additional lighting required?

712 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Hoppy, Sep 9, 2009

Nitrox

Discussion Starter · Sep 9, 2009

Hello all! new member here yet I've been lurking around the forums for quite some time. To get to the point...I'm currently in the process of setting up a 90 gal and have a question pertaining to lighting. I have two fixtures at my disposal, the first being a 4x65w PC from coralife (what I originally planned on using for this setup) But i also have a 2x54w T5HO fixture. Should I use the T5's in addition to the PC fixture? or would this be a little overkill?

By the way I'm using the EI dosing method along with pressurized CO2. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks:icon_smil

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Avi

· #2 · Sep 9, 2009

You'd be fine, I think, using both fixtures with the pressurized CO2 and the EI-dosing. You will have to get the CO2, dosing and lights into sync. I'd plant heavily, and put the two light fixtures on different timers to give yourself better fine tuning capability.

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Hoppy

· #3 · Sep 9, 2009

Two 54 watt T5HO bulbs is enough light for a standard 90 gallon tank, but not when they are spaced close together as they almost certainly are when it is a two bulb fixture. My choice would be to sell the 65 watt PC fixture, and buy another of the T5 fixtures. Then hang them above the tank so they are a few inches apart, and raise them 6 - 12 inches above the top of the tank. That would give you good uniformity of light in the tank, and enough to grow anything too. When you hang the light several inches above the tank you get away from having an insanely high light intensity up near the water line, while having just enough at the substrate.

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