Marineland Reef or Double-Bright LED for 50 gallon?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Gnarls Gnarlington

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jun 9, 2011
Messages
114
I have a 50 gallon acrylic tank (36" x 15" x 20"). I want to have plants (easy to grow). I think I am on the borderline. Do I need the Reef or Double-Bright LEDs? (see attachment).

I called Marineland and they weren't sure. The lady said she has a Double Bright but only has low light plants. Medium light plants don't grow so well (she has a 36 gallon tank). But a customer with another 36 gallon tank said the Reef model grew algea.

:thanks:
 

Attachments

  • marineland.jpg
    marineland.jpg
    154.6 KB · Views: 215
If you have a 36" long tank, get the 16 LED Double Bright model. You should be able to grow a bunch of plants, but no need CO2. I can believe the Reef Bright models would cause algae if you don't have CO2 injection.
 
Thanks Big Jim.

I spoke to a couple people over the past two days who told me to avoid both of these lights (ESPECIALLY the Reef because it doesn't even have the right spectrum of light). So I ordered a 36" T5HO fixture this morning. More bang for 50% buck!
 
Spectrum isn't nearly as important as several other characteristics of light. I built an LED fixture using diodes rated at 6500-10000K and my plants grow well. LEDs do have a higher buy-in cost, but they're cheaper in the long run because you don't have to replace bulbs and LEDs use a fraction of the energy that fluorescents do. I'm running a high-light 20H on 30W of LEDs.
 
I have the reef capable fixture for my 36g bf. I was told by the marineland cs ppl that if your wanting the plants to grow and thrive use the reef capable. I did this and yes my plants grow like no other with no algae breakouts and im not using co2 injection either just a weekly fertilizer. So no problems so far.
 
I have the reef capable fixture for my 36g bf. I was told by the marineland cs ppl that if your wanting the plants to grow and thrive use the reef capable. I did this and yes my plants grow like no other with no algae breakouts and im not using co2 injection either just a weekly fertilizer. So no problems so far.

Good for you! I'm glad. I didn't but the Reef version at the last minute because it was literally $150 MORE than the T5HO I found (including bulbs!) and more than one person said the 10K LEDs were better suited to grow algae than plants. :angel:
 
Back
Top Bottom