I have two fixtures and I'm on the fence as to which one I should use. One is a hagen t5HO 2 x 39 W fixture. The bulbs are 1 giesemann tropic 6500K and 1 giesemann flora.
I don't have a par meter but according to this chart the hagen fixture sits around 40 par @ 20 inches which is the distance the fixture is from the lowest part of the substrate.
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The LED fixture I have is a finnex ray 2 fixture 7000K. The par according to this chart is around 60 par as it sits over the tank.
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In terms of par the ray wins hands down but I prefer the color I get with the t5 fixture and the giesemann bulbs
The spectrum of the ray2 offers a lot an of blue and a fair amount of green red and yellow. While the giesemann bulbs are both similar to each other show much more red and a lot less yellow.
I'm really not sure how all of these red green blue yellow ranges in spectrum affect growth but both the LEDS and Bulbs can grow plants so I guess it's not that big of a deal.
I have some plants that are considered "difficult" to keep. Everything I read on some of these plants say's it requires "High light" but there doesn't seem to be a clear conscientious as the what is considered high light.
I really would rather run the T5's but I'm afraid that the plants will not respond well to the T5's given the lower par reading.
right now I am using the finnex fixture.
Here is a list of all of the species of plants I am keeping in the tank
Eriocaulon Setaceum
Syngonanthus Belem
Tonina Fluviatilis
Bacopia sp. Japan
Alternanthera Reineckii 'mini'
Salivina minima
HC "cuba"
Blyxa Japonica
Rotala Macandra
Ludwigia Arcuata
I don't have a par meter but according to this chart the hagen fixture sits around 40 par @ 20 inches which is the distance the fixture is from the lowest part of the substrate.
The LED fixture I have is a finnex ray 2 fixture 7000K. The par according to this chart is around 60 par as it sits over the tank.
In terms of par the ray wins hands down but I prefer the color I get with the t5 fixture and the giesemann bulbs
The spectrum of the ray2 offers a lot an of blue and a fair amount of green red and yellow. While the giesemann bulbs are both similar to each other show much more red and a lot less yellow.
I'm really not sure how all of these red green blue yellow ranges in spectrum affect growth but both the LEDS and Bulbs can grow plants so I guess it's not that big of a deal.
I have some plants that are considered "difficult" to keep. Everything I read on some of these plants say's it requires "High light" but there doesn't seem to be a clear conscientious as the what is considered high light.
I really would rather run the T5's but I'm afraid that the plants will not respond well to the T5's given the lower par reading.
right now I am using the finnex fixture.
Here is a list of all of the species of plants I am keeping in the tank
Eriocaulon Setaceum
Syngonanthus Belem
Tonina Fluviatilis
Bacopia sp. Japan
Alternanthera Reineckii 'mini'
Salivina minima
HC "cuba"
Blyxa Japonica
Rotala Macandra
Ludwigia Arcuata
