lighting confusion

[GoneFishing]

Ok I think I got the lighting figured out but I wanna run it by you guys to make sure.. I have the stock cheap bulb in my hood and want to upgrade to a t8 seeing how my wife is afraid fish will commit suicide without the hood or else I would get t5. Anyway, I was looking at the lifeglo 2, 20watt 6700k. I have low to med light demand plants and was hoping this would be a good solution.. my hood is 30" light is 24" is there anything else you would suggest instead or will this be gtg?

 

[mfdrookie516]

How big is the tank? A 30" tank with a 20w bulb is most likely not going to have enough light for anything above java moss/fern and anubias. Glass tops, if you must, can be used under T5HO fixtures.

 

[GoneFishing]

Tank is 29g

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yeah, that's not going to be even close to medium light. I'd say a 2x24w 30" T5HO would be a good option, and put you right at the line for co2, so it wouldn't be necessary, but would be beneficial.

 

[GoneFishing]

Wow those lights aren't cheap.. rather the fixtures aren't cheap.. are all the t5ho fixtures hopeless?

 

[mfdrookie516]

No. $69 for a 2x24w w/ bulbs from fishneedit.com. Thats cheap IMO and I love their fixtures.

 

[GoneFishing]

Ment hoodless in my last post not hopeless

 

[GoneFishing]

So that price is for the lights or the hood? Sorry can't look it up I'm on my cell

 

[GoneFishing]

Oops Nvm.. just reread your post!

 

[mfdrookie516]

No, i thought you meant hopeless... you wont be running a hood, you'd be running glass tops. those are usually about $15 or so at the LFS. But, FWIW, I never use one. Only a few fish are known to jump, though I make sure they don't have a reason to.

 

[GoneFishing]

No, i thought you meant hopeless... you wont be running a hood, you'd be running glass tops. those are usually about $15 or so at the LFS. But, FWIW, I never use one. Only a few fish are known to jump, though I make sure they don't have a reason to.

Very cool, way cheaper there than I have seen.. glass top is needed so I'll have to look for that, not sure the lfs has them.. I was looking at the 4 bulb vs the 2 bulb, and was wondering If you can run 1 white and 1 blue? or are both bulbs on the same switch?

 

[GoneFishing]

Very cool, way cheaper there than I have seen.. glass top is needed so I'll have to look for that, not sure the lfs has them.. I was looking at the 4 bulb vs the 2 bulb, and was wondering If you can run 1 white and 1 blue? or are both bulbs on the same switch?

or would doing 1 white 1 blue defeat the purpose of buying this setup

 

[mfdrookie516]

If you went with a 4 bulb, you could do two actinic and two daylight... though, that would be a lot of actinic light.

 

[GoneFishing]

If you went with a 4 bulb, you could do two actinic and two daylight... though, that would be a lot of actinic light.

ok ill get the two bulb set, but does the fixture have a switch for each bulb?

 

[royta]

The 2-lamp fixture has one switch.