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two or four? (T5)

Nick16

Member
Joined
13 Aug 2008
Messages
1,759
Location
Surrey, UK
hi, its all change now, my tank is going to be 4ft (length) but it will be 2ft deep. i will have a total of about 415L (after decor and substrate)
i guess i will have to have the 4xT5's then?

my question is, will 2 on there own be not enough? (just over 1WPG)
will 4 on there own be too much? (i will have just over 2WPG)

my lights will be on a timer, as im out at school during the day, but there is only one plug on these lights, so if i have it on the timer, i either have them all on or only two... i could have just the two on and switch the others on when i get home but im not always home after school and then il forget and i will have large swings in the wattage and times of my lighting. = not good.

so what can you guys recommend... just two, or all four? (bare in mind my tank is 2ft deep)
 
Nick16 said:
hi, its all change now, my tank is going to be 4ft (length) but it will be 2ft deep. i will have a total of about 415L (after decor and substrate)
i guess i will have to have the 4xT5's then?

my question is, will 2 on there own be not enough? (just over 1WPG)
will 4 on there own be too much? (i will have just over 2WPG)

my lights will be on a timer, as im out at school during the day, but there is only one plug on these lights, so if i have it on the timer, i either have them all on or only two... i could have just the two on and switch the others on when i get home but im not always home after school and then il forget and i will have large swings in the wattage and times of my lighting. = not good.

so what can you guys recommend... just two, or all four? (bare in mind my tank is 2ft deep)

Nick

If it were me - go for 4 and alter your timings to suit when you are in. My hood has twin switches + leads and come on @ 16:00 @ 2 tubes and @ 18:00 the other 2 tubes come on and off @ 20:00 just leaving 2 tubes on and off @ 23:00. If I had to do it manually I would do the above timings

Regards
paul.
 
depends what scape you are setting up really.

The recent tests on barrreport are showing that 1 x full length T5HO are delivering the same PAR as the ADA Iwagumis are using!!! 50PAr at substrate 150 at the surface.

2 T5HO from other tests show 100/300 so double the single one and this was over a well planted tank.

I think you could get away with 2 over any type of scape even at 2ft. If not you can always turn the other 2 on.

AC
 
Flyfisherman said:
Nick16 said:
hi, its all change now, my tank is going to be 4ft (length) but it will be 2ft deep. i will have a total of about 415L (after decor and substrate)
i guess i will have to have the 4xT5's then?

my question is, will 2 on there own be not enough? (just over 1WPG)
will 4 on there own be too much? (i will have just over 2WPG)

my lights will be on a timer, as im out at school during the day, but there is only one plug on these lights, so if i have it on the timer, i either have them all on or only two... i could have just the two on and switch the others on when i get home but im not always home after school and then il forget and i will have large swings in the wattage and times of my lighting. = not good.

so what can you guys recommend... just two, or all four? (bare in mind my tank is 2ft deep)

Nick

If it were me - go for 4 and alter your timings to suit when you are in. My hood has twin switches + leads and come on @ 16:00 @ 2 tubes and @ 18:00 the other 2 tubes come on and off @ 20:00 just leaving 2 tubes on and off @ 23:00. If I had to do it manually I would do the above timings

Regards
paul.
what luminaire do you have then? i thought all luminaires had just the one plug but two switches on the unit? if i had two plugs i would be able to use a timer and problem solved!
 
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