lighting...?

[skar]

I recently ordered a t5 ho 48watt to upgrade
But... Led vs t5ho how do you know what to get ?
I'm limited on applicable space for lighting. But from what I've read there are few led lights that perform well for a planted aquarium. Due to wiring and cheap manufacturing. So I wasn't able to determine what if any led would meet my needs and or be affordable.

 

[azmodan]

T5HO and LED fixtures are both suitable for planted tanks depending on the brand/light. In regards to the two (especially LEDs) it's generally seen as "you get what you pay for", so it really does matter what your specific budget is and what you deem as "affordable". For LEDs you tend to pay a little more up front but end up not having to worry about regularly replacing bulbs, paying for less electricity, etc. If you give us some specifics on your budget, tank, and goals we'd be happy to offer up some suggestions!

 

[skar]

I ordered a t5 ho acuaticlife freshwater 24 inch.
My budget... I just don't want to spend hundos on lights . I have a 40 gal hex with low light plants allot of them. I have a t8 that is almost to big, I suppose I will see how the 24 inch looks . I am looking to improve the health of my plants... And fish over all .

 

[schoeplein]

Great LED and affordable is a bit of a misnomer. A T5HO should be more than sufficient for what you're looking to plant.

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[skar]

Ya... I think that's about right. I appreciate the encouragement on what I've done. I've done a lot of research and it is very precarious to know your getting a good led light. I myself almost got marine Land led and thought 3 rgb bulbs couldn't suffice ?? I am curious how to guage out that your getting what your tank needs. Especially since the old 1 watt per gallon was so easy is there another tell tale way to know what you are getting ??

 

[schoeplein]

Nope. Unfortunately it's pretty convoluted these days. PAR ratings, spectrums, etc. CFL's keep it "simple", but the best growth and visual color is dominated by LED. (personal opinion, of course)

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[Puckhog429]

My opinion on the topic is that leds are superior which has already been mentioned. Recently I have been pricing a new fixture for my 29 gallon. To buy a t5 no fixture would run me around 50 bucks with bulbs. Then each year it would be 35-40 for new bulbs. So in 2 years I already spent 90 bucks on lighting. That same 90 bucks could be spent on a planted plus which has a 50,000 hour lifespan. That would mean that it would last for 11 years if run 12 hrs a day.


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[azmodan]

I ordered a t5 ho acuaticlife freshwater 24 inch.
My budget... I just don't want to spend hundos on lights . I have a 40 gal hex with low light plants allot of them. I have a t8 that is almost to big, I suppose I will see how the 24 inch looks . I am looking to improve the health of my plants... And fish over all .

That's a great fixture. Your plants will certainly be very happy with it, just make sure to give them some fert/carbon love too. LEDs are catching up quickly (or have caught up), but I will say one of the local planted tank masters in my area still swears that no LED can match the color brought out by HO Giesemann bulbs and I know a lot of people still agree with that. Lights by BML and Exocotic seem to be very close to that if not there I'd imagine though.

 

[skar]

Thank you. And yes I do use ferts. Not replacing bulbs sounds great. I don't see how you know if it was daisy chained together or not. I will see how the t5 looks thank you so much for the replies.

 

[skar]

My opinion on the topic is that leds are superior which has already been mentioned. Recently I have been pricing a new fixture for my 29 gallon. To buy a t5 no fixture would run me around 50 bucks with bulbs. Then each year it would be 35-40 for new bulbs. So in 2 years I already spent 90 bucks on lighting. That same 90 bucks could be spent on a planted plus which has a 50,000 hour lifespan. That would mean that it would last for 11 years if run 12 hrs a day.


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A new t5 with lights ran 90 for me .. I just think 300 for a led is a bit much IMO.

 

[Puckhog429]

He only needs a 24 in light. So he wouldnt need to spend that much on a les fixture


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