[isoprem]

Hi,
i am a new contributor here and i've been an aquarist since about two years.
recently i have started to build up a planted aquarium at which i have removed the old hood 2x25W T8 tubes and instead i have installed 3x36W T8 (3000K) + 3x58W T8 (6000K).

may aquarium have the below characteristics:
dimensions 180x60x60 cm
2" gravel depth with 3mm gravel size
fertilizer: liquid and pallets below gravels.

my question is the lighting system is enough or i have to upgrade it again to HO lights which will be expensive step.

 

[Hoppy]

Without more details I have no idea how much light you have. Did you just replace the bulbs, or add new strip lights to the fixture, or replace the whole fixture? Are the bulbs spread out over the top of the tank to give more even lighting? Do you have reflectors for each bulb, and what are they like? How long are those bulbs?

 

[isoprem]

Without more details I have no idea how much light you have. Did you just replace the bulbs, or add new strip lights to the fixture, or replace the whole fixture? Are the bulbs spread out over the top of the tank to give more even lighting? Do you have reflectors for each bulb, and what are they like? How long are those bulbs?

i have removed the old T8 2x25W fixture and installed new fixture with the above mentioned lights. now my aquarium hood almost full of tubes, and i have no more place for even one more T5 tube.
About the reflector, i have used aluminium sheet behind the tubes, but i believe it does not help that much because the lights are very close to each other.
i have made the upgrade to have more light which i have got (old system 50W T8 with new system is almost 282W), but is the new wattage enough to change my aquarium to planted one? and does the T8 light penetrate to the bottom for 60cm aquarium height?

 

[Hoppy]

So you now have T5 bulbs instead of T8 bulbs? Is this how they are arranged above the tank?

Are the reflectors bent to look like \_/ in cross section, with the bulb in the middle, so you can see a reflection of each bulb on each side of the bulb?

 

[isoprem]

So you now have T5 bulbs instead of T8 bulbs? Is this how they are arranged above the tank?

Are the reflectors bent to look like \_/ in cross section, with the bulb in the middle, so you can see a reflection of each bulb on each side of the bulb?

it is as in the attachment.
blue color are the 58W T8
orange color are the 36W T8
there is no space for reflector \_/ so i just put aluminium sheet behind the lights.