Jump to content

Tank lighting - type and wattage


Bettarazzi

Recommended Posts

original thread is here

I'm trying to figure out lighting for the wooden shelves. There isn't much clearance so I need to find something with a very low profile. The standard aquarium reflectors all seem too big. And also too expensive. I went to Bunnings tonight and found some compact fluoros made by Crompton which are perfect in terms of size but I don't really know anything about compact fluoros. It holds a single 20W T4 Triphosphor daylight tube. I want there to be enough light to grow water sprite and java moss. Do you think these fluoros will do the job?

The assistant at Bunnings said that the bulbs were standard. Does that mean I can buy a bulb more suitable for plant growth from the LFS and use that instead?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So long as the bulbs/tubes u by for your plants have a K rating of between 6500-10000k they will be suitable for plant growth :)

Looks like ur room is coming along, dosnt matter how long it takes, so long as its way cool when its done :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So long as the bulbs/tubes u by for your plants have a K rating of between 6500-10000k they will be suitable for plant growth :)

Well, that's no good then. These are only 6400K. I guess I better figure out if these slimline reflectors really hold a standard fluoro tube, ie will I be able to buy higher K bulbs and still fit them into the reflectors? I know they're probably not all that new, it's just that I haven't bought a fluoro in 10 years! I better take them to the LFS tomorrow and find out what the story is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I brought home a double fluoro with 2 household white tubes. it's for over the tank with the spatterdock and one that I am going to set up tomorrow with a number of native nymphaea species and tiger lotus. Having the 2nd tube really brightens the tank up already!!

I'll see how the white tubes work (testing convebntional wisdom, as always) before replacing the tubes with aquarium tubes, as I am running a household white tube over 2 other tanks where the plants are are going fine: a blackwater tank growing a thicket of val and bright green large leaved duckweed (it' not salvinia - it's the same duckweed as I have in all my tanks, it just grows bigger leaves and longer roots under this light and in the black water). It's also on an african tank with a thin val that's also doing fine.

sorry if that was a :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ohhhhhhhhh Lilli wait till the mods get a hold of you... your so busted!!! on the hijack though, i know nothing about lights, i did get some reading desk lamps from priceline for 5 buks, there pretty cool, 1 still works, two broke so i took them back, ill have to go to ikea though, they have some nice reading lamps there for i think about 9 buks.

haha Mike, looks worse off then when you started mate, whats going on lol... or is this one of those "has to get worse before it gets better" situations?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went to the LFS to have a closer look at fluoro tubes. I'm coming to the conclusion that the terms T4, T5, T8 must refer to the diameter of the tube. Aquarium tubes come in T5 and T8. T5 is the narrow one, T8 is the wider one. If I can muster up the energy, I'll head back to Bunnings this afternoon to see if I can find a slim T5 reflector. And then if I'm really, really energetic, might even head back to the LFS to show them the reflector and see if the T5 aquarium tube will fit into the T4 reflector. Why I didn't take the whole thing there this morning is beyond me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm getting no joy with the lighting situation *sigh* It's been quite a frustrating day. I went back to Bunnings because I looked at the Crompton website and there seemed to be a slimline DIY fluoro kit using T5 tubes. Well of course they didn't have them in stock. The Crompton catalogue said that the T5 tubes were only 4000K. Thinking that the 6400K T4 tubes which I had already bought would be better than that I chose not to return them But I've not thought about it a bit more and I think I want a bit of flexibility from these lights. I don't want to get some slightly cheaper lights that barely keep java moss growing, because I may very well want to grow more light loving plants later. So where I am right now is that I think I will return the T4s and just pay a little extra for proper aquarium reflectors and tubes. They're very expensive though, especially if you want 2 or 3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any tri-phosphur tube with a temperature rating above 5000K will be suitable. If you know anyone from EDAS in Melbourne, they have a locally produced DVD on the subject of growing aquatic plants. Eddie Tootel and Neil Armstrong, both well known plant breeders, are featured.

