T8 or leds

[MightyO]

Before u answer this is the situation my tank size is 72x18x29 (150g high) the fixtures I have now is two 36s an my wattages are not right so ik now I need 60 watts pure fixture so the problem is t8 don't come in 60 watts in my 2 fixture an led can get expensive so what should I do

 

[ccCapt]

I'm not sure I understand the question. It looks like you are saying you have a 6' tank with 2 36" normal output flourescent fixtures. A 36" T8 bulb is 30 watts, so 2 bulbs = 60 watts.

 

[MightyO]

Right I need 120 watts total for my tank

 

[mr_X]

What are you keeping in this tank? Is this fixture just to see fish or are we talking photosynthetic creatures?

 

[MightyO]

I have fish an live plants

 

[mr_X]

Then you need to consider how much light you need for them. I have no experience with planted tanks, but I'm guessing you need more light than you have for them to thrive.

 

[MightyO]

I need 1wattt per gallon at the least so that's 120 watts I just need to kno which one I'm better off with t8s or LEDs

 

[mr_X]

You may need 1 watt per gallon if using T8 lamps, but LEDs are much more efficient. I think your budget is also something to consider. What are you willing to spend?
You could get a 6' T5 fixture, or 3 LED pendants. Do you have a single brace across the top of the tank or two?

 

[MightyO]

I got the two an I'm willing to go $300 to $400

 

[MightyO]

An this is for a fresh water tank

 

[mr_X]

How about this-
Odyssea T5 Aquarium Lighting
Plenty of light and the tank will look great.

 

[MightyO]

They cool but t8 are better then t5

 

[MightyO]

They cool but t8 are better

 

[mr_X]

Better how? If less efficient and less powerful is better, then you are right.

 

[MightyO]

Yup that exactly what I'm saying

 

[CorallineAlgae]

You have a very tall tank. You'll need T5s, at the least, to grow plants. T8s won't penetrate anywhere near the bottom of the tank.

I use LED floodlights over my small planted tank and they grow anything (high light). If you want a cheap low to medium light setup you could give those a go. They're sold on eBay. For an easy low tech system I'd recommend three 20w or 30w daylight waterproof floodlights. Should cost around $100 bucks for all three and you won't have to worry about buying bulbs at all. Otherwise I'd recommend a T5 fixture.

 

[mr_X]

...Which is more powerful than T8, even though the number is smaller.

 

[MightyO]

I just brought two marine land double bright LEDs so I think that will do me some justice I did my research on them an they will Dolly's I like the LEDs thanks everyone for the help

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Ouch. I'd return them if possible.

 

[MightyO]

Y should I