Need lighting help!
- Thread starter KPhilly
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Scottyhorse
Aquarium Advice Addict
What level of lighting do you want? What is your budget? Depth of tank? I would suggest you get a PAR meter so you can know for sure what level lighting you have, otherwise we are all pretty much guessing.
Scottyhorse
Aquarium Advice Addict
Do you want LED, or T5 lighting? Knowing an actual budget would help a bit, I could show you $1000 lights, or $300 lights, or whatever. It would give me an idea for what to look for.
Scottyhorse
Aquarium Advice Addict
Does your tank have a brace in the middle? I found a 20" quad t5 that's 72 watts total, for $60, and you would need at least two. If you want high light, you could do four, but replacing at least 8 T5 bulbs every 6-12 months would cost A LOT. LED lights are more expensive up front, but you don't need to replace the bulbs. I found an LED light fixture, a two pack, actually 40" long, and each light has 25 watts, not a lot.. So a total of 50 watts. That would put you at the high end of low, low end of medium. Not the best brand, and it's 10,000k, and plants use more around 6,500k. The LED would work, but not THE BEST.
And having a bowfront tank, you may want to have two fixtures, so that's more cost right there.
And having a bowfront tank, you may want to have two fixtures, so that's more cost right there.
Scottyhorse
Aquarium Advice Addict
Remember, LED lighting is more powerful than regular T5 lighting. So 50 watts of LED lighting is more than T5 lighting. But why don't you take the information I have given you and go look at some lights online and see what you can find?
Old Scales
Aquarium Advice Addict
Look up Rivercats i here. She has a 220g advanced, heavily planted tank. It's 30" deep so she had to do serious research to get high light LED to add to her total light needs. I read she went with a custom build company and they tuned the LED's color and light projection angle to match her depth. Ask her about the cost. I don't think it was cheap but not ridiculisly high either. LED's are the future. Right now the ready made ones are not quite up to power with T5HO's or metal halides for planted tanks wothout going with multiple units on one tank. Finnex has some interesting models. Brian_Nano12g has done a ton of research on lighting. Look him up also. Get what you really want first and save respending money to upgrade later because the plants you want to grow need more. This is the costly mistake I made and my tank is just an 18" tall 29g. OS.
bud29
Aquarium Advice Addict
Right now, the price you pay for LEDs is really not justifiable by the PAR you get IMHO. As years go by and prices fall, they may be a better option, but for now T5HOs and Metal Halides are better in terms of what you get for the price. It has been argued that the cost of T5HO replacement bulbs will eventually add up to be equal or more than the LED fixture - however that is largely dependent on the brand you replace with and how often you replace them. Obviously, if you replace with giesemann bulbs every 6 months, the price will add up. However, if you don't have an absurd change rate and go for a quality but more economical bulb, you can still keep prices under that of LEDs.
Old Scales
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree with Bud. While LED may be the future,and they could be one of your options, they are not cost comparitive with T5HO's yet. I say yet. I am completely comfortable with my quad T5HO's for now. I'm no lighting expert but many in here say they are fine with replacing their T5HO's only every 9-12 months. That their plants do OK. I'm hoping that in 5-6 years when & IF my T5 fixture wears out, the LED's will be much better and cheaper. IF you do decide on LED's no matter what, do your research.
Good luck, OS.
Good luck, OS.
Scottyhorse
Aquarium Advice Addict
The first one would be great, but you would need co2 or carbon with that.
