[mossboy]

Hey,

I was considering setting up a high-tech 40 gallon breeder tank and wanted to plan ahead. By the other forum posts it sounds like the Tek T5 is one of the best. Just check me if I'm wrong, but a 36" Tek with 4 x 39W HO T5s would be very high light for this but that would grow glosso real low and compact like what I want.

So one of my noob questions is about the dual power plugs on the Tek. Does one power plug control the first two rows of bulbs and the other one control the last two rows? Otherwise, it would be cool if I could have the 1st and 4th row on for 10 hours to give the best coverage and also had the middle 2 rows for a 3 hour burst around lunchtime.

Also, I'll probably hang it a few inches over the tank. It's going to be near my bed, so how much will the light spill over the front and into my face as I'm waking up? I know my Coralife compact fluorescent shines right in my eyeballs if I sleep in on the weekend. The Tek is supposed to have some really good reflectors so I'm wondering if that would help direct the light straight down or else I could build my own wooden canopy or something. Also, I always wondered how some people hang their lights so high up and their guests don't get blinded when they look up into the bulb :icon_idea.

I'll also have a glass top because yesterday I found out the hard way that shrimp like to jump 5 feet from the tank :icon_sad:. Those all-glass canopy tops have a black, sometimes clear, plastic hinge right down the middle. Would this be a significant blockage of light or is it negligible?

I know those are all noob questions, but hopefully someone who has owned a Tek before could easily answer them. Thanks.

 

[jmhart]

I have a 6x54w Tek. It is wired so I can have 2, 4, or all 6 bulbs on. The 4 bulbs are the very center, the 2 bulbs are the outsides. This is designed so that you have a good spread of light even when you are using fewer bulbs.

I believe the same idea applies to the 4x Teks, but I can't promise. If it doesn't, it's really not hard to rewire it.

The Tek fixtures do have good reflectors. They will reflect more light into the tank than other fixtures, but some will be apparent outside the tank. In your bedroom, it will still wake you up.

The black line of the tops will be negligible.

 

[mossboy]

Thanks jmhart. This answers my questions. The 4x Tek probably staggers the light the way I want it to then but I can always double check with whoever I buy them from. That won't be for a while anyway until I do more research on other equipment. Thank you.