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Low lighting for a 20 Long

4K views 30 replies 10 participants last post by  orchidman 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, I did some searching but i couldnt find many good suggestiong, so i thought id ask. im planning a 20 long, i would like it to be low light for easy maintenance. I want to spend as little on this as possible! i want to buy a fixture, i dont have time for DIY and i want it to look nice and sleek, and not be bulky and ugly.

does anyone have suggestions of actual fixtures to purchase? i found two that i think would work, but i really am open to all other suggestions!

here are the two i found ( a 20 long is 30" long by the way)

http://www.kensfish.com/moreinfo/deep-blue-pro-t-5-single-strip-light-24.html (im almost positive it has extendable legs)

http://www.aquariumguys.com/aqualight-t5-fluorescent-fixture.html (the bulb on this one is 30". would bulbs prove difficult to find down the road?)


thanks in advance!
 
#4 ·
I have a 20g L also & just use a cheap single T8.

I've been thinking of upgrading - not for higher light - I don't want to do CO2 - but something sleeker & nicer - just better.

I don't think a single light shows off the fish very well either & my tank is in a rather dark location (basement).

I like what you've done Knox but where my tank is I don't have space to do that.

I kind of like the one from Kens fish.
 
#9 ·
You can check Hoppy's charts to confirm, but the Coralife T5NO is not a particularly bright light and the reflectors are pretty poor. I believe you'll be in low light...I actually plan on buying it for my 20L where I intend on growing low light plants and moss. Like somewhatshocked said, if it does end up being a tad too bright, there are very easy ways to reduce the amount of light coming through.
 
#13 ·
I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible. And now that I think of it, the room it's in will have a good amount of ambient light. It will be in my orchid room so it will get some from the orchid lights. Not enough to cause algae but enough to notice. I think I'll go with the 1 bulb
 
#16 ·
any more imput? i found a great deal on the solarmaxHE and im about to pull the trigger! im gonna make another thread with a question about the fixture having legs or not, but tonight i would like to order.. and last input?
 
#18 ·
Though I like the Coralife/Aqueon T5NO fixture, the 30 in bulbs can be a pain. I don't like to shop online which means it may take me a few stops to get a replacement bulb. Now that Petsmart carries them, it is a bit easier. Nobody besides Aqueon makes these bulbs (you may find Coarilife which is exactly the same if they have old stock) so you are basically limited to their bulbs.

Not the worst thing but you only have 3 color choices for fresh water. I don't like the look of the Colormax bulb at all, personally. The 6500k bulb is a bit too yellow. The 10,000k is fine. I use a 6500k and 10,000k in mine.

Secondly, I have had some bulbs only last for 6 months. Many more have only lasted about a year. I have had 3 of these fixtures for about 6 years so I feel that my experience wasn't one fluke bulb or anything.

On the plus side, they do look very sleek and are very small. That's part of the reason they work well on low tech, they are not designed well in terms of reflectors and bulb placement. That is good for lower tech, and makes them more appealing to the eye.

I don't think it's a bad way to go, but you may want to consider a fixture with 24 inch bulbs so you can dial in your color better, as well as having choices of different brands. I wouldn't discourage you from this light however, though I personally recommend replacing the Colormax bulb with a 10,000k to give you a 6500k/10,000k combo.
 
#19 ·
id probably end up getting a 24" fixture anyways. because the bulbs are easier to find (not that 30" are that difficult to find online)

i decided not to get the solarmax, epople have jsut been saying its not worth getting. so its either a coralife (if i can find one,aquariumguys doesnt have them listed anymore) or an oddyssea...and im thinking a 1 bulb would be enough? what are your thoughts?
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
i found this! and i have a %15 off in store coupon, and i go to lancaster twice a week for volleyball practice. http://www.thatpetplace.com/freshwater-aqualight-t5-dual-fluorescent-light-fixture-24in with the coupon it ends up at $30. so thats what i think ill get.

i have yet to see an example of a sleek t8...
I have yet to see an example of a sleek T8 either, even with older/higher end light fixtures.

That's a fantastic deal. You still may want to consider the 30in, unless you are hanging it above the tank. The 30 in still isn't truly 30 in, it's 28 inch. The metal extenstions bend easily so 24 in could become problematic. It just is so close to the water. If you are raising it, I would personally go with the 24 in.

You can't beat that price so go for it. I was going to offer one of mine but I feel they are "questionable" at their age. $30 is probably cheaper than the few bucks it's worth to me plus shipping. If you do have problems though, let me know, link this thread, and I will part with one of mine for cheap + shipping.
 
#27 ·
so i got to the store yesterday and at the last minute, i decided to go with a 30" instead of a 24" because it was onl $8 more. im glad i did. it was a good deal because it was onsale, $38. its the coralife i talked about earlier
 
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