Is 48w of T5 lighting enough ?

[tubamanandy]

Could I ask if 48 Watts (2 x 24w) of T5 lighting in an Arcadia Luminaire enough lighting for a net 19 gallon tanks (72cm x 35cm x 50cm) enough to grow most plants in a hi-tech tank ?

Not very well up on T5`s - in my day it was all T8's

 

[tim]

I would say it'll be plenty, I miss my t8s

 

[Henry]

I used to use 2x24w T5 over a standard 20 US gallon 'long'. I found the light level to be more than adequate to grow anything I wanted. Make sure you get the CO2 right, and you're onto a winner.

 

[ceg4048]

Could I ask if 48 Watts (2 x 24w) of T5 lighting in an Arcadia Luminaire enough lighting for a net 19 gallon tanks

See you soon in the Algae sub-section....

We'll have an answer ready for you. It will look something like this:

"...Reduce your light intensity by 50-75%..."

Cheers,

 

[tubamanandy]

So what you are saying is that 2 x 24W T5's are easily enough and I would be better maybe turning OFF one of the tubes.

Thanks for the help = question well and truly answered

 

[ceg4048]

Correct!
For more information I refer you to the chart shown in the post Dymax Tropical 36 watt | Page 4 | UK Aquatic Plant Society

CO2 grows healthy plants, not light. Light just makes things happen faster. There are good things and bad things happening in a tank. Bad things normally happen more quickly than good things anyway, so the more light you have the more troubles you will have - unless you fix those things that contribute to better plant health.

Cheers,