Buying a T5 will it be enough light?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
S

sluder4

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 14, 2011
53
0
0
Lexington, NC
Well I decided to revert my angelfish/betta tank into a planted one!

I was looking at lights and cant decided if ill have enough for my plants :/

I want to grow dwarf baby tears, amazon mirco sword and possibly another banana plant (have one in a 10 gallon that is kick ass!)

its an 36watt with two 18watt 6500k plants bulbs. idk if 36 watts will be enough since the wpg will be around 1.8 which is extremely low :/ but if you go by the t5 new light rating of Depth*2+length+width. meaning 16*2+24+12 (its a 20g high) equaling 68 but idk if i add together 6500 twice since there are two bulbs or just once? because if once it will equal
95 lumens and that's extremely low where as if added together for both bulbs it would be 191 lumens and that's medium to almost high....

If anyone can help me out it would be very much appreciated!!!! thanks!!!! :)

here are the two im looking at but one has coral lights tho :/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/11081861453...&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_1459wt_802Plant light

http://www.ebay.com/itm/38033313777...&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_1199wt_698Coral lights :/
 
those are not bad, I have a 48" version of the FW/planted tank light fixture. The only thing that sucks about it is the bulbs that come with the fixture, although they may be 6500K the light is blue/greenish, to a degree that bothered me. I didnt like it too much in person and it was even worse on camera. I bought a pair of Hagen life-glo bulbs, same K spectrum and the lighting was significantly better. So, the fixture is alright, the reflector is pretty good, the light shield cleans easily, but the bulbs suck. but It should be enough to grow the plants that you wanted, especially if you're using it for a 20gallon high tank.
 
1.8 wpg isn't too low, but you can't grow too many plants in 1.8 wpg. Anubias would work though, crypts and java fern also. The range of lighting for most plants is 2-3 wpg. How big is your Tank?
 
its a 20 gallon high. wpg isn't how you judge tanks anymore tho. since its a t5HO. But I am hoping that it will be fine.

Plants I want to grow:
Dwarf Baby tears or Dwarf hairgrass (foreground coverage)
Java fern
anabuis
I dont know what else but ill stick with low light plants probbaly and they should do fine since ill be dosing micros and macros with DIy co2

but idk what yall think
 
FYI dwarf baby tears isn't a low light plants it's a high light plant. It would die in your 20 g.
 
The lighting would be fine for chain swords, and most mid range plants.. Mine do very well under a TT T5HO hagen fixture running a 10k and a 6,500k in a 37T. off thew top of my head I can't remember the dims on a 20H but get the light that will span the entire length of the tank top for max coverage. I have chain swords, a few variesties of Crypts ( yes low light plants but they are fairly short and bushy so the lighting is almost to intense, they are great filling in under driftwood and more shadowed areas) rotalia indica. I gave baby tears a go awhile back, but they where to much maitence for me to enjoy. TBh I would suggest going with the T5s and getting into the swing of a planted tank then later upgradeing or adding a strip of LEDs to bump your pars... chances are if you enjoy it.. you'll be looking at a larger set-up, unless your keen on nano type set-ups.

java and anubus should do just fine under the T5's as well. and invest in a pair of long-fin rosy barbs ( less aggro ime then the regular rosy's, and not the neons, one of the best hair algae eaters I've ever met.) cherry barbs or one of the less aggressive barb species ( stay away from tiger barbs) or bristle nose plecos or both... aka be prepared for algae, unless your dosing CO2 consistently.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom