18W T8 24" bulb

[Lashek]

Hi All,

I'm new to this hobby therefore I am after a bit of advise. I am trying to get my tank planted however I'm worried I have not got enough lighting. My tank dimensions are: 32" x 12" x 16" circa about 100l with the 18W T8 24" bulb. I have also installed CO2 injection recently however I'm not sure there is enough light. How do I calculate how much light is needed? Also are T8's good or should I rather invest into T5's or LED's? I have noticed there is more T5's available in the shops these days than T8's.

Regards
Adam

 

[Henry]

T8s are considered "old" in the hobby, since they're not quite as efficient as T5s or LEDs. This doesn't make them redundant, however. Dependent on what kind of plants you're wanting to grow, you will be fine with your current equipment. Once you get everything growing healthily, you can consider upgrading to stronger lighting to speed up the rate of growth.