[morefirejules08]

hi
this is my first post on here although i have been looking over the forums all day!
basically i am looking to create my first planted tank, i have many years experience looking after a wide variety of fish but i have never attempted a planted tank before.
my current tank is about 120g and 24 inches deep and 72 inches long and im looking into lighting at the moment, im on a tight budget and thought CFL's may be the way to go, i was thinking 3 125w 6400 ulbs with reflectors.
I dont plan on using CO2 or growing anything difficult.
any input would be great

cheers, chris

 

[Baadboy11]

you can get by with the cfls, but before you spend the money make sure it is actually cheaper then a t5ho kit, some of them are only 100bucks or less

 

[fresh.salty]

Some of the replacement CFL bulbs here sold for aquariums are really expensive. My 96W is about $50.00. That's why I've used the same bulb for 8 years. lol

 

[morefirejules08]

a t5 kit for my size tank is hard to find in the UK, i've found some 5 foot example but they work out very expensive, i think i can do CFL's cheaper plus i can buy the 3 fittings separately thus spreading the cost out a bit,

 

[scapegoat]

you can use them. the data out there is minimal; though, someone did some good work and there is info posted somewhere on this forum.

the biggest issue i had with cfl's on my 20g is the footprint of the fixture and the wasted light.

 

[Baadboy11]

Sounds like cfls are a good fit for you then, not sure how many or what wattage you will need over your tank, but the nice thing is its easy to change wattage! I have read that the shop light reflectors (look like a metal bowl) produce much higher par values without the wasted light so you might check them out.

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