Lighting question for my 20 gallon tank.

[adammak47]

I am planing to start my 1st plant tank and having a trouble to decide which light bulb to use.
I have a 20 gallon tank
Size: 24 x 12 x 16

Setting 1
24" T5 Dual fixture
1x 24W T5 12000K lamp
1x 24W T5 Actinic lamp

Setting 2
24" T5 Dual fixture
2x 24W T5 6500K lamp

I am planing to have baby tear as a carpet so which one is better suite for my 20 gallon tank?

Are both setting put me in medium light setting?

What is actinic lamp for?

On setting 2, two of the 6500K add up to 13000K so is that mean setting 2 is very similar to setting 1's 24W 12000K?

Also, I am planing to get a eco-complete for the subtract so is 20 lb enough for 20 gallon?

Thank you for your advice in advance.

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

Which one is better suite for my 20 gallon tank? IMO the first one is better!

What is actinic lamp for? Actinic bulbs are mainly for Marine corals and Invertebrates and to a lower variety of freshwater plants. Actinic bulbs should not be used alone, but used with other full spectrum bulbs. Actinic bulbs are heavy in the blue light and can give everything a bluish tint.

On setting 2, two of the 6500K add up to 13000K so is that mean setting 2 is very similar to setting 1's 24W 12000K? K aka kelvins do not add together!


Also, I am planing to get a eco-complete for the subtract so is 20 lb enough for 20 gallon? IMO more than enough!

 

[jetajockey]

I'd go with the dual 6500k lamps. If you want a whiter look then substitute with a 10000k bulb.

 

[adammak47]

Thanks for the advice. Also what is the different btw HO and NO fixture? Do they give out more output from the HO then NO?

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

Thanks for the advice. Also what is the different btw HO and NO fixture? Do they give out more output from the HO then NO?

No problem
Your

 

[fort384]

If you want baby tears, you will not want to use the first selection. Actinic bulbs provide no usable light to FW plants. However, if you are going to run a dual T5HO fixture over a 20gal tank, you will almost certainly need to run CO2 and use a myriad of fertilizers, or you will grow a lot of algae.

As far as what to call the lighting... setup 1 is low to medium low, setup 2 is medium high.

Actinic bulbs simulate light that coral would receive from the sun at somewhere around 30-50 feet under the water. It is not a wavelength of light that is used by FW Plants.

The color temperature is not cumulative - if the bulbs are 6500K, than the color temp is 6500K, even if you have 50 of them. I agree that 10000K bulbs might be better as far as the way the light looks... but it is a good color temp for plants. It just might look a bit yellow to the eye. 10000K would be more white, still be good for plants, and just look nicer.

20lbs of eco complete will probably not be quite enough... I think you will need closer to 30.

 

[fort384]

Thanks for the advice. Also what is the different btw HO and NO fixture? Do they give out more output from the HO then NO?

HO = high output. It uses higher wattage bulbs that output more PAR and lumens per watt.

NO = normal output.