Help with plants please!
- Thread starter AnDr3w
- Start date
Metal Halide is pretty much the best but it's also the most expensive. HO T5 is next in my opinion. They are newer though so there is not quite as much of a selection for fixtures and bulbs out there yet. They are generally cheaper than metal halide. Next in line are compact flourescents which can be found pretty cheap but aren't going to give you the light you need for a nice groundcover unless you have a lot of watts and/or a shallow tank. I think I remember you writing that the tank is only 16" deep so they may actually work out ok for you.
HO T5 bulbs are so much cheaper than the MH or CF lights. This is the best option IMO. 2 48" bulbs can be purchased online for only $20. The lumens on bulbs like this are 5,000 lumens each. A single CF bulb runs more than $25, and only put out 3,900 lumens, yet the CF bulb uses 65W to the HO T5's 54W.
