Any thoughts on this lighting system?

[punk-in-drublic]

Hello,

Im looking into this lighting system for my planted tank. http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13822+22134&pcatid=22134

I would be interested in the 48" variety. The tank is a 75 gallon. I like the idea of being able to add on additional lights as my lighting needs rise. Has anyone had any experience with this system or the company in general. Currently I am only working with low light requirement plants and most of my plants are growing in my 10 gallon planted tank. Which is a low light tank. 1.5 wpg of traditional flourescents. I would like to have a bit more room to work with plants that have higher light requirements with my 75g

The other option I was looking at was this
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/product_info.php?cPath=71_136&products_id=1638

Price is important however I wouldn't mind spending a bit more for something that is going to last longer. However as a general rule I prefer to pay less for the same results if I can swing it.

If anyone has any other ideas I would definitely consider them this will be my first major lighting purchase so I would like to get something that leaves me room to grow but doesn't break the bank. Thanks!

 

[jcardona1]

i have no experience with the AquaticLife fixture but i can tell you the Catalina fixture is top notch. i used one on my old planted tank and i just bought another for the new tank im working on. theyre quality is up to par with the expensive Tek fixtures for a much much lower cost. theyre shop is a few minutes from me so i can just drive there and pick it up great customer service. if you order from them, do it over the phone. he'll usually throw in the legs for free or add hanging brackets at no cost.

i will say this though, any of those T5HO fixtures will be too much light if youre not going to add co2. i would save some money and stick with normal output bulbs. with no co2, you should be in the low light category, take a look here to see how much light you need. based on the chart in this thread, you could run 1x T5HO bulb (that spans the whole length of the tank) that is 25-30" from the bottom of the tank and still be in the low light category:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=331913&highlight=par+meter

and here's my 3ft 4x39w Catalina Aquarium fixture, complete with the hanging brackets they sell:

 

[FLESHY]

+1...lighting depends a lot on other parameters in the tank as well.

I always recommend www.aquatraders.com

These lights are so cheap, and my buddies and I have used their MH T5 and PC on reef and planted with great sucess.

 

[punk-in-drublic]

i have no experience with the AquaticLife fixture but i can tell you the Catalina fixture is top notch. i used one on my old planted tank and i just bought another for the new tank im working on. theyre quality is up to par with the expensive Tek fixtures for a much much lower cost. theyre shop is a few minutes from me so i can just drive there and pick it up great customer service. if you order from them, do it over the phone. he'll usually throw in the legs for free or add hanging brackets at no cost.

i will say this though, any of those T5HO fixtures will be too much light if youre not going to add co2. i would save some money and stick with normal output bulbs. with no co2, you should be in the low light category, take a look here to see how much light you need. based on the chart in this thread, you could run 1x T5HO bulb (that spans the whole length of the tank) that is 25-30" from the bottom of the tank and still be in the low light category:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=331913&highlight=par+meter

and here's my 3ft 4x39w Catalina Aquarium fixture, complete with the hanging brackets they sell:

View attachment 507616

Thanks for the reply J. I originally got wind of Catalina thanks to your reply in another thread thats what tipped me off to that particular fixture. They look like a very solid company and I have seen nothing but positive reviews of their fixtures.

I actually had a question regarding that thread I was going to post so I just posted it regarding the bottom of the tank measurement.

I am currently running a homebrew co2 system on my 10 gallon. I have had it up for about 4 days now. I wanted to try it to see how easy it was. The next project is a DIY Diffuser. I don't particularly think it was necessary on my tank based on the lighting and many other factors but I had all the ingredients lying around and enjoy projects so I figured I would give it a go. I have even in just 7 days seen small results which may or may not be related to the actual addition of co2 but the new growth did come after the co2 addition so I can at least pretend that it was from that can't I

What I really am hoping to accomplish with this setup is flexibility. I know sometimes this is not possible but Ideally I am looking for something that I can grow into If I decide to really go crazy with this planted tank thing. Basically I want to future proof without breaking the bank. And I really want a fixture that will easily mount on the tank without lid and will look sleek. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[punk-in-drublic]

+1...lighting depends a lot on other parameters in the tank as well.

I always recommend www.aquatraders.com

These lights are so cheap, and my buddies and I have used their MH T5 and PC on reef and planted with great sucess.

Thanks Fleshy I looked at Aquatraders and their prices are amazing compared to most other places that I have looked. The one thing that was holding me back from them was that I had seen quite a few customer service horror stories as I searched for reviews on them. Glad to hear you have had good results with them.

 

[jcardona1]

no problem, let us know if you have more questions. although i wont be much on help on DIY co2, ive only researched pressurized systems! from what ive read though, folks say its hard to get good co2 levels using DIY co2 on tanks bigger than 30g. something to think about...

 

[Davey_8313]

If you already have a fixture, just go to Home Depot and buy a dual T5 strip and swap that in. That's what I did. The T5 strip cost me $35 and came with bulbs, but you'll probably want some a little better. What K are those bulbs, J, lol?

 

[jcardona1]

If you already have a fixture, just go to Home Depot and buy a dual T5 strip and swap that in. That's what I did. The T5 strip cost me $35 and came with bulbs, but you'll probably want some a little better. What K are those bulbs, J, lol?

they look pretty blue but theyre all 10,000k. i dont like the color of anything lower. although i may throw just one 6500k in for spits and giggles