Final lighting for 29 gallon planted

[Corbo]

Ok. I ordered a fixture but it was too small- now I'm looking into buying either

This:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Lighting_LED-Lighting_LED-Double-Bright-Lights.html?tc=fish

Or:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Li...-X2-Lighting-Fixtures_9916161_82.html?tc=fish

Which would be best suited for my tank? I don't have any knowledge of led whatsoever. :/

 

[Corbo]

Also, should I get the 30" or the 36"? The wattage is almost doubled with the 6" longer

 

[Corbo]

How much of t5ho lighting would my 29 gallon need? I know the t5 doesn't work with wpg

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Also, should I get the 30" or the 36"? The wattage is almost doubled with the 6" longer

I find it's best to size it for your tank. If it's 36" then I'd choose it, since 30" bulbs are hard to find/costly from what I've read. As for WPG it depends on what you want to plant. Low light - med light plants can get by in 1 - 1.5 wpg. I was growing plants at less than a wpg, but they didn't have a lot of growth. LED's as I understand it don't follow the same rule as flo/CF so I can't really say.

If you search or go to the FW planted area, there's lots of info to digest and even add questions too.

Good luck!

Sent from my Epic 4G using Aquarium Advice App

 

[BigJim]

The 30" T5HO fixture uses 24" bulbs. It's good for bulb replacement, but you're not getting quite as much light into the tank as possible. The LED fixture will allow you to grow plants. LEDs have the benefit of using less power for a given light level.

I think the LED fixture would put you in the low-med to medium light range and the T5HO would put you solidly into the medium light range, maybe a little higher.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

The 30" T5HO fixture uses 24" bulbs. It's good for bulb replacement, but you're not getting quite as much light into the tank as possible. The LED fixture will allow you to grow plants. LEDs have the benefit of using less power for a given light level.

I think the LED fixture would put you in the low-med to medium light range and the T5HO would put you solidly into the medium light range, maybe a little higher.

+1

Bigjim is a wealth of info.

Thanks for correcting my post jim .

Sent from my Epic 4G using Aquarium Advice App

 

[Corbo]

So bigjim, you would recommend the LEDs? They allow more light to get into the tank than the t5ho? My tank is 29 gallon (30 in long) but I just feel like 48w wouldn't be that great even for t5ho.

Right now I have 2x24w CFLs with reflectors. Would the LEDs be better? I have several plants that are probably medium-ish light requirements. So I need to be in that range at least. LEDs look so nice, but I have no experience with them or t5ho for that matter.

 

[BigJim]

Between those two fixtures, I think the Nova Extreme T5HO would put you in a slightly higher light category than the LEDs.

The Nova Extreme fixtures are supposed to have pretty good reflectors which really make the T5HOs very effective. T5HO lights put out a lot of PAR (photosynthetically available radiation) per watt.

I've got two 18W CFLs shining through some scratched up glass on my 29g. I'd put it at the high end of the low-light range. I had two 24W CFLs in it before and it was probably a solid low-med tank. The depth of the 29g makes a difference with CFLs. It won't with LEDs. LEDs put out a lot of PAR. They're also directional and put all the light they produce down into the tank.

I'm still feeling out LEDs myself. I've got 30W of LED over the 20H in the LED link in my signature and I'm reasonably sure that it's a solid high-light tank at this point. I actually think the glosso Fort sent me had to adjust to the power of the LEDs. The old leaves have turned yellow and holes have formed in the leaves. The new leaves are smaller, shorter, and bright green.

If you like the idea of LEDs and you're a bit handy with electrical stuff, consider building your own fixture. You can build an LED fixture that will blow away either of those two for the cost of the Nova Extreme or less.

 

[Corbo]

Haha. I wish I could say I'm handy with that stuff, but unfortunately I am not. well I just don't know which to get. I suppose I'll get the t5ho for now. You think sticking to 48w would suffice? I'll maybe experiment with led later on in my aquarium "career"