lighting

[psyched102]

Hi Aquarist Gang,

Just got all these wonderful plants to put in my two 50 gallon tanks. For my home tank, i have one of those old hoods that include the 48" flourescent tube! I am looking to upgrade to give the plants the light that they need (medium light plants). Does any one have any suggestions? T5 or LED? Manufacturer? Vendor? Expected purchase price?

Thanks in advance for any info and suggestions,
Craig

 

[Mebbid]

Hi Aquarist Gang,

Just got all these wonderful plants to put in my two 50 gallon tanks. For my home tank, i have one of those old hoods that include the 48" flourescent tube! I am looking to upgrade to give the plants the light that they need (medium light plants). Does any one have any suggestions? T5 or LED? Manufacturer? Vendor? Expected purchase price?

Thanks in advance for any info and suggestions,
Craig

We can give you plenty of suggestions, but first we need a few questions answered.

1. Are you going to stop at medium light? Or are you willing to go to high light?
2. Are you prepared to add fertilizers to your tank?
3. How deep are your tanks?
4. What are you hoping to spend between the two tanks? (This one is fairly important)

 

[psyched102]

We can give you plenty of suggestions, but first we need a few questions answered.

1. Are you going to stop at medium light? Or are you willing to go to high light?
2. Are you prepared to add fertilizers to your tank?
3. How deep are your tanks?
4. What are you hoping to spend between the two tanks? (This one is fairly important)

We can give you plenty of suggestions, but first we need a few questions answered.

1. Are you going to stop at medium light? Or are you willing to go to high light?
High light would be good if the price doesn;t go up to high.

2. Are you prepared to add fertilizers to your tank?
I was hoping that the fish would supply the fert!

3. How deep are your tanks?
They are about 2 feet tall.

4. What are you hoping to spend between the two tanks? (This one is fairly important)
One tank is at my office and has T5 florescents.....for my home tank, i imagine about $200, if that is possible.

 

[Mebbid]

We can give you plenty of suggestions, but first we need a few questions answered.

1. Are you going to stop at medium light? Or are you willing to go to high light?
High light would be good if the price doesn;t go up to high.

2. Are you prepared to add fertilizers to your tank?
I was hoping that the fish would supply the fert!

3. How deep are your tanks?
They are about 2 feet tall.

4. What are you hoping to spend between the two tanks? (This one is fairly important)
One tank is at my office and has T5 florescents.....for my home tank, i imagine about $200, if that is possible.

1 & 2
The higher the light level then the more need for fertilizers you run into. In medium light it's fairly important but at high light it's absolutely necessary. Along with fert use comes carbon supplementation which is usually in the form of either pressurized CO2 or gultaraldehyde (Excel or Metricide 14 day) The excel and fertilizers are very very cheap, especially if you go with dry ferts so that's not really an issue.

3 & 4
With a 24" deep tank you will need a robust lighting system to even bring it up to medium light which sadly is a pain in the wallet. For a $200 budget I would see it feasible to bring a single tank into the medium - high light range but not both.

Dual t5ho light will be low light unless you buy quality fixtures which might be enough to push you up into the medium range. With fluorescent lights you are looking at yearly bulb changes and increased electrical costs. You could try an Aquatic Life dual t5ho fixture as those are good ones but I was barely getting medium light on my 20" tall tank.

With LED you are looking into higher startup costs but lower electricity costs and no bulb changes. You could try a finnex Ray 2 in a 7000k temperature rating. My personal choice of LED fixtures would be one from Build My LED Custom LED Lights for DIY Horticulture Aquarium Hobby Lighting

 

[schoeplein]

I have a 24" deep, 36" wide. I can fit four 23w 6500K CFL standard bulbs in workshop domes (I have the polyceramic kind with the best white reflective surface). Less than $60 and it pummels my tank with light. Or at least I thought it did.

Then I ordered a custom fixture from BML (matching the planted tank setup, but changed the LED order and lens angle to focus on my floor plants - 75°). $280, with dimmer, mounts, and local pickup. With a 90° angle, a single strip should put you in the medium realm.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[schoeplein]

My BML consumes about the same as my four bulbs (just under 80w). But I'll never have to replace it. I have both on my tank and holy smokes. I was used to salt water where you could never have enough light - I have the BML dimmed to 50-60% and don't run all four CFL's every day.

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[Brian_Nano12g]

Although I love BML for the spectrum, CRI, high PAR output, and dimming option, they aren't the only option in this weight class anymore.

Also check out the new Ecoxotic E-Series. It puts out high PAR, comes with a controller, has RGB LEDs that are completely controllable in terms of color, and this light is also dimmable. I actually just placed an order for one and will be reviewing it when I get it. It's brand spanking new but it's an upgrade from the also popular Current Satellite LED+.

http://www.marinedepot.com/Ecoxotic..._Fixtures-Ecoxotic-XX09400-FILTFILDPO-vi.html

http://reefbuilders.com/2014/03/04/ecoxotic-teases-eseries-rgbw-led-striplight-inline-controller/

 

[schoeplein]

Man, I just wrote a long post and the mobile ap didn't post it... Grrr

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[dcutl002]

Although I love BML for the spectrum, CRI, high PAR output, and dimming option, they aren't the only option in this weight class anymore.

Also check out the new Ecoxotic E-Series. It puts out high PAR, comes with a controller, has RGB LEDs that are completely controllable in terms of color, and this light is also dimmable. I actually just placed an order for one and will be reviewing it when I get it. It's brand spanking new but it's an upgrade from the also popular Current Satellite LED+.

