Lighting difficulties

[Verminator]

The basics of plant care is that if something isnt right then the plants will let you know - right?

Well i'm looking at my plants. My Anubias barteri and nana are dark green smothered in a film of algae and new leaves are few and far between. My Ludwigia Repens new leaves are dark red and old leaves are green (the green ones are falling off slowly leaving very bare bottom stalks). Ludwigia Repens has one sole surviving stalk about 2-3 inches high, desperately trying to keep it growing but new leaves come out pale green with a slight tint of brown - obviously not healthy. All my crypts of various sorts are smothered in brown speckles and blotchy darker green sections. Java ferns are barely growing, new leaves are coming at a constant but slow pace but i'm trimming off 50% dead leaves at a faster rate currently. So obviously my plants are telling me something isnt right.

This is in a 3ft tank by the way. I'm dosing ferts thrice the recommended levels, due to other people here doing the same to get better results. Was advised by StanChung i believe to do so. I currently have CO2 injection, not sure at what rate though, i just fill up a tube each morning and it diffuses into the water throughout the day. My photo period is fine.

So i've come to the decision its the lights themselves. Now for a 3ft tank i guess i need more than 2 x30 watt bults right. Because thats what i'm using at the moment. Two full lenth 30W bulbs in my Arcadia light set.

Now i'm currently looking into either buying a new light unit entirely to accomadate T5 lights, thats another point my currently bulbs are T8 not T5. Or to try and convert my current one, but i figure that'll be more expensive than just buying a new unit, that can house 4 bulbs instead of 2, right?

I want to know what recomendations anyone has for when i get a new one. With lights i'm completely clueless as to what i need. I'm guessing people will come out with x4 30W T5 or T5HO (whats the difference) bulbs.

Also do you reckon its worth keeping my x2 30W T8's and perhaps get two single bulb light units to house x1 30W T5 bulb in each? Or shall i just buy an entire light unit? I'm so confused.

P.S People talk about 60,000K bulbs and 100,000K bulbs and what not, what on earth does that refere too? Colour spectrum or somthing.

Apologies for lenth of dilema, if someone could spare the time to inform me, and others who are unsure on this matter.

Thanks, James

[|squee|]

You need to get a better CO2 system... the tube thing sounds really insufficient.

I can't advise you on lights because i usually just use 8000k or 6500K tubes.

[Verminator]

I may have added too many zero's on the end of those figures i put. What does the 8000K or 6500K refere to exactly? What the benefit of having a higher one, or a lower?

Better CO2 injection is somethign i've ummed and ahhed about for a few months now, i think i may just splash out the cash and get a high tech one.