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so what is T5 refer to? size or? I just got a 25 inch Aquarium light today too.. it got 3 light tubes 2 white 1 blue... its T5 as well is that too bright for bettas?

You can always take one of the tubes out. And give them some floating plants for shade. I think you'll be able to grow some serious plants with that light.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

could someone knowledgeable jot down some brand names, as I wouldn't be sure where to look on a package for whether it's a tri-phosphor tube, or for a temp rating over 5,000 (does the packaging even say this stuff?).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, quick research on T5 vs T8.

Yes, the difference with the numbers is the diameter. T5s are slimline tubes.

The thing is that it is the light output that differs. Apparently there are three grades of fluro tube; normal outpue (NO) high output (HO) and very high output (VHO).

Within the NO range, a T8 would be brighter than a T5 HOWEVER according to a few websites, the T5s sold seem to be pri marily from the HO range, not the NO range, so often you are comparing a NO T8 to a HO T5. Probably explains why they look brighter sometimes.

In order to get to the HO, the T5 would be using more energy than the equivalent size/length T8, so if you don't require slimline and can fit enough T8s for the wattage/output you require, the T8s are probably the better bet in terms of efficiently.

I know the Arcadia and Hagen Glo ranges have the kelvins and colour spectrum listed. I think I have brochures here somewhere for them. I'm sucky at plant requirement though, but I can look up brand names if you need it. :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some packaging will provide the details. The Crompton fluoros that I was looking at did. This is the T4 light I was looking at. The Crompton fluoro catalogue had a T5 lamp but it was only 4000K. The nice thing about the Crompton DIY kits is that it comes already connected to a power cable, you can link multiple lights so that they all go into one power point.

In the end I decided I wanted the ongoing flexibility of aquarium lights. I didn't want something purely for a low light tank. I felt having reflectors is better than not. And aquarium lights are also designed to be used over water unlike ordinary household lights. The Crompton T5 kit which only has a 4000K tube costs $59. For about $10 more you can get a Heto aquarium light which comes with reflector and 10000K tube. It has a higher profile which is one of it's downsides but I'm going to mount it further back so that I completely clear space between the top of the tank and the shelf above at the front.

I'm going to stop thinking about it now that I've made my decision. I know that if I keep going much longer I'll convince myself that I should have gone with the lights I didn't get. And frankly, this whole lighting exercise has taken far longer than I was expecting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks great! I might get a few of those for my tanks!

Make sure you have the right colour spectrum too. the K rating is good, but for best results you need the one that outputs the right colour light also :angry: Generally the tubes that come with the reflectors are just white, which works fine unless you are doing something snazzy with plants etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

For any of you who are using desklamps to light aquariums and find it frustrating to get a compact fluro which acutally says how many K's the light is on the box... i have just listed some from phillips which are 6500K, they are as follows:

Product Description:

MASTER ECOTONE HIGH LUMEN 45W/865/B22 220-240 CP/6

Commercial Code:

EHL45W865BC

6500K

Product Description:

MASTER ECOTONE HIGH LUMEN 45W/865/E27 220-240 CP/6

Commercial Code:

EHL45W865ES

6500K

Product Description:

ESSENTIAL T18W CDL B22 220-240V BL/6

Commercial Code:

ESS18WCDLBCBL1

6500K

Product Description:

ESSENTIAL 14W CDL B22 220-240V BL/6

Commercial Code:

ESS14WCDLBCBL1

6500K

Product Description:

TORNADO 23W CDL B22 220-240V 1BL/3

Commercial Code:

TND23WCDLBCBL1

6500K

Product Description:

TORNADO 23W CDL E27 220-240V BL/6

Commercial Code:

TND23WCDLESBL1

So if your out searching for a bulb just take that list with you and search for the commerical code number on the box or ask a sales assistant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...