I WANT an Aqua Forest! Am I crazy???
- Thread starter jcardona1
- Start date
Read the sticky for beginners. The solenoid cuts off co2. The pH controller cuts off whatever is plugged in when the pH hits a certain level. I personally plug the pH controller into the timer with my lights, and then the solenoid into the pH controller.jcardona1;1924558;1924558 said:
thx, i just re-read the stickies. also, what do you guys think of this light? its a no namer but its dirt cheap. im thinking it would be more efficient to run a T5 setup. this one is 3ft with 4 T5 bulbs and will give me about 160 watts, putting me at about 3wpg. think its worth the shot to try this light? i posted this in the setup forum but i didnt get any feedback on it...
http://fishneedit.com/t5ho-3ft--4lamp-aquarium-light.html
http://fishneedit.com/t5ho-3ft--4lamp-aquarium-light.html
Just remember with no namers you either get a descent fixture, or something that burns out in 6 months, and the ballast is dead. With HO T5 the WPG rule does not apply.jcardona1;1926924;1926924 said:
Now this is amano style but from one of the yearly ADA participants this is the first prize winner
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/ADA2006_images/smaller/1.jpg
This site has amazing tanks from the winners
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/ADA2006_images/smaller/1.jpg
This site has amazing tanks from the winners
WyldFya;1927490; said:
could you explain this to me please? if it doesnt apply, how much T5 lighting would i need on a 55g tank? if i was trying to achieve about 3wpg with normal output lighting, what does this translate into when dealing with HO T5's?
Read the sticky about end of wpg, that will get you started. Basically watts per gallon only works with similar output lighting.
Ok i read the sticky but i must say that im even more confused, as i really dont know how im supposed to achieve the right type of light using this formula. here's my example:
tank dimensions: 48x15x18. depth x 2 = 30. so, 48+30+18 = 96
now, i have a Powerglo T5 bulb, 18,000k, 54w, 2150 lumens. just a scenario, if i were to run three of these lights (162w, just aboug 3wpg), i would have 6450 lumens.
using the forumla in the sticky, 6450 lumens / 96 gives me a value of 67. according to the sticky, this is low to moderate lighting; fish only or low light plants.
so, if i were to use this bulb i would need about 8 54w bulbs to put me in the moderate to high lighting category. this would mean 432w of electricity!!!!!
is this correct?
im aware that i may be getting a low figure because the 18,000k bulb has a high K rating and low lumens output. would it make a big difference in lumen output if i were to use something in the 6000~10000k range? do you know what the lumens output of a 10000k T5 bulb is? i only have the box for this 18000k bulb so this is why i used this bulb as an example.
help me out here! thx
tank dimensions: 48x15x18. depth x 2 = 30. so, 48+30+18 = 96
now, i have a Powerglo T5 bulb, 18,000k, 54w, 2150 lumens. just a scenario, if i were to run three of these lights (162w, just aboug 3wpg), i would have 6450 lumens.
using the forumla in the sticky, 6450 lumens / 96 gives me a value of 67. according to the sticky, this is low to moderate lighting; fish only or low light plants.
so, if i were to use this bulb i would need about 8 54w bulbs to put me in the moderate to high lighting category. this would mean 432w of electricity!!!!!
is this correct? im aware that i may be getting a low figure because the 18,000k bulb has a high K rating and low lumens output. would it make a big difference in lumen output if i were to use something in the 6000~10000k range? do you know what the lumens output of a 10000k T5 bulb is? i only have the box for this 18000k bulb so this is why i used this bulb as an example.
help me out here! thx
if you want to get more confused read this one. there is alot of views on ways to measure amount of light needed. the best and easiest way would be to see what other people use on a tank of the same size and compare what plants they can grow. i wish people in the plante tank picture section would post tank and specs so you can get a better idea of what lighting is needed. but thats my 2 cents im sure its not perfect but... ya
bump. anybody have any input on this? im thinking of running 216 watts of T5 lighting. overkill? would this put me in the moderate to high lighting category?jcardona1;1931535;1931535 said:Ok i read the sticky but i must say that im even more confused, as i really dont know how im supposed to achieve the right type of light using this formula. here's my example:
tank dimensions: 48x15x18. depth x 2 = 30. so, 48+30+18 = 96
now, i have a Powerglo T5 bulb, 18,000k, 54w, 2150 lumens. just a scenario, if i were to run three of these lights (162w, just aboug 3wpg), i would have 6450 lumens.
using the forumla in the sticky, 6450 lumens / 96 gives me a value of 67. according to the sticky, this is low to moderate lighting; fish only or low light plants.
so, if i were to use this bulb i would need about 8 54w bulbs to put me in the moderate to high lighting category. this would mean 432w of electricity!!!!!
im aware that i may be getting a low figure because the 18,000k bulb has a high K rating and low lumens output. would it make a big difference in lumen output if i were to use something in the 6000~10000k range? do you know what the lumens output of a 10000k T5 bulb is? i only have the box for this 18000k bulb so this is why i used this bulb as an example.
help me out here! thx
