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Need High Light for a 47"x15"x25" - Recommendations?

Bradley

Seedling
Joined
7 Feb 2016
Messages
17
Location
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Hey guys, I've lurked for way long too so I've decided to finally make an account!

I've had my planted tank running for a few months now with some basic led strips & aqua one plant Gro LED's. But I'd like to up my game to be able to grow anything I want to be honest, mostly red related plants.
I'm injected CO2 & dry fert dosing (El method) & using ADA Aqua Soil.

Can anyone recommend a lighting method to achieve high light for my tank dimensions?
I've been looking at 4x 1500 TMC Grobeams colour plus.

Thanks in advance!
 
Hey Ian,

Thanks for the reply! I've had a quick look. What bulbs would you recommend? Ive only ever delt with LED's so I don't know much about T5's.

Are the LED's I was originally looking at a bad idea? I only ask cause somone local is selling 4 of them for £350 plus the controller. Only 1year old.
 
I have an iQuatics 4 tube setup on my Vision 180.

The freshwater tubes they supply I found too pink for my liking, probably due to being used to my previous whiter Juwels High Lite Day tubes. So I have two iQuatics freshwater tubes and two Juwel High Lite tubes in the setup now and tank looks fine in my eyes. Plants grow and pearl like mad with 4 tubes on and so far no sign of algae. I have the two pairs of tubes on different timers, two tubes 5pm to 11pm and other two 6pm to 10pm, though at present running only two tubes 6pm to 11pm as having "turned the tank down" due to go away on holiday shortly.

I did consider using LED's but
- Proper decent planted tanks LED's are very expensive.
- Proper decent high power LED's don't consume significantly less power than modern T5 HO tubes.
- Not sure I could add LED fixtures in a "professional" way to my existing tank (Juwel Vision 180).
 
My current tank isn't a juwel. Its an Aquael Glossy 120. But it has the same sort of flaps & light fixtures as the juwel range. Just has LED's rather than tubes.

How deep is your tank if I may ask, are you getting, happy, red growth?
 
The vision 180 is 55cm deep.

With just two tubes I was getting fine red plants. The plant below got snapped during water change/cleaning and never recovered...

WP_20140404_21_17_48_Pro2_zpsf160c678.jpg
 
I just got the 24" version of this. It's actually very slim and have ordered a selection of 3000k, 4000k and 6500k bulbs to try out which one I like. Plants are pearling nicely. Only negative point is the build is quite flimsy and the housing is not water tight just splash proof. I can live with that though.
 
I'm really surprised they're not water proof. Thats quite scary to be honest.

Edit: Where do you recommend purchasing tubes from as their range that are included in the fixture is quite slim.
 
Ahhh thats a lot less worrying then! So overall which would you say is my best choice? The 4 tube from iQuatics or the 6 tube pendent?

I'd love to be able to grow lushish reds. But without going overboard and spending way too much.
 
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