Lighting options for 5x2x2 low tech setup

[kev_fish]

Recently rescaped my 5 foot south american cichlid tank with mainly epyphytes and ferns. Never had this aquarium planted and feel the current lighting isnt suitable. Currently im running a pair of very old 54w t5 tubes and a fluval aquasky led.

So im looking at replacing the t5 lighting as a minimum but looking for other suggestions for led lighting. The depth of the tank plays a part so not sure if the budget amazon led offerings will suffice.

Also the tank has a hood so spot lights out of the running.

Any help be appreciated.

 

[oreo57]

Recently rescaped my 5 foot south american cichlid tank with mainly epyphytes and ferns. Never had this aquarium planted and feel the current lighting isnt suitable. Currently im running a pair of very old 54w t5 tubes and a fluval aquasky led.

So im looking at replacing the t5 lighting as a minimum but looking for other suggestions for led lighting. The depth of the tank plays a part so not sure if the budget amazon led offerings will suffice.

Also the tank has a hood so spot lights out of the running.

Any help be appreciated.

5' (say 150cm) is a bit of an odd size
At 24" wide means you would need 2 strip type lights for decent coverage.
Next at about 150 gallons proper lighting will be costly really.
The middle end lighting would run close to a grand.
Say 3 AI Prime freshwaters.

 

[PARAGUAY]

If you hang on to the t5 59 watt a while some on line retailers are selling stock cheaper with eventual discontinued on the way

 

[Conort2]

You don’t need to go mad and over do it with the lighting if you only have easy plants and the tanks low tech. I only use a twinstar S 900 set at 50 percent hung over my five foot and can grow most plants that I want, granted this is low tech now so only easy stuff like crypts, ferns, swords etc.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

If you hang on to the t5 59 watt a while some on line retailers are selling stock cheaper with eventual discontinued on the way

I agree with @PARAGUAY. If you can still find them, it was a standard size for Shop / Office T5 lighting luminaires.

If this one is the right length? <"GE 1449mm 49w 865 T5 Fluorescent Tube">.

I think it is the T8 tubes that are normally 5' <"https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/1939578-58w-t8-triphosphor-fluorescent-tube-cool-white">.

cheers Darrel

 

[kev_fish]

Hi all,

I agree with @PARAGUAY. If you can still find them, it was a standard size for Shop / Office T5 lighting luminaires.

If this one is the right length? <"GE 1449mm 49w 865 T5 Fluorescent Tube">.

I think it is the T8 tubes that are normally 5' <"https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/1939578-58w-t8-triphosphor-fluorescent-tube-cool-white">.

cheers Darrel

The t5 tubes you linked above are really cheap. So are the aquarium specific tubes just overpriced? As in these:

54W T5 Tropical – iQuatics

www.iquaticsonline.co.uk

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

The t5 tubes you linked above are really cheap. So are the aquarium specific tubes just overpriced? As in these:

Yes, they are, and to some degree, "yes". These are daylight (865), but they are halophosphate, so not as good as triphosphor tubes - <"Types of Lighting Explained">. You should be able to find 865 triphosphor tubes for a bit more money (although they may be the same money now).

Dependent upon the choke gear in the lighting unit (it will be electronic) you may be able to run 80W tubes on that light unit. If you can open the luminarie the control gear should have a rating on it. Something like this <"Helvar T5 High Frequency Ballast 360x30x28mm 2x54W No-Dimmable">

There <"aren't any special phosphors"> etc. unique to "Aquarium" tubes, it is a bit like fertilisers, the only thing that makes them special is <"the price">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Tim Harrison]

I’d stick with T5 or even T8 if you can still get the bulbs. Either will be perfectly adequate for low-energy and “easy” plants. There is no need to splurge out on expensive lighting either way. And if you do decide to go for LED just make sure it’s dimmable.

 

[oreo57]

First off what "exactly" are your tubes? T5 NO or T5 HO (usually around 54w each @ 4'.)
The haliphosphate (thought that was dead and buried a long time ago) one listed above is NO.
If you have an HO ballasts, besides the inefficient phosphors, you will over drive the bulb (if ballast doesn't auto adjust for such a mis-match).

Opposite is also true, if you have a NO ballast but get HO bulbs you will under drive them.

Personally you would really need to upgrade to a 4 tube 48" t5ho fixture and bulbs to be able to grow a modicum of plants.
216W over your 24" deep 150 gal tank.

Keep in mind I have a limited knowledge of t5 or any tube electronics soo there could be errors.

As to bulbs.. yea "specialty" bulbs are always over priced compared to "generic" bulbs. Thing is though they tend to look a lot better over a tank. Or have a wee bit better spectrum (inter-related)
I'd suggest trying to find, at the bare minimum 950 rated tubes.

The 90 cri is arguably better than the 80 and 5000k is a LOT easier (and cheaper) to find then say a 965 tube.
965's will cost about as much as the specialty ones, at least last time I found them.

First digit average cri second 2 k temperature.
You can do led fairly inexpensive..
, like 2 or 3 of these.
Amazon product ASIN B0CBJJ3L9B100-150 pounds

For $300US

LED aquarium light, LED lights, Nano reef aquarium, Reef Builders, Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog, Aqua mini, Aqua Pro, LED nano, micmol

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