So now I've gone from not enough light to too much light??? :swear: Just going strictly from a grammar perspective, I think the LED would be 50% more bright. If it was half as bright they'd have to say 50% as bright as the T5 and I also don't think they'd use it as a selling point. What the heck do I do now? I gotta be honest here, I'm about ready to give up on the whole project and keep the tank as is with no plants.
Just starting out
- Thread starter mgm007
- Start date
I've never seen a new T5 fixture that didn't come with lamps. This one probably comes with them. The only concern from then on is replacing the lamps yearly on a planted tank.
This ~48watts worth of T5HO might be OK on a 30g tall, which I assume is like a 29g tank? 29's are tall. Even if you found this T5 to be excessive on the tank, some floating wisteria or water sprite would handle the excess.
They don't come with lamps. I have a couple of their fixtures.
they also only have a single power cord, so if it is too much light, you don't have the option of running each lamp on a different timer.
conversely they are listed as an AC sponsor. so they are enabling this forum to exist.
if you want to compare light fixtures effectively, try to look for PAR readings... but note that a T5 fixture will also depend on the bulbs you use as well as the fixture and reflector.
they also only have a single power cord, so if it is too much light, you don't have the option of running each lamp on a different timer.
conversely they are listed as an AC sponsor. so they are enabling this forum to exist.
if you want to compare light fixtures effectively, try to look for PAR readings... but note that a T5 fixture will also depend on the bulbs you use as well as the fixture and reflector.
May be time to regroup, as we have gone this way and that with plants, carpets, CO2, light, ferts, etc.
I am assuming in the end that you want what I call a natural or low-tech set-up, with moderate light, no diffused CO2, and liquid ferts once a week. Here is a photo of my former 29g that was running under this method for three years. The single T8 tube at 20w, 24 inches in length, was a Life-Glo. I experimented with several tubes and found that nothing else provided sufficient light. Crypts, pygmy chain swords, Java Fern and Java Moss thrived, even with a fair layer of floating plants (Water Sprite) reducing the light further. A single T5 HO tube would be a notch up from this; two T5 HO tubes would be three times the light, and in my situation this would have been a real algae mess.
If I were you, and this is the sort of tank you are thinking of having, I would consider LED. You just have to find the right one. I can't help much with this as my LED experience is limited to once and I had to sell it and go back to T8. But there are suitable fixtures out there, for a cost. Another option is to get yourself a standard fluorescent hood which will take T8, and use a Life-Glo. The ZooMed Ultra Sun T8 will be much the same--in T8, not T5 remember. These hoods are sometimes available in places like Petsmart. Still another option is to get an incandescent hood (takes screw-in bulbs) with two or three sockets (the 29g size might have three, but will certainly have two), and use CFL Daylight bulbs. I have two 10w GE CFL bulbs over my 10g and 20g and they are fine; a higher wattage with two or three would be suitable over your 29g.
The only issue with T8 is that I can see it disappearing eventually. T5 became the "in thing" a few years ago, and now everyone is going LED. So the older stand-bys that we all understood so well are getting phased out. As I found when trying to find a LED for the 5-foot 115g, I know what works in terms of light intensity, but finding the LED comparable fixture is not easy.
Keep on this, I am sure others can offer suggestions on this or that LED, or we can take a look for a comparison.
Byron.
I am assuming in the end that you want what I call a natural or low-tech set-up, with moderate light, no diffused CO2, and liquid ferts once a week. Here is a photo of my former 29g that was running under this method for three years. The single T8 tube at 20w, 24 inches in length, was a Life-Glo. I experimented with several tubes and found that nothing else provided sufficient light. Crypts, pygmy chain swords, Java Fern and Java Moss thrived, even with a fair layer of floating plants (Water Sprite) reducing the light further. A single T5 HO tube would be a notch up from this; two T5 HO tubes would be three times the light, and in my situation this would have been a real algae mess.
