Finnex Ray 2

[jacpr233]

Does anyone have this LED? How long have you had it for? & How well does it work?

I have a fully planted 72 gal bow front tank and I want to update to LED.

 

[creic38]

I know several people who have this, and they love it. My only question to you is, are you planning on having plants? If so, what kind? The people I know have smaller tanks. I'm not sure how well the plants would do with this light in larger tanks. You would need to find the PAR ratings for the light.

 

[jacpr233]

Yes I want to grow dwarf baby tears all over the tank.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Yes I want to grow dwarf baby tears all over the tank.

Sadly a Ray2 won't penetrate that deep of a tank to give you sustained growth for HC (dwarf baby tears). Great fixture though. If you can find a shallower tank you'd have better luck.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I own two Finnex Ray 2's. I've had one since September last year. On my 6g, the Ray 2 (16" version) carpets HC no problem. The other is a 24" on my 26g bow front. However, due to the greater distance on this tank from light to substrate, I'm getting "medium" lighting and don't think HC will carpet. Instead, I have DHG as my carpeting plant and its working. I think if you really want HC on a taller tank with LED's, you may need to buy two fixtures to get you in the "high" light range.

Edit: PAR data:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189944

80+ PAR is considered high light... I "think" you can get 1x48" Ray2 and 1x48" Fugeray (cheaper model") to get enough PAR for HC.

 

[jacpr233]

Thx for the info, would I be able to grow HC if I stay with my current lighting? It is a wavepoint 4 bulb HO t5 fixture.

 

[aqua_chem]

Oh god yes.

 

[jacpr233]

Would I have to battle with algae?

 

[jacpr233]

How many of what bulb should I get? i know there i different kinds for the light

 

[aqua_chem]

Bulb choice probably doesn't matter that much. As long as you are using some type of full spectrum bulb, it all comes down to personal preference, unless you want to shell out money to get high quality, in which case Giesemann bulbs are what you want.


If you have enough light to grow HC, you will need some sort of carbon supplementation to avoid algae. If you're serious about growing a carpet, you should get pressurized co2.

 

[jacpr233]

I have pressurized co2. Money is not a problem for me. It's just doing it right. Would 2 12,000k and 1 67,00k be enough to grow HC?

 

[aqua_chem]

Depends on the fixture, tank, etc. Probably though, especially if your fixture isn't lower-end.

 

[jacpr233]

Thanks for the info.

 

[creic38]

You can get away with the 12,000k bulb since you have ample lighting, but it's probably best to stick in the range of 5,700-7,500 for optimal results. Again, not necessary, but just a difference in growth rate.

 

[aqua_chem]

It depends on the bulb. Kelvin rating is a very bad way to judge light, as bulbs from 18000K to 4000K have been used with great success. Generally speaking, if it's not actinic, it's not a problem beyond looking gross.

 

[creic38]

You're totally correct. I've done tons of research on this (probably way too much!). You should not buy a fixture based on k rating, but par value. But when you stick with bulbs that are blue (10,000k+), you are basically mimicking an overcast day. Over time, plant growth will not be as quick and as lush as it should be. It will not kill your plants, it just won't be as nice as it should be. 6,500-6,700 is more like a nice sunny day. Most plants prefer that type of light "temperature" or color spectrum for photosynthesis.

 

[jacpr233]

What type of lights are you using? I may stay with my ho t5 but now is about what choice and brand of bulb to buy.
Is wavepoint bulbs good? I've been doing research on giesmann bulbs. Are they good?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

My LFS that specializes in planted tanks achieve amazing growth and color, in part, by using Giesemann Powerchrome Aquaflora and midday bulbs in their T5HO's. Of course you'll still need factor in a good fert regimen, co2, and substrate.

 

[jacpr233]

Thank you Brian for ur input..I'm going to go with the giesemann bulbs this year to see how they are.