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Are these tubes any good?

Just make sure the length and wattage are the same and good to go with replacing the Juwel tubes.

One thing I would say however, having used cheaper replacement T8 tubes (25W) on my Jewel Vision 180 is that the plant and fish colours are not so "strong" & "bright" as with the Arcadia Tropical (at back) and Arcadia Freshwater (at front) I currently use. They might cost £20 each but in my opinion, with a planted tank are well worth it and after a year show no sign of brightness reduction.

I thought the cheap tubes were either too yellow or too clinically white, can't remember the exact type warm white & daylight white seems to ring a bell, got from local electrical wholesalers. Also the warm white was definitely loosing it brightness after a year.
 
Can't use them anyway lads. Juwel tubes are 895mm in length. Standard ones are 849mm :(.

Is 90w too much for a Rio 180 litre tank? Only about 140 litre in there once substrate etc taken off.

I know I could remove a bulb but would this cause the plants to stop growing?
 
Martin cape said:
Is 90w too much for a Rio 180 litre tank? Only about 140 litre in there once substrate etc taken off.

I know I could remove a bulb but would this cause the plants to stop growing?
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Hi martin,
90w isnt too much if you have high c02 and excellent distribution...however 2wpg close to the water surface means its rarely achievable to provide enough c02 with livestock and hardscape....i cant get it right yet :banghead:
i have a 180l tank with 78w ho t5 lighting, the light unit is suspended 13" above the water surface and im still growing plants. I know you cant raise your lighting unit so to reduce intensity you could add floating plants to diffuse the light, or twist your reflectors (if you have any) to direct part of the light away from the water, or as you say remove one tube....unsure if the juwel unit runs if a bulb is removed, or indeed if it puts any extra stress on the remaining tube...someone more electrically experienced may be able to help with that.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
I've taken my reflectors off completely now. That's made a slight difference. I still think maybe 90w is too much but I have no choice really.

Floating plants would be no good really as the amount of surface current would have them flying round the tank lol
 
Martin cape said:
I've taken my reflectors off completely now. That's made a slight difference. I still think maybe 90w is too much but I have no choice really.

Floating plants would be no good really as the amount of surface current would have them flying round the tank lol
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could you not reinstate your reflectors but place them towards the underside of your tubes reflecting upwards away from the water surface? Maybe halfway around each tube or something to reduce the intensity directed at the tank?
 
I could try. But the reflectors will totally block as opposed to diffuse the light to certain parts will it not?
 
Martin cape said:
I could try. But the reflectors will totally block as opposed to diffuse the light to certain parts will it not?
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if you only reflect half the tube, the other half will still be shining on the surface.....ive never done it, but suspect this would work. You could simply add them back on and twist until you are happy that lighting intensity has reduced...without a par meter it would be impossible to be precise, but i dont think aside from redirecting all of the light, that you will fall below the light compensation point so your plants will be fine.
Have you tried removing one tube to see if the unit still powers the remaining tube...im sure the old juwel systems wouldnt but i seem to remember reading somewhere that the new ones do. Then you would just need to ensure it was safe to do this.
 
If it did work with just one, would 45w be enough? That would roughly be about 1.4wpg.

Just had a thought. Could maybe diffuse the light with a thin piece of plastic held in place over the tubes. Sure I have loads in the garage. I have lowered light time from 6 to 5.5 hours too.
 
Martin cape said:
If it did work with just one, would 45w be enough? That would roughly be about 1.4wpg.

Just had a thought. Could maybe diffuse the light with a thin piece of plastic held in place over the tubes. Sure I have loads in the garage. I have lowered light time from 6 to 5.5 hours too.
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ample.....could add a reflector to speed things up, but for the purpose of algae fighting less is best :)
what type of plastic...not sure how much clear plastic will diffuse lighting intensity.....you could try it and combined with the removal of your reflectors this may be enough....personally id opt for something more substantial though whilst fighting the algae.
Reducing the photoperiod will help a little, but its the intensity that has the greatest impact.
 
It's same plastic that my dad used to use for his greenhouse. Definitely will diffuse the light.

I try the light unit with one on too later.
 
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