i am setting up a new 65 gal planted tank 36x18x24 and need lights to put in my diy hood. i have pressurized co2 and i will be dosing dry ferts. now i was looking at the ah supply 2x96 watt kit. Im not sure it t5 ho would be better though. also if the t5s are better what would i need and how many lights. opinions welcome thanks
lighting 65 gal t5 ho or ah supply 2x96 watt
- Thread starter iverson387
- Start date
CF lighting is only ok, but does not penetrate water very well, and is far more expensive. The light output is also much lower of CF than on HO T5.
CF's work great as long as you have a shallow tank but are expensive when it comes time to change out the bulbs. I use CF over my planted 29 and any plant I've ever attempted in there has thrived. I first used 384 watts of CF over my 150 but only the taller stem plants would thrive and anything down near the bottom grew super slowly even with pressurized CO2. I upgraded that tank to metal halide though. In a choice between CF and HO T5 I'd go with the T5 for sure. Better light penetration and much cheaper to replace the bulbs.
let me know if you think i should use a different type of light instead. i do not know much about this subject although i have a 20 gal planted tank with cf but that tank is only half as deep. i just need to know what light and how much. i would like some kind of retro kit though so i can stick it in my hood. thanks