New 100000k zoomed t5 lightbulb in my aqueon fixture

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

I got the bulb an hour ago and hooked er' up right away! These are pics of what it looked like before, after with the 10000k and colormax bulb, and the after with the 10000k and the 6700k bulb.(they get brighter as they go along) my plants from left to right are: Amazon sword, driftwood with Anubias, Java fern in the back rubberbanded to the rock, another . IAmazon sword, Anubias, some big plant, and another amazon sword. Is the lighting sufficient for the tank? How about the zoo med bulb? Is the bulb high quality? The 10000k is 54 watts, and the colormax and daylight bulb are 28 each. I feed the plants Api co2 once a day and Seachem fluorish twice a week. What plants would be good for aquascaping? Any suggestions on a type of grass for the bottom? I have micro sword in another tank should i use that? I want it to cover the bottom and not be a hassel with my weekly 25% water changes. P.s. I also have a moss ball in there and a monster Sailfin pleco that is 8 inches long. I will keep everyone posted on my tank aquascaping. its a 55 gallon.

 

[rkilling1]

What light fixture are you running?

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

An aqueon t5 48 inch

 

[rkilling1]

And you put a T5HO bulb in the T5NO fixture?

That means: You are driving the HO bulb at a NO wattage, you are overdriving your ballast, or both?

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

I know that patience is a virtue but no one evr helps me out on this website. :-\

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Oh hey so what do i do?

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Does this mean i need to return the 10k? If so how do i get enough lighting for my plants to grow with my light fixtur?

 

[rkilling1]

Research what running a HO bulb in a NO fixture would do to the bulb and fixture. I have no idea. My quick searches said that either the ballast will try and drive the bulb at higher wattages then designed and therefore cause the ballast to fail or the bulb will only run at what the ballast puts out. IE at the NO wattage. I also read that both my take place.

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Btw you got some awesome tanks!

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Ok some say its allright and some say its not??? I turned it off and the 10k has only beenrunning forblike 2 hours and that thing is smokenhot!

 

[rkilling1]

Btw you got some awesome tanks!

Thanks. I appreciate that. All it takes is MONEY. (Ok and some time and effort.)

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Ok so most people are saynh that it can blow(the fixture) any suggestions on a bulb to use?

 

[rkilling1]

Ok some say its allright and some say its not??? I turned it off and the 10k has only beenrunning forblike 2 hours and that thing is smokenhot!

As one would expect from a HO bulb IF it was running close to it's designed wattage. If your ballast is really pushing the bulb at 54 W, I would be concerned that the ballast may not last very long.

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Thank you so much!!! I dont have money for another fixture! You just saved me like $100(im 16 so yeah no steady income. Any suggestions on a bulb to use for my tank?

 

[rkilling1]

Ok so most people are saynh that it can blow(the fixture) any suggestions on a bulb to use?

I guess you really only have two choices. One, return the bulb and purchase one that was made for your fixture or two, replace the fixture with a HO one.

Two HO bulbs on a 55 gallon tank will probably push the limit on needing to add CO2. BUT... every tank is slightly different.

 

[rkilling1]

Thank you so much!!! I dont have money for another fixture! You just saved me like $100(im 16 so yeah no steady income. Any suggestions on a bulb to use for my tank?

My suggestions:

Go and cut some lawns to earn enough money for a pressurized CO2 system. With CO2, you can grow MANY different plant species. Once you have the CO2, cut some more lawns and then upgrade the lighting fixture. (In that order)

FYI, Lawn can be substituted with any job on the market.

Or...

Just add some low light plants and be happy with what you have. To each his own.

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Well ill just stick with 2 28 watt bulbs. Is that enough wattage for a 55 planted tank?

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Allright. Lol. Im in debt by 500 for setting up the 55 and a 120. (my parents are like... Loan8ng them too me till i can pay them off. So yeah. I heard you can make your own co2 thing?

 

[ZacksFlowerhorn123]

Thank you!

 

[rkilling1]

Well ill just stick with 2 28 watt bulbs. Is that enough wattage for a 55 planted tank?

That all depends on what you want. I'm sure you could grow dozens of different lower light species with that light. I bet if you added CO2 you could probably grow over 100 different plants with that amount of light.

I don't foresee you getting the plants to pearl or being able to grow the light hungry species, but not everyone needs that.

I enjoy watching my plants pearl. It's like opening a bottle of sprite. There are O2 bobbles everywhere, but it cost me well over a thousand dollars. You can do it for less and I have, but if you want 'nice' stuff, it will cost you.