T5ho light very poor.

[Ellenquacker72]

Originally wanted light that could support some plants in my 20 gallon high. I had a regular t5 light that was bright, but the plants weren't growing. So I upgraded to a t5ho bulb and the light quality is very bad. It's the zoo med flora sun bulb 24w. It's probably half as bright as the regular one I had before. Is there a reason for this? My fixture is designed for HO bulbs so I can't see why the light quality sucks.

 

[Rivercats]

All brands are different quality and alot has to do with the reflectors used and the color rating of the bulb. What K rating is the bulb? 6000K, 6500K or ???? The lower the K rating on a bulb the less bright it appears to the human eye. Plus different brands of bulbs IMO are also different. Giesemann bulbs are one of the best IMO. When my current T5HO bulbs (coralife) need replacing in spring I'm getting the Giesemann bulbs. Also I had 10000K bulbs in my metal halides but went down to 6000K to dim the light down.

The question is are you plants growing better, worse, or about the same. Also are you using any CO2 or liquid carbon such as Excel and are you dosing ferts?

 

[Ellenquacker72]

I just upgraded today, so I'm not sure how they're affecting the plants yet, but i knew that the 5000k lighting was a little lower than the 6700 I'm used to, but this is more than I expected. I'm not on co2 but I add sachem flourish. All I have in the tank right now is java ferns :S The zoomed ones were the only bulbs they had at the store, and they don't sell them at the petsmart. Maybe I'll try returning this one and looking for the ultra sun one instead which is 6700. 5000 looks pretty gross.

 

[Rivercats]

I imagine it gives a yellowish tinge to the tank... yes? IMO like the look of 6700K bulbs best. Would have gone with that in my metal halide bulbs but couldn't find that K rating in HID bulbs.

 

[Ellenquacker72]

It's not really yellow like the incandescants I had in the tank in the very beginning, it's kind of pink but the bulb glows blue. It's weird.

 

[jetajockey]

Plant bulbs are made to emphasize plant growth so they typically look a little pinkish. I usually go with 6700k up to 10000k for plant tanks because of the aesthetics.

 

[Rivercats]

It's not really yellow like the incandescants I had in the tank in the very beginning, it's kind of pink but the bulb glows blue. It's weird.

I was curious because my 6000K metal halide HID bulbs give off a really yellow light until they totally kick in. It looks so weird for those few seconds.

 

[Fresh2o]

I had a similar observation with a zoo med flora sun (mind you this was a single t8 and not a double t5). Long fin blue danios looked flesh tone and the color was pinkish and dim to the point where fish viewing was just awful. Not hating the zoo med just the 5000k lighting.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I have the zoomed 5000k flora sun along with a 6700k ultrasun in t5 ho.
Its not just a bum bulb you got, my 5000k is also pinkish but mixed with the 6700k i have to admit my plants are doing well.

 

[aqua_chem]

I'm confused by what you said. You started out with a T5NO, but then put T5HO bulbs in it? Then you said your fixture was designed for T5HO? Did you buy a new fixture too?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Yeah, it sounds like you're trying to run a T5HO bulb in a NO fixture. It won't fully ignite if that's the case.

 

[Ellenquacker72]

No, I put a NO in an HO fixture. It seemed to work fine though...