Advice on T5 Bulbs

[jamesbaltimore]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but even with only 2 bulbs on you will have an algae fest in no time.

I am a little bothered by this statement. All the research I read and conversations with people at my local LFS (which is a very good place with very knowledgeable staff) indicated that 2 wouldn't even be enough for a 90 gallon tank.


So what are my options then? Plants with higher light requirements and CO2?

 

[dundadundun]

2 will be plenty for a 90... a carpet might be tough at that point... but you'll probably want co2 for a carpet anyway.

however... 2 bulbs do not necessitate an algae farm.

 

[jpappy789]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but even with only 2 bulbs on you will have an algae fest in no time.

How so?

I'd hardly call just over 1 wpg of t5 light an "algae fest". Once you get to 1.5-2 without CO2, maybe, but not at this level.

 

[bsmith]

It doesn't matter we are talking about t5ho here, the wpg rule goes out the window and is a horrible way to measure light intensity anyhow. There is no comparison between 2 wpg of pc light and 2 wpg of t5ho light.

I have about 1 wpg ( 5ho)over my 37g with pressurized co2 and EI dosing. If my water level gets low and the current causes the co2 to off gas I get bba on my swords that are on the bottom of the tank.

Do some reading over here and get the real scoop. There lighting section has quite a bit of great info.

 

[dundadundun]

sorry, bsmith but you are mislead atm.

bba is a symptom of co2 fluctuations and/or low co2... maybe lack of circulation. in your case it's fluctuations.

many of the members here with even moderate post counts are also members of plantedtank.net, apc, barrreport, plantgeeks, etc., etc.. i even joined some german sites a while back, personally .

i currently have 30 watts of t3 over my 30 (which i run purposely with the water low as it's technically a riparium) with no co2. i have no issues there.

i currently have 78 watts of t5ho and 15 of t8 over my 50 with no co2. no issues there either.

growth is not fast in my tanks but trimming isn't do or die, either.

here is a good read... http://www.tropica.com/advising/technical-articles/biology-of-aquatic-plants/co2-and-light.aspx

this should explain your bba... http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

 

[bsmith]

sorry, bsmith but you are mislead atm.

bba is a symptom of co2 fluctuations and/or low co2... maybe lack of circulation. in your case it's fluctuations.

many of the members here with even moderate post counts are also members of plantedtank.net, apc, barrreport, plantgeeks, etc., etc.. i even joined some german sites a while back, personally .

i currently have 30 watts of t3 over my 30 (which i run purposely with the water low as it's technically a riparium) with no co2. i have no issues there.

i currently have 78 watts of t5ho and 15 of t8 over my 50 with no co2. no issues there either.

growth is not fast in my tanks but trimming isn't do or die, either.

here is a good read... http://www.tropica.com/advising/technical-articles/biology-of-aquatic-plants/co2-and-light.aspx

this should explain your bba... http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

You are right and wrong about the BBA. Lack of co2 and fluctuating co2 can cause bba if you have too much light. If you take the bright light out of the equation do you think you would still have bba? Don't think so.

And if you think post counts have anything to do with actual real world knowledge then in all honesty it is you who have been mislead.

I have needle wheel diffusion for the co2 on my tank with a total flow of 200 gph and a koralia 1 on my tank. Believe me circulation isnt the problem its the light. I grow some of the most demanding plants in this tank with no issue and have been for years.

OP, if you want to do this go for it but you will have algae period, end of report.

 

[dundadundun]

i've ran low light on my 50. i had bba with 2 t8 bulbs. this alone rules out your reasoning.

you mentioned you'd get the "real story" on another site. that has nothing to do with post counts. i choose to post here because of the community as do many others. i read the others almost religiously at times. i've seen and tested many of the theories to my tanks dismay. where did i mention post counts?

i didn't accuse your tank of having circulation issues. i suggested that if you're letting your water line get low and off gas your co2 (which i assumed was normally pretty steady/consistent) that's your problem with bba. eliminate that and you likely will be rid of it completely or very close to.

i can take pics of the tanks i'm using for my examples. i have plenty of times even recently. i estimate them to be ~1.2-1.3 wpg of t5ho and t3 lighting respectively.

as for post counts, i judge quite well for myself who to believe. i don't care about post counts nor reputation on any site. people can ramble clueless all day long and people give rep to others over petty crap un-related to anything relevant on sites that use rep. i have a pretty good understanding of how that works...

i was not looking to get into a peeing match... i just so happen to have 2 examples up and running of why your statement doesn't hold weight. don't want the op to think he just can't have light on his tanks. if he's not using ambient light he might just need it.

