.JP said:


> Right. I spoke with Mike from NEHerp a while ago about getting it for my 18x18x24 and he advised against it. They carry the Satellite+, and I got the Satellite+ Pro which is supposed to be twice the light output. I emailed the company and a rep said the light should be more than enough for my size tank, so I'm hoping it will work!


Sweet! Sorry I didn't realise the one that they carry isn't the Pro  Should be great then. Please let me know how it goes - I love all the features it comes with and how sleek the actual unit is. It leaves plenty of room on the top of the enclosure for other lights and fixtures, too!



Sammie said:


> I see a lot of people using led flood lights for tall tanks, you can get them pretty cheap on ebay.
> That's probably what I'll do for my next build.


Thanks Sammie, I will check them out. I'm quite a way from being able to afford to put all this together (don't even have the enclosure yet) but I am hoping to make a lot of the decisions about lighting, backgrounds etc now so I'm all ready to go when the time comes.

You guys have been great.


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## Gibbs.JP (Feb 16, 2016)

Xanneth said:


> I'm quite a way from being able to afford to put all this together (don't even have the enclosure yet) but I am hoping to make a lot of the decisions about lighting, backgrounds etc now so I'm all ready to go when the time comes.


Well, you're doing it right then. You'll save yourself a lot of money and headaches the more you research in the beginning before you start making purchases.


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## Xanneth (Jul 4, 2013)

Gibbs.JP said:


> Well, you're doing it right then. You'll save yourself a lot of money and headaches the more you research in the beginning before you start making purchases.


I'm certainly hoping so  I was all excited about the Satellite+ Pro until I realised we can't get it here in Australia (the enclosure will be for Aussie Green Tree Frogs/Whites Tree Frogs). It looks like we can get the Finnex Planted 24/7 but it doesn't seem to be quite as good for tall tanks when compared to the Satellite. We may be able to get the Beamswork though at least, the only downside to that is no special effects - but as long as the plants are happy I can live with that.


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## MasterOogway (Mar 22, 2011)

I had a 4x24w T5HO fixture (giesemann bulbs) over my 36x18x36 exo for about a year, and was never happy with the light pentration. The bottom of the tank was extremely poorly lit, and even the broms halfway down were dying off. I just in the last couple of weeks switched to 4 of these: Philips 100W Equivalent Daylight PAR38 Ambient LED Indoor/Outdoor Flood Light-460089 - The Home Depot

They're bright, and while I may not have the total lumen output of some people (granted, we should be measuring PAR values, but I'm working with what I have available atm) I get better light penetration than any standard 'fixture' that I've seen, and it's massively improved over my t5's. Broms are all making new pups, Alocasia is sending up new growth faster, and you get the neat dappled sunlight appearance because they're spot bulbs. Plus, with the cheapo setup I have them in they're adjustable so I can highlight different areas of the tank that need light. I dig them for this tall of a tank; so far they've been working really well for me. And the price was pretty decent, even for all 4 of them and making a 'fixture' for them (4 foot shelf, some spotlight fixtures, and a terminal block). They're definitely worth a look at, and they're widely available. Best part of all, the entire thing only uses like 48W of power.

Edit: those actually aren't the *exact* bulbs I have, mine look a little different, I'll have to try and find the exact model after I get home from work today. But that should get you on the right path at least.


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