CF lights for 29gallon?

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jaguarr

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 29, 2005
Messages
36
Location
West Lafayette, IN
I am thinking of buying Coralife CF, the 2x65w types.

I see that there are two types of these.

One is for freshwater, 2x65w 67k bulbs.
http://hellolights.com/302xcofraqcf.html

The other 2x65w with one 10k and one acnic bulb. This unit also has two lunar lights and two fans.
http://hellolights.com/co30luaq.html

The latter unit is 16 dollars more expensive.

My questions are:

1. Are aqualight fans loud?
2. Do the fans help on the longevity of the lights?

I don't really care about the lunar lights because I don't have any night owls in my tank so there is really not much to see at night. So I am just wondering if the two fans are worth $16.

Thanks!
 
The difference will actually be more than $16, since you'll want to replace the Actinic bulb to get the full benefit of the light and be comparable to the freshwater version.
 
Oh yeah, I left out one important thing...

If I go with the 2 x 67k version, I will buy one 10k to replace one of the 67k

If I go with the acnic version, I will buy one 67k to replace the acnic.
 
Ah then you will be getting a replacement bulb either way. At least with the Freshwater Fixture you'll be able to use the original bulb when the bulbs need to be replaced, while the Actinic bulb is basically useless. Personally I think that the fans and Moonlight are worth a little extra money, but that's just me. The fans will help to keep both the fixture and the tank cooler. This will make for happier fish and should help improve bulb life at least a little. The moonlights are just plain cool.

I don't have a Coralife Fixture with fans, so I can't comment directly on how loud they are. I do have a Current fixture with fans, which is about the same volume as a Computer fan going full throttle. The Coralife fixtures are supposed to be quiter than the Current fixture that I have.
 
Thank you Purrbox for your post.

One thing just hit me...Do you think hellolight will be nice enough to swap the acnic with a 6700 for me?

Anyone else has experience with any of these two fixtures?
 
I use the Coralife fixture on my 29G and love it. Fans are absolutely silent, you really have to be very close to even hear them, and you have to be listening for them.
 
Personally I'd go with 1 6700k and 1 50/50 bulb. It will give you a nice amount of light, good color on plants/fish, and not get you into trouble with the higher light level that 2X65w on a 29gallon can cause.

If your relatively new to the planted scene you would be wise to start off with the lower light level until you can get used to the fert schedule required to keep the algae at bay. It's not easy under moderate/high light!

I started off with a Coralife 1X 65w 6700k on my 20gallon high tank. At slightly over 4wpg it was trial by fire.....and I got burned. I went to a 50/50 bulb and was pleased with the compromise between plant growth and fert dosing/plant pruning.

If you did 1 6700k and 1 50/50 bulb you would be at about the same level I started at. So I'd get the 6700k and 50/50 but only use the 6700k to start with. Then add the 50/50 when you think you've got a handle of it. Or you could start with the 50/50, then move up to the single 6700k, then finally both the 6700k and the 50/50. This will allow you to slowly increase the light level so your more comfortable with increased usage of ferts (especially CO2). This all depends on whether the dual fixture will operate with only one bulb plugged in!
 
I say got for the full 2x65w and skip the actinic lighting. Not only is it pretty much useless for plants, it will also help grow a nice thick batch of green algae on your glass. At 4wpg, you will have to keep a close eye on your dosing, but you will also be able to grow a variety of plants.
 
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