i just finished setting up my 55g tank and i'm really happy with it except for one thing. the lighting. i dont care much for the lights that are in there...they dont do much for the fish. i would really like some lights that set off the colors of the fish and really make my tank look good. here's the problem. i'm a newbie. lol. what kinds of bulbs do i need to put in my hoods to make my tank and my fish really pop out? i'm REALLY not versed in lighting terms, wattage, voltage whatever so the EXTREMELY simple explanation would be appreciated.

also, the glass that the light sits on on one side of the tank is broken...what do i do about that? do i need to replace that part or can i just glue it or seal it?

Is the glass holding together, but cracked? I would leave it alone or seal it, if that were the case.

For the lighting, do you have two lights, one on each side? Or is it one long light bulb spanning both sides?

i have two bulbs, one on each side. the glass is holding together just cracked in multiple places...i'll probably just seal that then.

I have found that the Power-Glo bulbs made by Hagen really make a goldies colors stand out. The bulbs are about $11 a piece at pmart.

i should also add that someday i would like to add some plants to the tank too. nothing fancy or super hard to take care of, just some simple, low maintenance plants to spruce things up. the tank does get a fair amount of natural light but i want to give it just that extra bit to make it really look good.

i find that the bulbs with a slight blue tinge look nice, but if u get any new bulbs and the light strip is the original that came with the tank it most likely cant support many watts, so make sure u get a light bulb that is not too powerful for the light strip it usually says on the back how much it will support. For example my light strip on my 46 gallon cant do more than 40 watts, and 20 watts on my 125 gallon, etc.

if u want plants i suggest u buy a new lightstrip too, but they can be quite pricey, here's the ones i will probably get

http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageA...&ProdID=310

2 of these for my 125 gallon because these are really cheap and good enough for the plants im keeping

try checking that site, they have some great deals and lots of sales right now

I'm guessing your light uses two 20 watt bulbs, which gives a total of 40 watts. For plants, it is recommended that you have at least 1 watt per gallon. 1.5 or 2 watts per gallon is better, especially for plants that require more light or for heavier planting. It may be a good idea to look for a double light strip (two 48" bulbs instead of two 24")
I have 80 watts (two 48" 40 watt bulbs) on a 50 gallon tank, and it seems about right for a layer of plants. Enough light gets through that the tank isn't dark.

As for the bulb type, something with a 6000K or 7000K spectrum is good for plants and soft on the eyes. 10,000K gives a nice white light. Power-glo is 18,000K... that seems a bit intense, but would certainly enhance the fish's colors.

Edit: The lighting strip that Jule listed would work great, though I think your 55 gallon is 48" long so this light would sit in the center with some space at each end. I forgot about power compact lighting... the tubes are very efficient and give out lots of light.