Lighting issues. Need help.

[AR_Clint]

I just made a hood with lighting for my 125 gallon, but now I can't decide on the bulbs. For lighting, I have a 48" Shop Light in the middle that can take either T12's or T8's. I also ran an extension cord to each side of the shop light and plugged an adapter into them for a typical bulb. I figure I'll use compact fluorecents in those.

Well, I figured this would be an easy project, but I've run into a wall. Here is where I need help. I have a 55 gallon saltwater tank and know about saltwater lighting, but I don't know anything about freshwater lighting. I don't plan on putting plants in the tank. Just native fish. I want the lighting to make the fish look as nice as possible. So, here are my specific questions

1. Should I use T12's or T8's and why?

2. What color spectrum should I be looking for? (I know that 10,000k -
14,000k is great for saltwater, but do the same rules apply to freshwater?)

3. What wattage should I use for the compact fluorecents on each side
(60, 75, 100, 150)?

Thanks guys,
Clint

 

[ziggy2]

Good questions, can't wait to see the answers.

 

[Plecosterone]

With no plants, it really doesn't matter what lights you use. For planted tanks 5,000K - 10,000K is what the plants need. T8s are more effecient than t12's so I would go with them. Without plants it is a matter of preference on how much light and what "K rating" will bring out the colors of your fish best. I had one 24" fluorescent on my 75 gallon convict tank and it looked very subdued which looked great with the all the rock. It wouldn't support plant life at all though.....lol.

 

[WyldFya]

T8s are not more efficient than T12s. For just lighting up fish, the T12s will put out more light, depending on how bright you want it. For the CF bulbs (based on the wattages you gave), you must be talking about 'A' base standard lights, which will corrode, and burn out very quickly, as will the fixture, unless you have a weather proof light fixture. HO T5 lights put out far more light, and cost less generally.

 

[Plecosterone]

T8s are not more efficient than T12s. For just lighting up fish, the T12s will put out more light, depending on how bright you want it. For the CF bulbs (based on the wattages you gave), you must be talking about 'A' base standard lights, which will corrode, and burn out very quickly, as will the fixture, unless you have a weather proof light fixture. HO T5 lights put out far more light, and cost less generally.

I guess we differ in opinion. Here are some links that I have come across to show that they are more efficient.

http://www.servicelighting.com/library/sylvania_octron_t8_fluorescent_light_bulbs.cfm
Saving energy is not the only feature of the T8 bulb. In addition to this, the color rendering index (CRI) is better than T12 bulbs. CRI is the technical term for the way a bulb makes colors look to the human eye. The higher the CRI, the more subtle variations of the shade of color are seen. T12 bulbs were typically in the 60-65 range. The T8 bulbs range from 75 all the way to 95. (100 is the highest).
http://www.sylvania.com/LearnLighting/LightAndColor/FluorescentTechnology/
T8 Lamps Improve Efficiency
Another important advance in fluorescent technology is the development of the T8 lamp. Featuring a tube of only one inch in diameter— compared with one and a half inches for the traditional T12 lamps—these lamps dramatically improve system efficiency. A 32-watt OCTRON® T8 lamp, for example, uses 20 percent less energy to provide the same light output as a 40- watt T12 lamp. T8 lamps employ special triphosphor coatings to achieve precise control over color temperature and CRI. The smaller diameter of the T8 tube means that less of these costly materials are needed. In addition, T8 lamps provide optimum system efficiency when used with electronic ballasts. This combination provides such dramatic savings in energy costs that billions of dollars are being spent each year to retrofit existing T12 installations with more efficient T8 technology.

 

[WyldFya]

You're talking about the new wave of HO T8 bulbs. Not many fixtures available for aquatic use yet, but I've had my eye on them.

 

[Plecosterone]

None of those links are HO lighting. They just use electronic ballasts is all. You can buy shoplights with electronic ballasts and T8 bulbs (not HO) I use overdriven T8's with great success.