Upgrading lights... just 1 question I think lol

[TommyLiNy]

So I am going to order the 48" dual T5HO from fishneedit.com. My question is what color temp should I go with? They offer 67000 10000 14000 bulbs which would be the best for me?

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[TommyLiNy]

Edit- 6700k 10000k 14000k

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[meegosh]

What size tank is it going on? Are you planning on planting the tank? If you have a planted tank, or want one in general, then a 6700k bulb is what you want. The 10000k will give you more of a blue tint, which makes the fish's colors really pop.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Its a 55 gallon and Im going for low to moderate lighting for planting.

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[meegosh]

I'd say you would be more at the medium low to medium light range. You could elevate the fixture above your tank and would lose some light to avoid algae issues - if you run into them.

T5HO is a whole different animal when it comes to the "WPG rule". You should be able to grow a wide variety of plants in that tank. If you get some demanding species you may need to fertilize. You can get away with not using ferts if you pick your plants right.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Thanks for the info! I plan on some Jungle Vals and I really like the look of Rotala Rotundifolia and maybe an Amazon Sword from my other tank.

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[TommyLiNy]

Not sure if anyone's still subscribed but oh well... So I was going to upgrade my lights this past week for my 55gal but while searching CL for aquarium stuff I came across a 150gal tank, Filstar XP4 2 heaters and some cleaning supplies for $150... SOLD! Went and picked it up sunday. In the process of building a stand and setting it up but I was wondering if a dual 48" T5 HO would give me enough for some plants ( total plant newb).

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[TommyLiNy]

Also while Ive been looking I found on aghydroponics.com a SunBlaze 4ft 4bulb T5 HO fixture 216watts for $148.00 shipped for free... Should I go with that instead? For another $50 its 2 more bulbs= better plant options IMO.... I NEED HELP! lol

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[mfdrookie516]

Is this a 4', 5', or 6' 150g?

 

[TommyLiNy]

6... its 72"x18"x28".

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[mfdrookie516]

You don't want a 4' light on a 6' tank. You'll want a 6' fixture so that you get adequate lighting over the whole tank.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Have you seen a 6' T5 HO light? Cuz I sure havent... I know 6' would be better obviously, it will cover the whole tank. If I could find a cheap 6' I'd use it, dont ya think?? Looking for someone with a little more experience with planted tanks but thaks anyway.

 

[meegosh]

Try googling 72" T5HO, I found numerous.

72" T5 HO Aquarium Light Hood 160w moon lights LEGS - eBay (item 260726792312 end time Mar-24-11 17:55:23 PDT)

The bulbs obviously would not be good for planted tanks but you can swap those out with 6700k bulbs.

 

[TommyLiNy]

Ok so I looked at a few and there like $400 and up.... So back to my original question, if I get a T5 HO 4bulb 48' do you think I can grow some decent plants?

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[TommyLiNy]

Ok so I looked at a few and there like $400 and up.... So back to my original question, if I get a T5 HO 4bulb 48' do you think I can grow some decent plants?

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Its sooo much cheaper... $150 vs $400+

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[meegosh]

Any way you could do two 36" fixtures? You should be able to find some cheap T5HO or even compact fluorescent 3' fixtures.

If you went with the 4' fixture the corners would be dark and probably would only get good growth in the center of the tank. You might be able to raise the fixture up to get better spread but I doubt that would even work.

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[TommyLiNy]

Do you think 2 dual bulb 36" T5 HOs would be good? Thats what i was originally thinking, and I know I can get 2 of them for $150.

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[meegosh]

How many watts are each of the bulbs? I'm guessing at 36" it will be 39w each. Keep in mind T5HO is a completely different animal when it comes to the watt per gallon rule. With four 39w bulbs you would be at ~2.8 wpg which would put you in medium high to high light when elevated above the tank.

I think algae could become an issue if you do not inject CO2 or dose any ferts. If you are not looking for that type of extra work then a lower wattage fixture might be the better choice.

 

[TommyLiNy]

They are 39watt bulbs and I did plan on dosing with ferts. Thanks for the info!

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[TommyLiNy]

I found a 72" T5 HO on aquatraders.com but it comes with 2 10000k bulbs and 2 actinic bulbs. Do they make 6700k bulbs in a 72"? I cant seem to find any

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