What lighting? Please comment...Need as many people to reply as possible!!!

[TheFishBoss97]

Hey Guys,

So got a 112G with footprint 60"X18"

current specs:

substrate: ADA new amazonia
filter: eheim pro III ultra 158g canister; marineland penguin 350
heater: 2x ebo jager 300 watt
co2: GLA choice system(most likely)


LIGHTING!

So here are the three choices...keep in mind the tank is 24" deep, pretty deep...

Option 1
ADA LED lighting...2X
cost $1060
yearly cost $100
bulb cost yearly: none(lasts 8 years)
http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_9_17&products_id=757

Option 2
catalina aquarium 6X80 watt t5 ho...
cost $500
yearly cost $350
bulb cost yearly $90
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=71_136&products_id=1424

Option 3
catalina aquarium 4X80 watt t5 ho...
cost $400
yearly cost $250
bulb cost yearly $60
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=71_136&products_id=1420


Cost is based on 10 hours running all bulbs a day...price here is $0.33 per watt...we have solar panels, but they only produce like 24Kilowatts a month, we use like 34 atm...with the tank, it will become like 36kw...

I am leaning towards option 1 atm...but the fixture is made for a 60cmX30cm tank, so 24"X12" or a standard 20G...i will buy 2 at $530 each...but will it still work out? will the lighting penetrate deep enough as a std 20G is 16" high i think...this is another 8"...the fixture will rest 1" over the tank, so 25", in the picture in the link, it looks like it is 6" over the tank, so 22" and the tank looks good in terms of light penetration...the info says the fixture can be used on tanks 45cm or 18" but keep in mind the fixture would then be 12cm or 5" above tank...mine is resting on glass lid so 23" which i guess is close enough???

please comment or suggest other options!

Thanks!

-Ritap

 

[BoCoMo]

I am an LED guy now myself. I still run PC on my smaller tanks but that is just because I have the lamps. When I run out of bulbs they will go LED as well. jmo

 

[TheFishBoss97]

Okay, thanks! That's what my dad and I are leaning towards right now too
It will make up for the diff in costs in 1-2 years, and will be green(we are a really green fam haha, solar panels, bath water runs thru filter for sprinklers, electric cars, etc...)

 

[funkman262]

I'm a little confused by what you mean by "price here is $0.33 per watt" but looking at those yearly costs your electric costs are about $0.21 per kWh (kilowatt-hours). And boy does that suck; my electric is just under half of that at $0.093 per kWh. I'm not surprised that you and your family try to reduce electric costs by using more eco-friendly means.

 

[ROYWS3]

Keep in mind that your substrate depth plays a role in distance to the light as well.

 

[tanker]

I do not know much about LED lights. Not sure if they are "Strong" enough to penetrate that deep of a tank.

I always liked, and still use PC lights. I have about 384 watts over each of my two tanks, but they are not all on at same time.

 

[Ptrick125]

The LED's I've got on my reef are great ($230), but I don't know of any that are actually worth $1000... I would try to find a cheaper LED, try getting a Beamswork LED or since your dimensions are difficult a Taotronics LED may be better.


Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[sorberj]

I use a pair of the finnex Ray2 LED strips on my 90 gal. They do better than the t5ho lights that I had on before and they can sustain at least medium light plants on the floor of that tank (I have livestock conflicts with many of the high light plants). My only complaint with them is that the light is a bit more directional so you may need multiple fixtures to cover a wider bottom tank. Of course at $140 each for the 48" fixtures its relatively affordable and no bulb replacement makes it an even better decision.

Please forgive any typos. This was sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using the MonsterAquariaNetwok App

 

[SubRosa]

Three Taotronics 120W LED units will light that tank for just a bit more than the cost of 1 ADA unit. Unless Mr Amano stops by occasionally to prune as part of the purchase price, I'd have a hard time justifying the difference in price.

 

[TheFishBoss97]

I'm a little confused by what you mean by "price here is $0.33 per watt" but looking at those yearly costs your electric costs are about $0.21 per kWh (kilowatt-hours). And boy does that suck; my electric is just under half of that at $0.093 per kWh. I'm not surprised that you and your family try to reduce electric costs by using more eco-friendly means.

i think that was what i meant lol...my bad! yea, prices are pretty expensive here in CA we got solar panels, before getting them we used like 3-4KW a day...now we pay for 1-2 daily as our solar panels make like 24(during winter, cloudy, low sun hours) to 36(peak, summer)...

Keep in mind that your substrate depth plays a role in distance to the light as well.

good point...i am doing a river kinda thing with 2 substrates, ADA on left and right and a 6" wide river of pearl white sand in between...depth will be 3"-5"...

I use a pair of the finnex Ray2 LED strips on my 90 gal. They do better than the t5ho lights that I had on before and they can sustain at least medium light plants on the floor of that tank (I have livestock conflicts with many of the high light plants). My only complaint with them is that the light is a bit more directional so you may need multiple fixtures to cover a wider bottom tank. Of course at $140 each for the 48" fixtures its relatively affordable and no bulb replacement makes it an even better decision.

Please forgive any typos. This was sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using the MonsterAquariaNetwok App

thanks! but do they make 60" fixtures? and yea, i am looking for lighting for high light plants, i would just buy the 2X80 watt catalina fixture for $200 if i wanted low-med but im going high tech!

The LED's I've got on my reef are great ($230), but I don't know of any that are actually worth $1000... I would try to find a cheaper LED, try getting a Beamswork LED or since your dimensions are difficult a Taotronics LED may be better.


Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

reef leds are cheap as they aren't that bright but the spectrum or something like that is perfect for them...reef lights grow coral/etc but can only grow low-med light plants...thanks tho!

anybody have a specific taotronics led link? i looked at a few, but they are so small!!! Only like 5" wide, i thought i'd need at least 5, prob 6-8...if they work, i'll use but i can't find anywhere showing how deep they penetrate

my lfs before it closed had a huge aquaponics section and i often saw them there, but they were like 2-3ft over plants and barely lit them up so i don't think they will penetrate deep enough

I do not know much about LED lights. Not sure if they are "Strong" enough to penetrate that deep of a tank.

I always liked, and still use PC lights. I have about 384 watts over each of my two tanks, but they are not all on at same time.

These are top of line and as you can see in the pics grow plants nicely, developed and used by pro aquascaper so im sure they are good but thanks! I would use pc, but they don't show plants in true colors, and then i could just get the T5 HO fixture...thanks!

btw is ur tank planted, what kind of plants(high light, etc)?

Three Taotronics 120W LED units will light that tank for just a bit more than the cost of 1 ADA unit. Unless Mr Amano stops by occasionally to prune as part of the purchase price, I'd have a hard time justifying the difference in price.

but will they penetrate deeply and well enough to allow high light plants to grow? bc the ADA fixture is very $$$ but is made SPECIFICALLY FOR PLANTS and took takashi amano a few years to perfect, as there are really no lights bright enough for plants...that link u posted didn't show a light fixture lol