[Cwickham]

hey

im setting up a 18 gallon high tec plant tank, i currently have a 15 high tec with a 65watt PC, but i dont like being limited to just one colour temp. what is the best way to go so that i dont need 2 65watt pc's which would for sure be too much power... i have heard allot about HO t5's or just regular t5's, im looking basically for somthing that is gonna put out enough power and allow me to use multiple tubes without overpowering

thanks
craig

 

[epicfish]

18 gallon high? So probably the same footprint as a 10 gallon tank? 20"x10"?

 

[epicfish]

Or from your description of 2x65w, it's probably 24" long.

You can get some T5HOs which are 24w per bulb. Two bulbs at two different color temps will give you a nice mix at ~2 WPG. If you want a bit more lighting for the high tech tank, you can have 4 bulbs for close to 4 WPG. You can have two switches, each controlling two bulbs for a more flexible lighting schedule.

 

[Cwickham]

yeah its a 24 inch tank... i like hte idea of 4 wpg... what is the price for T5HO's these days?

 

[epicfish]

www.reefgeek.com
www.aquabuys.com
www.hellolights.com
www.ebay.com

Sunlight Supply Tek lights are very good, but a bit pricey...

 

[Cwickham]

how would a 70 watt MH compare to the t5's.... would MH be good or better for a planted tank... i have heard some people say it can burn your plants

 

[Cwickham]

how would a 70 watt MH compare to the t5's.... would MH be good or better for a planted tank... i have heard some people say it can burn your plants

 

[oblongshrimp]

MH give off UV but i belive they all come with a UV shield. The heat from them is probably the biggest issue. I love them personally. I like the rays of light coming into the tank....looks like sunlight and really cool looking.

 

[Cwickham]

is MH better then T5 HO for a planted tank... hahaha.. its a tough deisicion

would 70 watt MH be enough or would i need more... and for t5's is 48 enough or would i need more...

 

[Cwickham]

it looks as if a 70 watt MH would be way cheaper then T5's

 

[melbourne]

I have 70 watt MH over my planted tanks. I think that T5HO would give you more options in terms of getting the color you like and more flexibility in your photoperiod if you get a multi bulb setup. Also there are few choices for 70 watt DE bulb for planted tanks. But you will get nice shimmer lines with the MH and decent coverage on your tank using a good pendant. I'm using the PFO 70 watt pendant on my tanks and I'm happy with it.