[BoxxerBoyDrew]

Hey Planted Tank People!

I am FINALLY getting around to setting up my 40B, but now the Coralife Light Fixture I bought for it a few years ago is needing bulbs and I can't ever find them ANY WHERE!!! It takes T5 NORMAL OUTPUT bulbs(36"), and I have been looking for a Coralife 6,500K and a ColorMax!And I can't find them ANYWHERE TOGETHER!!!So I guess they are going to phase out N.O. T5 bulbs??? It sure seems that way, because I have a Big Al's Master Catalog from 2014 and there are as many NO T5's compared to HOs

So I am Going to have my Alvarezi Sword tails in there, and I know I want to include Green Cobomba included in the scape, and I want it to be Low Tech, and Low Maintenance. So after doing a search of this section I found where Hoppy advised 3-36" Floro. Lights would be a great for the 40B, and I would think 3 or 4 36" T8s would be Awesome, and you could mix and match your bulb combos to make the plants and fish colors really POP too! :wink2: Also T8s are run on sale most of the time so they can be had somewhat inexpensively, but now I am having trouble finding the dang 36" Shoplight fixtures to light the darn things!!!

I am electronics savvy, so I can run a DIY setup with a few balasts and a few good reflectors, and I could be in business. :grin2: I DO NOT have a surplus of cash for this unexpected problem with finding T5 NO bulbs!


Thanks for ANY AND ALL Help any one can Providing!!!
Take Care!!!
Drew

 

[jeffkrol]

First, most of the time you can run t5HO on t5NO ballasts.. sooo if you can find HO's at 36" you are set..

 

[BoxxerBoyDrew]

OH, I DID NOT KNOW THAT!!!

I have heard of people overdriving Normal Output bulbs, but not underpowering High Output bulbs!!! I believe the local Petsmart has the bulbs I want in stock, so if the fixture I have will not run the HOs I can return them locally with out needing to mess with shipping bulbs! I HOPE IT WILL WORK THOUGH!!!

IF not I have a 24" 65W Power Compact Floro. Retro-fit Kit I mounted in a 24" plastic Hood that came with my 55g that has a 6,500K bulb in it I can use to get me by till I get the permanent lighting figured out!

The next obstacle is hard scape followed by a plant list! LOL I KNOW I want to have a Natural to the Sword tails Rock HEAVY scape with a heavy dose of plants in the CORRECT PLACEMENT!!! With a 18" depth and ONLY a 16" height it can be EASY to make a FLAT looking landscape, and after googling planted Swordtail tanks I saw quite a few examples of flat scapes as well as some good ones too! I have been glancing at the local Nursery's for the rocks I want to use for the tank, but I just haven't seen anything that is quite right yet! There is a Pond Supply and Builder Shop down the road from me, but they can be pretty expensive on their rock for "small quantity" which I can understand IF they had to open a new/banded pallet, BUT if there is a OPEN pallet of the rock you want already I see no point in price gouging!!! They sometimes charge for a 5g bucket for what they get for the whole pallet, if you were to call back and ask for a quote for a whole pallet worth in weight! SO anyway I try to leave them as a last resort!!!

As for plants, I am trying to find someone who has the most of what I want so I can get it at one place, but I need the rocks first, as I want to order crypts and maybe a few others that don't take well to being moved around in a new setting!!! So That is where I am at!!! In the mean time my Swords have been doing some breeding and some WEIRD THINGS that I am researching right now, and I will post here and in the fish section when I find out if I am correct in my findings! So STAY TUNED!!!

Thanks for the info jeffkrol !!!!

Thanks for checking this out, and if you have any other light ideas POST THEM!!! Yall Take Care!!!
Drew

P.S. Tonight at Wallgreens I saw some Spiral PCs that are 6,500K and at 13w were $8.99, 18w IIRC were 10.99, then there was like a 23w for around 13.99. , So I know I could go that way as well. It is just the tank is in the Living room, and the wife is not going to be to happy with 4 Brooder Lamp Hoods over the top of the tank!

 

[The Big Buddha]

Here

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YVR9I8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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[BoxxerBoyDrew]

Thanks Big Buddha,

Have you ever used these bulbs before?

I'm going to the LFS today to see if she has some T5-HOs that we can plug into the NO fixture I have to see if it will fire them or not! If not I will order some of those bulbs and give them a shot! Heck for a little over $5 shipping included it is worth a shot! I just hope for $3 shipping they arrive here in 1 PIECE!!!

Thanks Again!!!
Drew

 

[The Big Buddha]

I have a 36" deep blue professional light T5NO. I called deep blue and they recommended against using HO bulbs in it. I ordered 6 of those bulbs and no complaints yet. I do find they are a little yellowish in color for 6500k, but the plants don't mind and are growing well.
Shipping and packaging was great, no broken bulbs.

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