T5 For Planted Tank?!

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Steveo McNello

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2010
2,009
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SW Burbs of Chicago
Right now I have six, 60 watt daylight CFL's in my canopy above the glass tops on my planted tank. The lights are 6" over the glass, and then another 22" to the roots. It's a 125.

I have been hearing mixed results... CFLs are a great substitute, CFLs don't penetrate water, yadi yada. However I have not heard anything wrong with T5 fixtures. Can anybody help me out with what kind of lighting I'd need? Which fixture and what bulbs and whatnot? I'm after optimal plant growth.

I have a decently planted tank with amazon and brazil swords, mexican oak leaf, micro sword, green cabomba, wisteria, and water sprite. Seachem liquid fertilizer added once a week. I am starting to take my light schedule down to 10-12 hours. I think I used to run somewhere around 14-15. Brown algae is coming again.

Any help anybody? I would like to not pay an arm and a leg.

Thanks!
 
LOL, 14-15, as in hours? My planted tanks do 6-7 hours.

I would stay away from T5HO if you don't plan on using co2, it will give you too many problems. If you don't want co2 and want to upgrade your ligthing, try PC or mutiple T8/T12 bulbs
 
What kind of problems? What's the significance of staying away if I'm not using C02?

Are there any T8/12's that screw into a standard light bulb socket? I have a home made canopy set up.
 
Algae, and lots of it. With that much light, you're increasing the plant's demand for co2 and a full, daily fert routine. With T5HO, co2 because a requirement, not an option. If you don't provide it, plants suffer and algae takes over.

T8/T12 are standard fluorescent bulbs, they won't screw in. Only thing I can recommend is to add more CFL bulbs.

Only real way to know how much light you have is with a PAR meter. A local plant or saltwater club may have one that you could borrow. This was my high-tech 57g. It was running 40-50 PAR at the substrate, which is considered medium light. That was with two T5HO bulbs about 12" off the tank. And I would STILL get algae

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Wow great info! So adding more CFLs may work? What if I put 100 watters instead of the 60s? Or do I need physically more bulbs? And what if I took off the glass tops?
 
Yeah any of those options would increase the light output. Glass tops also cut out a little bit of lights
 
So adding the 100 watters and leaving them on for 8-10 hours would enhance my plant growth? I'm getting some brown algae on the leaves of my amazon swords. probably because of the amount of time have been keeping the lights on. How much of a difference would T5s make compared to my current setup?
 
Yeah it would increase the light output. However, if you're getting algae, more light will only make the problem worse. You need to reduce your lighting. The only way to really boost your plant growth is with co2. It's like crack for plants loL! Without co2, you're just not gonna get fast growth.
 
Ahhhh lame haha. And thanks again for the info you seem to be a plant master. I have been looking into C02. But Jcardona, I thought it was just a myth? Care to evaluate? : )
 
It's only a myth for the guys that have never tried it before. They get all excited because they grow a few strands of some weedy plant. Ask anybody that actually uses co2 if it's a myth :D

You can grow several hardy plants w/o co2. Some of the nicer looking and more delicate species, not a chance. They'll wither away and die before you even know what happened.
 
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