Wolfenrook
Member
I need to replace my 11 year old Juwel 180 T8 lighting (the unit, not the bulbs 
) as it's seriously falling apart. I already upgraded my lighting recently by adding 2 39 watt linear T5s with reflectors. I have no problems with algae at all, I dose with TPN, but don't dose macro nutrients as my background levels (from water changes, feeding and fish waste) are high enough, I am also able to easiy maintain adequate CO2 levels no matter how much my plants need.
Now I refuse flatly to buy another Juwel unit of any kind, the T8s are not very good and I hate the way the T5 High Lite units restrict choice. I can't affords Arcadia iBars, and going topless with a luminaire is not an option (cat, children, wife with dirty looks...
). So basically I have decided to rip out the guts of the Juwel bar completely, and use another dual T5 controller. This however leaves me with the choice of either only adding 1 more tubes to my 2 T5s, or making use of both the outlets of the controler to add another 2. The controlers I use (Hagen Glo T5 HO controlers) are quite happy to run with just one tube.
My tank is planted with a mixture of medium and high light requiring plants, and I will be adding more soon (mainly by chucking out portions of the existing plants to make room) as well as using dwarf hair grass to carpet my substrate (medium light I know, but it's an 18" deep tank, so brighter lighting is needed to penetrate to the substrate). So, I'm looking for opinions on whether to add 2 39 watt T5 HO tubes (probably a Sylvania Glowlux and another Osram Lumilux 865), or just 1 more T5 HO 39 watt tube (probably another Osram Lumilux 865).
Current lighting in my tank, from front to back, consists of: 39 watt T5 HO Osram Lumilux 865 -- ZooMed T8 30 inch 25 watt Ultra Sun -- ZooMed T8 30 inch 30 watt FloraSun -- 39 watt T5 HO Aquamedic Planta. Options are to either have 39watt T5 Lumilux 865 -- Aquamedic Planta 39 watt T5 HO -- Lumilux 865 for about 3.2 watts per gallon, or lumilux 865 -- grolux -- lumilux 865 -- Planta for about 4.2 watts per gallon.
Ade
) as it's seriously falling apart. I already upgraded my lighting recently by adding 2 39 watt linear T5s with reflectors. I have no problems with algae at all, I dose with TPN, but don't dose macro nutrients as my background levels (from water changes, feeding and fish waste) are high enough, I am also able to easiy maintain adequate CO2 levels no matter how much my plants need.Now I refuse flatly to buy another Juwel unit of any kind, the T8s are not very good and I hate the way the T5 High Lite units restrict choice. I can't affords Arcadia iBars, and going topless with a luminaire is not an option (cat, children, wife with dirty looks...
). So basically I have decided to rip out the guts of the Juwel bar completely, and use another dual T5 controller. This however leaves me with the choice of either only adding 1 more tubes to my 2 T5s, or making use of both the outlets of the controler to add another 2. The controlers I use (Hagen Glo T5 HO controlers) are quite happy to run with just one tube.My tank is planted with a mixture of medium and high light requiring plants, and I will be adding more soon (mainly by chucking out portions of the existing plants to make room) as well as using dwarf hair grass to carpet my substrate (medium light I know, but it's an 18" deep tank, so brighter lighting is needed to penetrate to the substrate). So, I'm looking for opinions on whether to add 2 39 watt T5 HO tubes (probably a Sylvania Glowlux and another Osram Lumilux 865), or just 1 more T5 HO 39 watt tube (probably another Osram Lumilux 865).
Current lighting in my tank, from front to back, consists of: 39 watt T5 HO Osram Lumilux 865 -- ZooMed T8 30 inch 25 watt Ultra Sun -- ZooMed T8 30 inch 30 watt FloraSun -- 39 watt T5 HO Aquamedic Planta. Options are to either have 39watt T5 Lumilux 865 -- Aquamedic Planta 39 watt T5 HO -- Lumilux 865 for about 3.2 watts per gallon, or lumilux 865 -- grolux -- lumilux 865 -- Planta for about 4.2 watts per gallon.
Ade
