T5 lighting
T5 lighting
I need more light for my 30 gallon tank. I am thinking about getting a 24" 4 lamp fixture but I am afraid that it may be too much light for the tank. I think that a 2 lamp fixture wont be enough. Does any one know it running a 4 lamp fixture with only 3 lamps would shorten the life of the unit?
I have a 24" 4 bulb Tek light on my 29 gallon (with AS Amazonia and co2) and it has done very well with all 4 on. One thing to note is that the bulbs can be grouped in series. In my light, if I unscrew one bulb its paired opposite goes out as well.
One option, if your light has 2 power cords, is you can set up a timer to run 2 bulbs for the full "day" and the other 2 can be on for a short mid-day burst.
One option, if your light has 2 power cords, is you can set up a timer to run 2 bulbs for the full "day" and the other 2 can be on for a short mid-day burst.
I have 24" 4 blubs with nice reflectors over my 37g. The bulbs are screwed into a canopy so they are about 5 inches above the water. The 37g is a tall aquarium (22" H).
I only have one power cord so it is all or none, unless one bulb burns out or I choose to twist it loose on purpose. I always run all four for 7.5 hrs/day. I pump in CO2 through a AquariumPlants CO2 reactor. Most of my plants do well -- fatalities are usually due to me overcrowding the plants.
Hope this info helps you make a decison.
I only have one power cord so it is all or none, unless one bulb burns out or I choose to twist it loose on purpose. I always run all four for 7.5 hrs/day. I pump in CO2 through a AquariumPlants CO2 reactor. Most of my plants do well -- fatalities are usually due to me overcrowding the plants.
Hope this info helps you make a decison.
Julie
37g planted, 11g planted, and three 5.2g planted shrimp tanks.
37g planted, 11g planted, and three 5.2g planted shrimp tanks.
I am thinking about getting this light.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/p ... atid=22636
Please give me your thoughts or recommend another brand
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/p ... atid=22636
Please give me your thoughts or recommend another brand
I'd recommend spend the extra $40-50 and get a TEK.
Aquacave sells them at a decent price. There are Ebay sellers as well, carolinareefs? (forgot their name), underwater outlet, etc....
Look at the distance between bulbs in that Coralife. 1" maybe?
A 4 bulb TEK is about 12" wide, and using about 9" of that for bulbs and reflectors - much better reflectors - and wider spaced reflectors. Meaning, simply, that is actually gets to USE the reflectors, and get more light into the tank.
These little details in build differences mean a LOT in terms of actual light output.
BTW, not sure on the Coralife, but a TEK is configured in 2+2, so bulbs come on in pairs - using two timers, you could use 2 all day, and 2 for a noonburst to better control lighting.
I know, I know, easy for me to say, not my money... but I do own 4 TEK fixtures, as well as other T5 fixtures too... none of the others I've ever owned are as good as a TEK (some of the Catalinas have looked awfully close, the most recent builds, tho.). So it is coming from a place of.. did put my money there.
Aquacave sells them at a decent price. There are Ebay sellers as well, carolinareefs? (forgot their name), underwater outlet, etc....
Look at the distance between bulbs in that Coralife. 1" maybe?
A 4 bulb TEK is about 12" wide, and using about 9" of that for bulbs and reflectors - much better reflectors - and wider spaced reflectors. Meaning, simply, that is actually gets to USE the reflectors, and get more light into the tank.
These little details in build differences mean a LOT in terms of actual light output.
BTW, not sure on the Coralife, but a TEK is configured in 2+2, so bulbs come on in pairs - using two timers, you could use 2 all day, and 2 for a noonburst to better control lighting.
I know, I know, easy for me to say, not my money... but I do own 4 TEK fixtures, as well as other T5 fixtures too... none of the others I've ever owned are as good as a TEK (some of the Catalinas have looked awfully close, the most recent builds, tho.). So it is coming from a place of.. did put my money there.