If I were you, and this is the sort of tank you are thinking of having, I would consider LED. You just have to find the right one. I can't help much with this as my LED experience is limited to once and I had to sell it and go back to T8. But there are suitable fixtures out there, for a cost. Another option is to get yourself a standard fluorescent hood which will take T8, and use a Life-Glo. The ZooMed Ultra Sun T8 will be much the same--in T8, not T5 remember. These hoods are sometimes available in places like Petsmart. Still another option is to get an incandescent hood (takes screw-in bulbs) with two or three sockets (the 29g size might have three, but will certainly have two), and use CFL Daylight bulbs. I have two 10w GE CFL bulbs over my 10g and 20g and they are fine; a higher wattage with two or three would be suitable over your 29g.
The only issue with T8 is that I can see it disappearing eventually. T5 became the "in thing" a few years ago, and now everyone is going LED. So the older stand-bys that we all understood so well are getting phased out. As I found when trying to find a LED for the 5-foot 115g, I know what works in terms of light intensity, but finding the LED comparable fixture is not easy.
Keep on this, I am sure others can offer suggestions on this or that LED, or we can take a look for a comparison.
Byron.
Interesting.
There's no way in heck I'd spend that much on a 24" T5HO that being the case.
I'd go with LED, T8 or CFL as Byron suggested.
That's an awesome looking set up Byron. I have a very specific design in mind. I basically want a carpet of HC with some java moss attached to a few pieces of drift wood. But I'm really at my wits end here with the lighting. It seems like it's either too much or too little regardless of T5, T8 or LED. I know this is due to the depth of the tank and I really appreciate all the responses and help you guys are providing. It's just so frustrating because I really want to get the tank planted. What about this fixture? Wold it also be too much because it's "double bright"? I just don't see any way of differentiating between how one LED is too much and another is too little light.
HC will need fairly good light. Java Moss is low light, and I find it grows best in shade as under floating plants. You will however need more light than what we have been recently considering for HC.
One has to take the manufacturer's labelling like bright or double bright with a grain of salt. These are subjective terms and mean something only to the person using them.
I actually had an eye on this fixture myself. Another aquarist had it over a 30g tank and felt it was moderate light, and when I was looking into the 4-foot format I discovered from Marineland that this LED is equivalent to one T8 fluorescent tube. I had two T8 tubes over my tank, so obviously this was out for me. But from all this, I would say that it is going to be about the same as a T8 over your 29g, which would or should allow you to do something like what I show in my photo. I think you need more if true carpeting plants are intended.
Marineland have a planted tank light that is double the intensity of their Double Bright, but it is also double the cost. For my 4 or 5-foot tank, it would be well over $400, beyond my limit. I repaired my T8 with a shop fixture from Home Depot for $30 and it is like new.
With a basic T8 hood for a 29g, isn't the tube a 24 inch? Mine is, and I have the Aqueon hood. I just measured it, and the tube is actually 23 inches, but it has 24 inch stamped on it so that is what they call it.
This is one of the two tubes I recommended previously (the other was Life-Glo), but again I doubt it will be adequate for HC but I have not tried this so if others say it will, fine.
I don't understand the two wattages...all T8 tubes come in a basic standard wattage for the tube length. For instance, the 4-foot tubes are all 32w (used to be 40w but more advanced manufacturing is now 32w). So that Amazon thing may be inaccurate. The ZooMed in 24 inches will be 20w (might be 18w). The Life-Glo is 20w. But to the best of my knowledge T8 in 24 inches is not available in 36w. My 30-inch T8 Life-Glo is 25w.
The tank itself is only 24" wide as it's a 30g tall. The bulb definitely says 18" on it. I think I'm just going to roll the dice on that last LED I posted. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.
good luck with the gamble.
if you want another LED to consider, then I might suggest the finnex ray2.
I think the amount of light produced (PAR or whatever) is higher than the zoomed, so will give you better options.
but a 30H is going to be problematic to grow a carpet, whatever lighting you might choose.
if you want another LED to consider, then I might suggest the finnex ray2.
I think the amount of light produced (PAR or whatever) is higher than the zoomed, so will give you better options.
but a 30H is going to be problematic to grow a carpet, whatever lighting you might choose.
