i just purchased a dual 24" t-5 fixture.which bulb(brand or spectrum?) would be best all around? i dont need to do advanced corals but would like to try begginer small corals,mushrooms,???what is best for health of tank,live substrate,rocks,inverts,fish,etc.?thanks for your help.
t-5 lighting?
- Thread starter minizookeeper
- Start date
what size is the tank and what kind of fixture is it? is normal output or highput? and what kind of corals do you plan on keeping? it is much easier to help with lighting when you know what you want to keep.
65k for growth and actinic for colour. if you want to get the best of both worlds then look for an ATI bulb or a german made one(can't remember the name geissieman i think)
i have a 12 gal and a 24 gal. the 12 has the mushrooms. the 24 currently has 2-24" 50/50 with standard 2 prong plugs.i got the fixture from lowes for $19.99. i had to order it they didnt even know they carried it.lol. im not sure if its the reg output or high output. if it is the reg can i put a bigger ballast or something?is it worth it?as far as which corals????? i know i will be limited to what will work with either set-up.the fixture comes in next week i will know more then.i just wanted to see what my options are.thanks for your help.
i didnt get it online so sry got no link.i do know that it was marked wrong in the store, the right price was $45. its got 2t-5 bulbs and is 24" thats all i know. i hope i didnt waste $. im going to do some reasearch and wait till i have fixture before i buy bulbs.maybe someone else has bought a similar fixture?ill let you all know what i got when it comes in next week. thanks
My guess is its a normal output unit. T-5 in general are better for many reasons however if your not running enough intensity then its nothing more then a t-12 fixture with smaller diameter bulbs. IMO i would have just spend the money for a unit designed for corals. Current USA makes some very affordable models and can be used in many applications with the exception of very high light corals. I would scrap the idea and spend the money on a unit that you know will have good performance. after all if you spend the money on this unit and kill 3 sets of corals, you just paid for the unit from current. just my .02 on the subject.