• 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

What lighting???

Ashton

Member
Joined
7 Sep 2008
Messages
46
I'm just about to order a new plain glass tank from Aquariums UK and think I have decided on a luminaire for lighting. The tank is 24 x 18 x 18 ins and looking at the lights, the T8 is 600mm and the T5 650mm.

I was wondering if someone could help me out on this, will the T8 be sufficient or if I go for a T5 will it fit? Up to now I've only a basic gardener, just the usual Vallis, Crypts and Anubias and Java Fern with no CO2 as it confuses me, so just Flourish Excel daily and a plant food at water changes. But I was thinking that I might be able to try some new plants if I had better than the standard lighting :)
 
Same size tank as mine. I plan to use LED but will be using 2x24 during the start up. because of the dimensions as a long term thing I think 4x 24 would be a better option. I have a thread on it somewhere with recommendations. It really depend on what you want. I'm working on the basis that 2x24 will be low light.
 
I've got an moonlight led strip stuck on my existing tank lid, but its just a glow rather than a light. How do you fix the led to your tank to give off the main lighting :?

Sorry if its a stupid question, but I'm not at all technical and was just expecting to stick on a luminaire, but led lighting of any kind does seem interesting.
 
Anne

High lighting - T5 will demand high quantities of fertz / Co2, please remember this when ordering your lighting unit.

Regards
paul.
 
Thanks Paul, so basically, if I go for the T5's I need CO2, if I go for the T8's I can stick with Excel Flourish?
 
It depends.... :)
I've learnt many, many things from using this website, and i've just stepped up to pressurised co2 soi'm sure i have much more to learn!
To back up what Paul says this is how i think about it - Your plants are basically engines. If you add more light you essentially speed the plants up. This means they need more fuel (nutrients and CO2) and this fuel need delivering to the plants in the right way (big circulation from overrated filters and/or powerheads).
So, if you whack a big T5 luminaire over your tank you'll need to supply the other bits to avoid problems and get your plants growing. If you choose lower lighting you'll still be able to grow an amazing tank, you just have to be a little bit more careful with your choice of plants, and those plants will be slower growing (see George Farmers "Mother Microsorum" done using just Java Fern)
Hope this helps - it's a steep learning curve!
Matt
 
I'll stick with the T8's then, one thing I have learnt over the years is my own capability, and it doesn't run to CO2 :lol:

As I'll be closing down the 50 litre to open up this tank I will transfer some of the plants over, definitely the Anubias, I've got 3 tied on to bogwood and maybe the Java Fern, definitely the Windelov, how that's managed to survive in semi darkness over the last 12 months, I don't know.

IMG_0004-9.jpg


Is there any way I can prune the Java fern down a bit, it has grown rather bushy :lol:
 
Hi Ashton

Your plants are looking really healthy. You should be pleased with that :thumbup:
As far as trimming your Java fern goes, I just remove the biggest leaves by cutting them off near the base. Not sure if that's the recommended way to do it but it hasn't done mine any harm in the tank in my signature :D
The added bonus you get from doing this is that the new growth will look a nice fresh green, although yours looks pretty fresh to me :D
 
Your fern looks amazing.

I have a java fern that was very bushy, and after following ceg and george's tip to get it in a better shape by hacking it quite brutally, the new leaves are just freshly green and actually much bigger.

The difference is that I got CO2 and ferts, so the fern recovered quite quickly..
 
Back
Top