Preparations for a new tank have now begun

[marchmaxima]

Firstly, a big thanks to GlenC!

Last night I was reading this thread Planted 125 and said "wow" out loud. Hubby wanted to know what I was impressed by. He saw. He said wow too. I said something alone the lines of "Can I have one for Christmas" and followed that with my pathetic version of a puppydog face and he said "Well, you really got a handle now on all this tank stuff. Why don't you start costing things and get back to me"



So the research and planning has started on a new "main" tank. Now, unlike 3 years ago, I don't want to make mistakes and there will be as much planning that goes into this project as my wedding. In other words, I haven't rushed out to buy a tank today. Christmas sounds about right. As I make decisions, I'll start purchasing things slowly.

I think I will get a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft or similar size (90-ish gallons). I'd love to go a 125, but I have to keep in mind that sooner or later, we will buy our own apartment and space will be at a premium. I have not yet decided to do a discus tank, or a community tank yet, however I do want to go a planted tank and think that aiming for 3 WPG of lighting would be ideal.

That means a have a bit to learn on lighting and CO2 systems because my 2ft tank has low lighting and no CO2.

My first questions relate to lighting. I just read (twice) the beginners lighting guide in the stickys and am struggling to get through a lot of the science about Flux, NO, T5 vs T8s vs Metal Halide, etc. But I still am not certain what I need to ask yet....

So while I'm trying to make a bit of sense of it all, I would appreciate those with planted tanks telling me what lighting they use and why they chose it.

[neilanh]

MTS - I love it. That's awesome your husband is behind you. My wife loves my tanks, so that makes it easier to justify my MTS. lol

For my tank, I use TEK T5HO lighting. It's a bit pricey, but from what I've seen and read, it's worth the money. the TEK fixtures utilize individual reflectors for each bulb which gives you tremendous efficiency on the amount of light actually getting into the tank.

The easiest way to put things is that by going by the WPG rule, I'm technically at around 2.5 WPG, but that doesn't take into account that 1/2 of my lighting is partial actinic, so I'm really even at some less WPG than that. I have no issues growing anything, even the very high light plants. I attribute this to the quality of the fixtures.

Check out Seeds Etc - We offer thousands of seeds at discount prices. . That's where I got mine from, and will give you an idea of pricing. There are options to help you get the light level you want by selecting 2, 4, or 6 bulb fixtures. The geissman midday T5 bulbs are quickly gaining popularity in the industry as the best, and I tend to agree. Call Bob over there and he'll give you a price break just for calling in and free shipping.

Depending on your budget, catalina aquariums makes T5 HO fixtures as well, that sort of mimic the TEK fixtures, and are considerably cheaper. A local from my club did a comparison between the two, and I can share his experiment and thoughts from that with you if you're interested in seeing it.

Kudos to you for planning first the way you're doing. Large tanks, even FW, can get expensive, so it's a good idea to research first and do it right the first time, rather than fumble through buying a whole lotta stuff you end up having to replace as you learn about it.

[marchmaxima]

I would be very interested in the comparisons between the catalina and the TEK. I remember your fixtures from your 125 tank log.

Do you (or anyone) use different bulbs in your fixtures? You mentioned daytime bulbs, but you don't need many of these bulbs, do you? I have seen set ups that appear to use different globes lights. This is kinda where I get a bit lost on lighting is when people start complicating matters by using lots of different globes.

[neilanh]

I will dig that up and post it for you maxima, kinda short on time, but it'll be done before the day is done.

You can mix and match bulbs if you want, it really comes down to what your eye prefers to look at colorwise. Plants will be fine with anything between 5000k and 10000k.

[marchmaxima]

Not in a hurry, so just when you can.

[neilanh]

Here it is. This review/comparison was done by Ingg. The last time I posted it, he accused me of ripping him off. I'm okay with that, he's a big boy and can handle it. (he's a member of the same local club). This review he's discussing the catalina T5 lighting compared to the TEKs, but also discusses vs. the current fixtures.

Originally Posted by ingg

For the money, this was a good investment I can heartily recommend.

