• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Fluctuating light (amount) recommendations or?

DuckDuck

Seedling
Joined
13 Feb 2019
Messages
2
Location
Copenhagen
Hello Ukaps


I have a general question regarding recommended light amounts.

Left, right and center i see people recommending lights like Twinstar but at the same time I see some of the bigger YouTubers using, ADAs Solar RGB, ONF, Kessil. These have insane wattages and lumen. Par rating is often not discussed, but they are all for planted aquariums obviously.

Twinstar 600EA is 31W 2400 lm,
Twinstar 600SA is 45W 3200 lm
ONF 60 cm is 70W 4400 lm
Solar RGB is 130W 3000-3500lm

What, how, why? (lm/w fluctuates and do you really need 4400 lm on a 60 cm tank)

I am sorry for the vague question.

Personally, I have a 50L Scaper's Tank with a Chichiro A-series Plus 400. It is on the second lowest setting.
(On full whack, I think i could signal London from Copenhagen).

Optional part:
If possible I would like to change my Chichiro at some point. It is an Aquarium in an occupied room (dinning/living room). So the light is a bit cold and the finish of the lamp itself is not perfect.
A Twinstar 450 E looks more polished and less Kelvin. Will it not be enough or too much. I have no idea at this point. I have a heavily planted tank (or it will be soon) of Easy-Medium plants.
 
I'm probably not the best person to ask this question too, but I would think the 450 would be fine for you light intensity wise... Are you certain it will fit the tank?
 
Hi @DuckDuck

I’ve run a Twinstar 450E over a Dennerle Scapers tank for a year now and think it’s a good pairing for growing most things if Co2 is being injected. A dimmer switch is a must though in the first month and you can now get the dimmers with built in timer that also allow you to ramp up/down the light unit. After the first month I run at 100%.

Quick pic:

upload_2019-2-19_9-40-20.jpeg


That’s a carpet of HC in the foreground. 450E enabled healthy growth no problem.

Another pic running at 100% longer term:

upload_2019-2-19_9-43-8.jpg


More compact and tighter growth from 100% providing your Co2 management and plant pruning skills are up to scratch.

As before the E series is a good match for the scapers tank but depends on what you want to achieve/grow and how much time you have for maintenance.
 
Make sure it is dimmable, I use a tc420 for my 600S. It runs at 20-30 % currently. Light intensity is massive.

Edit: If you are based in Copenhagen, HP Reptiles on Islands Brygge should have tc420s, so you don't need to futz with ebay and such.
 
Well if that HC carpet can be grown, there should plenty of light for everything I could throw at it. (Great looking tanks btw!)
It also "confirms" the anecdotal evidence I have seen elsewhere about Twinstar 450, in that it is more than adequate.

It does make me wonder why you would want significantly more light.

That dimmer is cool, but I think I would prefer something a bit simpler if possible, even if I would have to go without ramping functionalities.
 
It does make me wonder why you would want significantly more light.

There’s a lot to unpack to answer that question. The relationship between light and Co2, to a specific plants needs, to a specific set of circumstances e.g. depth, flow rate and nutrient availablity.... Even what form you want the plants to take just for the heck of it to the speed at which it grows.

All light units are just tools for growing plants and have various applications.
 
Back
Top