What is the best lighting for fresh water aquarium and its plants?

I want to know what is the best lighting for an aquarium that is fresh water? I also have many plants in this aquarium. Please help me.

I would say T5 fixture with 10,000k bulbs!

Metal Halide is probably the best looking IMO but the bulbs are expensive and their is ALOT of heat generated by the fixtures. Next in line would be LED but if you are wanting to grow alot of plants it usually will take quite a few LED's to get the light you need. LED's have the shimmer effect like metal halide's. T5 is your next best alternative as you can get alot of light for a decent amount of $$...they still create a fair amount of heat but the bulbs are usually $15-25 each instead of the $50 or MH bulbs cost.

depending on the tank size depends on how much light gets to the level of the plants.

I use a twin tube T5 fixture with one Actinic and one 10,000k bulb in it for my 20 gallon regular (24 inches long) with no problem with my plants with the exception of my Anubias Nana as it doesn't like the amount of light it is getting (it is healthy, but has smaller leaves and doesn't flower... it does grow enough to take trimmings from to start new plants). This works well in the 20 gallon tank for Madigascar Lace which is a bulb and requires high light.

I also have a twin tube T5 in 48 inch length on my 75 gallon tank (18 inches tall) which works for the Amazon Sword and Melon sword.

I do not use any CO2 suppliments, just regular substrate or eco-complete under regular tank gravel.

I have also had success with plants needing a moderate to high lighting requirement with twin tube T12 fixtures with dual white coral sea or other white light/full spectrum bulbs.

Dave

I use the 8-14w compact spiral full spectrum day light bulbs as they just screw in to the hood of my 10g. growing rotella and keeping it red, and have anubias nana, and dwarf sag.

I would say depends on how tall the aquarium aquarium is anything taller then 25 I would start looking at MH, most 12-24 tall t5 ho/no, and little tanks 5-20 compact spirals.

plants need both the red and the blue spectrum. I'd say most people are starting to like 8,000k but only ada makes a 8,000 that I know of. I like the gisemann middays.

The lighting for a plant will be determined by the type of plant as some like low light, some moderate light, and some high light. Also Plants need the red and blue spectrum from an actinic tube if using flouresent or the blue bulb if using incandesant lighting.

The amount of light you have in your tank will determine the plants that will live in there and thrive. This will be determined by tank depth, ambient light (how much is in the house when lights are off) depending on your tank placement, and type of fixture and light system you use.

Other factors that effect plants are substrate, fertilizer (I don't use as shrimp are too sensative to it), natural nitrates and amonia in the tank from fish and other critters waste the plants can use for food, and last but not least Co2 (many forms available, and again I don't use it).

A low to moderate light plant is an anubias nana, and a high level light plant would be Madagascar Lace (which I am able to grow in my tanks without Co2 or extremely high lighting, just a 10000k and an actinic T5 tubes in a twin tube fixture).

Dave