[teatimecrumpet]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a cheap light fixture for my 30" long 20g.

I'm hoping to only spend like $50. For plants I will have moss, anubias, and eventually HC.

I'm not looking for explosive growth just something that will keep them alive.

would this do?
http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Si...5719715&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=marinelaned+led

anything cheaper?

Thanks

 

[marioman72]

id go with a 2 bulb fixture, usually a single bulb isnt enough and if u plan to be doing HC i would get some thing with strong lighting. even if u don't do it right away there's no point in buying things twice haha

 

["Got light?"]

30" Coralife Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture

I'd go with this super slim twin 30" light for under $50 shipped....

NOT my pic... and this is a 36" version

30" Coralife Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture
(30" x 3" x 1" - 18 watts x 2 = 36 watts)

I bought 3 fixtures for my 20g long for only $116 shipped ($38 each)
(6) 28" T5 bulbs with total of... 108 watts on my 20 gallon long roud:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YHU2I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&smid=A3N3VAFSB57PBN

:fish:

 

["Got light?"]

30" Coralife Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture

oop's... double post

 

[teatimecrumpet]

id go with a 2 bulb fixture, usually a single bulb isnt enough and if u plan to be doing HC i would get some thing with strong lighting. even if u don't do it right away there's no point in buying things twice haha

True, I have a LONG history of cheaping out initially and then ending up buying twice.

But, I've just spent a ton of money on other things and need to ease up a bit. I've seen some people make those diy PVC stands and some shop lights with 6500k CFLs. do you think i could get away with that for the HC?

 

[teatimecrumpet]

I'd go with this super slim twin 30" light for under $50 shipped....

NOT my pic... and this is a 36" version

30" Coralife Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture
(30" x 3" x 1" - 18 watts x 2 = 36 watts)

I bought 3 fixtures for my 20g long for only $116 shipped ($38 each)
(6) 28" T5 bulbs with total of... 108 watts on my 20 gallon long roud:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YHU2I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&smid=A3N3VAFSB57PBN

:fish:

Thanks GotLight,

that's right in my budget. But it looks to be getting some bad reviews of late. Maybe the 2012 ones are bad? I see 19 5-star and 15 1-star seems split pretty badly...

 

[marioman72]

^ thats the same light i use on my 20g and works awsome never once had a problem, but i got it like 4 years ago lol

 

[jmeister]

I'm in the same boat right now as I just picked up a 20L and I'm trying to find a decent fixture for medium light, will probably run CO2 also. Was looking at that Coralife but saw the mixed reviews on the dual 30". I've got their 36" that's been working great for years. Do you have a glass canopy? Those Coralifes have some pretty thin wire hooks which I'd be leery of using just by themselves. I'm researching a Finnex 30" now.

 

[AirstoND]

I'd stay away from these and Aqueon ones also. Ballasts are poorly seated to housing. Mine dropped out and bulbs touched plastic cover, burned out and cracked (within a couple of months of replacing bulbs).

If you have a tank <12in in depth definitely go for vertically mounted 6500K CFLs.

 

[Msheresy]

I'd go with this super slim twin 30" light for under $50 shipped....

NOT my pic... and this is a 36" version

30" Coralife Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture
(30" x 3" x 1" - 18 watts x 2 = 36 watts)

I bought 3 fixtures for my 20g long for only $116 shipped ($38 each)
(6) 28" T5 bulbs with total of... 108 watts on my 20 gallon long roud:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YHU2I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&smid=A3N3VAFSB57PBN

:fish:

+1

I've got two of these and they work great. Amazon or Newegg has them cheapest IMO.

There are two versions, one for salt and one for fresh. 05618 is the model for the freshwater light and bulbs.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Lil' Swimz$]

Wish I would've seen this when I bought my $120 30 incher...

 

[jarvitron]

For my 20L, I bought a couple 10W LED floods from Amazon for $15 per. For higher light, put them right on the versa top, move up to reduce. Two covers my whole tank (at 20 over the substrate and giving me low light), you could get away with just three sitting right on the lid and get "good enough" coverage on the corners, but four would basically guarantee the whole tank is lit up like Christmas. They're cheap, water resistant and awesome.

 

[Edub]

Do NOT get the coralife 30" t5no fixtures, they are JUNK. I bought 2 for my 20long for about $35 each and it was a horrible decision. They burn out bulbs every few weeks and you end up spending waaaay more money on replacement bulbs than if you just got a different fixture. I ended up with 6 (yes SIX) of them because the vendor kept sending me replacements and they ALL burned out bulbs.

 

[flc]

Check out the PAR values posted elsewhere on plantedtank. The single bright, even at the short distance to the substrate in a 20 long, is near the bottom end of what's considered low. Like others have said, it won't work for a planted tank.

I have a 20G Long and am looking to upgrade the original Aqueon 20W T8 fixture eventually. Although the Finnex looks like the best option out there in terms of value, I'm not sure I've seen anything in your budgest range that's an upgrade and aesthetically acceptable.

P.S. By elsewhere, I mean this thread: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184368&highlight=par+value

 

[jbrady33]

Bump your budget up to about $75 and you can have a 30" Finnex Fugeray LED, which is what I have on the 36 gallon in my sig.

 

[orchidman]

this is what im planning on getting for my 20 long http://www.thatpetplace.com/aqualight-t5-dual-lamp-aquarium-lighting-fixtures

 

["Got light?"]

I bought THREE of the 30" Coralife Aqualights..... one more than I needed, to use if one fails and is being replaced
(I'll only use 2 at a time)

I called Coralife in person about these 30" units... they insisted they have NOT had a return on one since July (they also insisted they have NOT had many/unusual problems with this light and that it works just fine... so take it as you will)