Bulb efficiency question

[quitters]

Hey there, my first post so ill introduce myself first

names ben and im starting a 29 gallon up again but doing it properly this time as ive learned a lot since i had to close it down last time

i have a question though

I have built a hood with three 2 foot flourescent fittings. 2 towards the back of the tank for all the plants and 1 at the front so the fish look pretty Heres my question any advice much appreciated.

I have 2 bulbs from last time, they have been used for about 1 year 12 hours a day, people say replace every year but some people only put 1 or 2 bulbs on a 29 gallon so can i just buy a third bulb, put it in the middle/back and use the old ones for the front and back? i want my plants to be nice and green thanks in advance guys!

 

[quitters]

I just read an article and it says 2 watts per gallon minimum so i will have just that with 3 globes in so i should get three new globes then? how much does time decrease the bulbs efficiency? thanks guys

 

[rich311k]

You would be better off getting new bulbs. They bulbs start losing the proper colors after a year. Since you are starting fresh get new bulbs you will be better off.

 

[YuccaPatrol]

I have a year old bulb that is getting replaced tomorrow. When placed next to a new bulb, it is so dim and has lost its good color. Can't wait to get rid of it.

 

[quitters]

wow thanks heaps for that! ill get new ones then.

ill ask another question now so i dont have to open a new thread, why isnt taking the top layer of water off a tank ever mentioned? is it not needed? i know about protein skimmers but its a bit of hassle especially if it has so many cons, would doing this be like an en between method? coz also like all my water changes are done while cleaning the gravel so i never otherwise get any oils and stuff off the top. Any advise? thanks heaps again.

 

[Skyrmir]

Skimming isn't usually needed for freshwater tanks. A decent amount of water turbulance from the filter keeps the surface scum mixed in to be siphoned out with the water changes, or trapped by the filter floss. If your getting a lot of surface scum even though your doing water changes, then you probably need to do more water changes more often and test your water to see what's causing it.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Welcome to AA.

You can pick up Philips Daylight deluxe bulbs from Home depot, or GE EcoLux bulbs.

a guideline would be any bulb with a K rating between 5000 and 10000, but aside from pet stores (expencive bulbs) the highest you will find are 6500K..

They can usually be had for under 5$ a pair, available in T8 and T12 styles, at 4' and 2' lengths.

As for efficiency, T8 fixtures by far are the better buy.

If I had to make a recommendation, get a powerglo for the front fixture, and 2x the other ones I mentioned for the rears. should get some great growth and the colours should look amazing. I know the powerglo is 18000K, but I did say 5-10k is a guidline (generally speaking it will have sufficient reds and blues), you'ld have to look at the spectral output to find out which other bulbs offer strong reds and blues for your plants.

 

[malkore]

FW lacks the surface tension of SW, making protein skimmers very very inefficient, if functional at all. You skim a lot more water out with the DOC's than you would in a SW tank.

And yes, replace NO tubes every 9-12 months. you can get decent bulbs at a Lowe's or Home Depot type store. Daylight bulbs are usually fine, but avoid anything 'softwhite'. Also, you can use Plant and Aquarium bulbs made by GE, phillips or sylvania, but they are quite purple/pink, so its' good to mix them with a daylight bulb or two to balance out the colors in the tank.

 

[quitters]

Wow thanks heaps for all that!

i wont bother with a protien skimmer or anything then thank you

i was about to go out and spend about $70US on bulbs at the local store i didnt think to go to home depot. ill do some reading up about what colours and how much of what colour plants need i shoulda thought of that meh, thank you very much!

i will get a powerglo for the font though, want those fishies lookin mighty fine

One more question if thats ok.

I want a black backing but if i put it on the outside of the tank wont i get a mirror effect? if so, do u guys know of a safe material to use on the inside? and a safe way to stick it there?

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

The tip I keep reading is to apply vasaline to the back of your tank (outside), the smooth it out with a putty knife. apply the background and smooth out any air bubbles.

or if the tank isn't set up, you can paint the back of the tank.

 

[quitters]

wow so the vaseline stops it being reflective? thanks heaps ill try that ta