It has all the bells and whistles available, and a good buy can be found both from Catalina on their own site, and from EBay retailers. Legs, mounting sets, moonlights, fans, multiple bulb configurations, and they offer the ability to swap bulbs to what you want, as long as they stock the bulb type.

I think the Catalina fixture is a far better buy for the dollar spent than the Current fixtures, especially after Current raised their prices last last fall. It isa superior hood, has superior legs (Current fixtures have a wire frame "leg" that sits the fixture VERY low near the tank), and has a better warranty.

Yes, TEK's are a better fixture - and are easily 30-40% more, without the legs or moonlights included. Not everyone will see the need, nor honestly the benefit, of high end fixtures like TEK's. My high light big tank uses TEK's, and I am glad I spent the money for that tank - I am also pretty satisfied I saved the money on this 75g setup this Catalina fixture is for. Not necessarily a better buy than TEK's, but perhaps a better fit for many buyers (at least in freshwater).


In the end, it is a very good compromise of a better but still mid-line quality for a good price.

[ingg]

Okay, you are in Australia, and may have to do some shopping for overseas brands.... for those we have in the US, here are some thoughts.

For a 2' deep tank, I'd do the TEK.

Catalina fixtures are a good compromise of price and quality. They have some great fits.

TEK fixtures are pretty darn close to the end all be all. Very few fixtures put out more actual light output.

Here is how I think of it, after owning both -

There are tanks that TEK's are frankly overkill for. 30g longs. 55g tanks. These sizes should probably look at Catalinas, as it does have lower output, and these size tanks are just overkilled by a TEK.

There are tanks that can use either. 75g. 90g. 40/50g breeders. I know folks with TEK's over 75g's, and they end up "noonbursting" (using 2 bulbs most of the lighting period, with a couple of hour period of all 4 bulbs on) to control/limit the light output of the TEK. For very high light setups, they could run all 4 bulbs - but my friend doesn't, and doesn't need to. The 4 bulb Catalina over my 75g is acting like a moderately high light setup with all 4 bulbs on all day - about the same as my friend's noonbursted TEK.

Then there are those tanks that really can utilize all the output a TEK can do. My 180g. A 120g (which is the size you listed up top, 4x2x2). 215g. The big, deep tanks.

It all has to do with what intensity you can use, and not overdoing the intensity.

The first set of tanks are not wide, and not extremely deep. TEK's overkill them.

The second set begin to have the size and floorspace to use a TEK, but are not so big or deep that they need it.

The last set begin to have a depth/size that sorta needs it. They need the superior punch and focus of light that superior light fixtures bring to the table - and in T5's, TEK's are a superior fixture.

Hope that makes sense!

PS I was only teasing about ripping off the review, I am glad folks find it of value.

[marchmaxima]

Thanks for the info Ingg. Unfortunately I can't get the Tek brand here. We also have different power connection configurations, otherwise, I'd import to be honest.

With Catalinas, you can get the bulbs, but not the fixtures.That's kinda annoying. For a brand recommendation I'm probably going to have to survey the good folks of the local forums.

Another thing is that prices for T5 HOs (the fixtures) vary wildy here. I've noticed that some brands of T5 fixtures (with no MH) are upwards of $1,000 and I simply just can't justify that sort of expenditure. I see the same systems for $300 USD, so it's REALLY annoying I can't import, especially when the exchange rate is almost dollar-for-dollar. Sorry, needed to rant for a moment.....

Next Q: Can someone please explain what the difference is between a fixture and a ballast? I thought that they were synonymous terms.

[marchmaxima]

Overkill????

Metal Halides - 150W New Aquarium Metal Halide 1250 Long With 10000K - Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online - 150W New Aquarium Metal Halide 1250 Long With 10000K

[neilanh]

Funny how Ingg always seems to just show up when I post his review somewhere. Odd, don't you think?

Good catch though, I didn't factor in that you were in Australia - sorry about that.

I can't speak to those max, never used MH and know very little about them.

What about a T5 retrokit?