Dave
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DelawareJim
- Posts: 1249
- Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 4:25 pm
- Real Name: Jim Michaels
- Location: Southeast PA
My fixtures are old so take this with some caution that things may have changed. First all my fixtures are CFL and my Coralife fixture is 7 years old and the ballast has just gone on one side or it could be a bulb I haven't checked yet, but with 4 x 65 watt bulbs the fixture is not very bright due to over crowded bulbs, the light that hits the reflector can't escape back towards the tank. I also have a Current USA fixture with 4 x 96 watt and if I turn just 2 bulbs on you can't tell the Coralife is even on except for the yellowish cast it makes. But the Current USA fixture is huge with a large are around each bulb that allows for a lot of reflected light, but the trade off is the sleeker look of the Coralife fixture.
Also the Coralife fixture came with bulbs for the planted aquarium for about $250 and the Current USA fixture bulbs had to be swapped with an overall cost of $600+
Also the Coralife fixture came with bulbs for the planted aquarium for about $250 and the Current USA fixture bulbs had to be swapped with an overall cost of $600+
Sincerely,
Tim
Tim
The Coralife you are looking at has more room around the bulbs than the older fixtures, I did see some nice fixture with tons of room for reflection but have never used them before, look here http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticLife_ ... T5-vi.html these come in a freshwater planted set up as well but did cost a bit more and if you call Marine Depot they will guide to the fixtures that are brightest and most reliable, they have been around for ever, good luck.
Sincerely,
Tim
Tim
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Jim Miller
- Posts: 940
- Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:16 pm
- Location: Parkton, MD
- Contact:
)Take a close look at that Aquaticlife picture.
Look at the two end bulbs in particular... see how the reflectors got squished into the ends of the fixture? 2 of the 4 bulbs look like they have some decent reflectors around them.... the end 2, not so much.
Even then, take a close look at the bends in the reflectors themselves. I see some bends, some actual brake lines of angles (for those who've not seen one, a brake is a big tool used to create sharp lines and bend lines in sheet metal. Used for flashing on your house, amongst many other applications - looks almost like a giant version of those old fashioned paper cutting tables that were in schools when we were kids, but instead of a giant blade, it is a clamp to force bend lines)...
For comparison, here are some shots of a TEK light.
By ingg at 2007-10-25
How many bulbs did you see?
It is one bulb. That is called GOOD reflectors and good machining and spacing of reflectors.
They use a brake and put in multiple hard line and precise bends on each side of the bulb, giving multiple angled surfaces for the bulb to reflect off.
What the whole fixture looks like... underneath...Note how all the reflectors look exactly the same, and the ends are given plenty of space for the reflector and for releasing of light in full width of release.
By ingg at 2007-10-25
Turning them on is like looking at the sun.....can't even pick out the bulbs, can ya? (PS.. it is only one bulb again)
By ingg at 2007-10-25
Look at the two end bulbs in particular... see how the reflectors got squished into the ends of the fixture? 2 of the 4 bulbs look like they have some decent reflectors around them.... the end 2, not so much.
Even then, take a close look at the bends in the reflectors themselves. I see some bends, some actual brake lines of angles (for those who've not seen one, a brake is a big tool used to create sharp lines and bend lines in sheet metal. Used for flashing on your house, amongst many other applications - looks almost like a giant version of those old fashioned paper cutting tables that were in schools when we were kids, but instead of a giant blade, it is a clamp to force bend lines)...
For comparison, here are some shots of a TEK light.
By ingg at 2007-10-25
How many bulbs did you see?
It is one bulb. That is called GOOD reflectors and good machining and spacing of reflectors.
They use a brake and put in multiple hard line and precise bends on each side of the bulb, giving multiple angled surfaces for the bulb to reflect off.
What the whole fixture looks like... underneath...Note how all the reflectors look exactly the same, and the ends are given plenty of space for the reflector and for releasing of light in full width of release.
By ingg at 2007-10-25
Turning them on is like looking at the sun.....can't even pick out the bulbs, can ya? (PS.. it is only one bulb again
)By ingg at 2007-10-25
Dave