 

[geekboy]

I struggled with a similar setup for a while. When I used a 4x54W T5 fixture on my 60G tall, I tried a few different things:

1) Stupidly ran all four bulbs with no C02. Algae Fest.
2) Ran two bulbs. Not much better. Some of the high-demand plants that were already wanting more C02 now suffered from lower light instead.
3) Installed pressurized C02. Reintroduced full light. After three months of steady C02, algae began to subside. Plants were growing better, and resisting munching goldfish.
4) Introduced a pile of SAEs and Oto cats.
5) Good times?

I'm still pushing the lighting levels, but I've also never seen better growth in the tank. Chronic BBA is far better than it has been in years. We'll so how this goes.

 

[bsmith]

i've ran low light on my 50. i had bba with 2 t8 bulbs. this alone rules out your reasoning.

you mentioned you'd get the "real story" on another site. that has nothing to do with post counts. i choose to post here because of the community as do many others. i read the others almost religiously at times. i've seen and tested many of the theories to my tanks dismay. where did i mention post counts?

i didn't accuse your tank of having circulation issues. i suggested that if you're letting your water line get low and off gas your co2 (which i assumed was normally pretty steady/consistent) that's your problem with bba. eliminate that and you likely will be rid of it completely or very close to.

i can take pics of the tanks i'm using for my examples. i have plenty of times even recently. i estimate them to be ~1.2-1.3 wpg of t5ho and t3 lighting respectively.

as for post counts, i judge quite well for myself who to believe. i don't care about post counts nor reputation on any site. people can ramble clueless all day long and people give rep to others over petty crap un-related to anything relevant on sites that use rep. i have a pretty good understanding of how that works...

i was not looking to get into a peeing match... i just so happen to have 2 examples up and running of why your statement doesn't hold weight. don't want the op to think he just can't have light on his tanks. if he's not using ambient light he might just need it.

Yes a tank with any light and no co2 can have BBA but again it is the light that drives algae in any tank. This just enforces my point that co2 is almost a must with any high tech lighting system. Then you have to start dosing ferts but that another convo. You believe what you want but again LIGHT is the driving force in ANY tank. Tom Barr has proven this many times over.

And I have 3 tanks supporting what I am saying. Different situations different day. You may never be able to repeat the same situation even in your home on the same tank, its the hobby we love.

When I posted the lighting forum at TPT this was purely because there are a few people there that have broken down lighting on tanks in a completely scientific manner where you rule out any variables that can contribute to what we are talking about (different tanks different day) and thus allowing people to make the correct decision.

This is a public forum where people will post things that you man not entirely agree with. But in the end my recommendation will lead the OP to the most productive and hassle free setup. Thats why were here.

Believe me your in the vast MINORITY running the setups you have with no algae.

 

[jptjpt]

Here's my opinion/prediction. I've seen the same light setup on a 75g w/o CO2 and one running w/CO2 on a 90g. Usually, within 3 months, you will get an outbreak of BBA on anything in the upper 4-6" of the tank which can be a moderate to heavy outbreak. It can spread downwards depending on circulation, amt. of ferts, water changes. This is due to the intensity of the light at the surface of the water. It doesn't matter if you run 2 bulbs only, it will happen with t5s. It's best to suspend the light and be able to adjust its height from the tank, esp if you're not using CO2. You can then run 4 bulbs and get better control of algae and plant growth by playing with the light distance. Otherwise, be prepared to combat BBA. I still have some BBA in my tank with the lights sitting on the tank, but it takes lots of work to control it.