Ecoxotic E-Series Full Spectrum LED Light System

Ecoxotic teases new E-Series RGBW LED striplight and inline controller

WOW! The LED choices just keep getting better! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Man, I just wrote a long post and the mobile ap didn't post it... Grrr

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Sux! This happened to be before.. so I got into the habit of copying my text into memory before I hit the post button, just in case.

 

[aqua_chem]

I'll just be sitting in the corner with my T5HOs...


Right now there are a lot of people jumping the T5HO ship for LEDs for a number of reasons. I got a 6x54 ATI for ~$200 that will light any tank I could want for any level of light I could want. I'm pretty satisfied with it.

 

[Brookster123]

I'll just be sitting in the corner with my T5HOs...


Right now there are a lot of people jumping the T5HO ship for LEDs for a number of reasons. I got a 6x54 ATI for ~$200 that will light any tank I could want for any level of light I could want. I'm pretty satisfied with it.

Were just suckers for technology I guess..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I'll just be sitting in the corner with my T5HOs...


Right now there are a lot of people jumping the T5HO ship for LEDs for a number of reasons. I got a 6x54 ATI for ~$200 that will light any tank I could want for any level of light I could want. I'm pretty satisfied with it.

For being a man of science aren't you the least bit curious to "try" the wave of the future? You are actually smart to have waited this long. Old LEDs, IMO, didn't come that close to T5HO. However, newer LEDs are closing that gap (if not already) spectral-wise by offering better CRI, with improved PAR output while dropping in price... sure they'll get cheaper.. But if you keep waiting with that prerequisite, you'll miss out on the fun

Even Dr. Barr used to be a T5HO anti-LED advocate. Now I catch him commenting on good LED units based on CRI, PAR, and spectral performance.

 

[aqua_chem]

I might also just be cheap. T5HO still have the corner market on the valuerice ratio as far as I'm concerned, and Giesemann are still the spectrum to beat IMO.

As far as the man of science bit, newer isn't always better, it's just less known. It's easy to geek out on LEDs, but at the end of the day, are there any data that shows if one is better than the other beyond an economic argument? As far as I know, not yet.

 

[aqua_chem]

Alternative idea: I might just be a grumpy, cynical stick-in-the-mud that dislikes change. I'm not going to rule that out yet.

 

[schoeplein]

Certain models work just as well. It's the long term investment that makes it worth it.

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[Brian_Nano12g]

Yes, long term investment as schoeplein said

Plus, wouldn't replacing Giesemann bulbs annually negate the being "cheap" notion?

The latter "alternative" idea makes more sense. But that can be changed.

 

[dcutl002]

Don't forget ballasts. I have changed a few T5HO ballasts in my time.


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[aqua_chem]

Consider this thread for a moment. The LED suggestions were all $300 fixtures for a 36" tank. You can get a 36" T5HOx2 fixture for ~$50, plus $20 in bulbs. That's going to be medium light on a tank that size. Your LEDs will become cost effective in roughly 10 years, disregarding electricity and assuming your T5HO get replaced every 12 months (although they can go 18) with $10 bulbs. That just doesn't seem practical to me. If you wanted higher light, a 4x T5HO can be had for ~$100, and which will lose to LEDs in about 5 years. Still not that practical. If most people's budgets are like mine, a smaller upfront and small yearly cost is a lot less painful on the bottom line.

As far as efficacy goes, the only thing LEDs really has going for it in terms of advantage is a dimmer. If anyone has any others, please tell me.

As I see it, LEDs should be a niche product in the hobby and NOT recommended in threads like this without an honest pros/cons discussion tacked onto the end of it. It's possible that the OP is the kind of person who will appreciate the novelty of LED, but there is an entire discussion that needs to happen first.

 

[Mebbid]

Consider this thread for a moment. The LED suggestions were all $300 fixtures for a 36" tank. You can get a 36" T5HOx2 fixture for ~$50, plus $20 in bulbs. That's going to be medium light on a tank that size. Your LEDs will become cost effective in roughly 10 years, disregarding electricity and assuming your T5HO get replaced every 12 months (although they can go 18) with $10 bulbs. That just doesn't seem practical to me. If you wanted higher light, a 4x T5HO can be had for ~$100, and which will lose to LEDs in about 5 years. Still not that practical. If most people's budgets are like mine, a smaller upfront and small yearly cost is a lot less painful on the bottom line.

As far as efficacy goes, the only thing LEDs really has going for it in terms of advantage is a dimmer. If anyone has any others, please tell me.

As I see it, LEDs should be a niche product in the hobby and NOT recommended in threads like this without an honest pros/cons discussion tacked onto the end of it. It's possible that the OP is the kind of person who will appreciate the novelty of LED, but there is an entire discussion that needs to happen first.

On a 2 foot tall tank saying a $50 light fixture wwill go e medium light is really hopeful at the very best. There is a vast difference in the par levels of t5ho fixtures and even the ones that produce the most par might barely get you to a medium light level. Those fixtures are also much closer to $100 than their cheaper counterparts. Taking that into consideration it throws off your calculations based on price off by a large amount.

Next you get to the t5ho fixtures taking up too much space. I had 2 aquatic life t5ho fixtures over a 55g tank and had absolutely no room to work inside the tank without removing the light. If I had instead spent the $200 on a quality led fixture instead of the t5ho then it would have made my life much easier.