question about T5HO lights.

[ricksconnected]

ok im in need of replacing my lights. they are 24in lights.
this tank started out as a fowlr but has gotten a few starter corals over the last couple months. the corals are mostly mushrooms and zoa's, but who knows whats next. ok what should i be using as far as new bulbs for my T5HO?

 

[kirru]

as is brand? depends on your coloring taste. I use all geismans just cause i like the good color i get out of them, which is blue, others like more purple i think. how many bulbs for your fixture, iirc 24" is usually 4 right? i have a 4 bulb 36" fixture.

 

[ricksconnected]

no mine is a 2 bulb fixture. the lights are way old. like 1.5 yrs
i think its WAY past time to change them. all that 10000k 20000k stuff confuses me. theres to many choices and i honestly dont know the differences

 

[kirru]

the lower the K the yellower the bulb...the higher the bluer, i think. that is the way it was explained to me.

 

[ricksconnected]

sounds good. i have this light on a 30gal. its my understanding that some corals like more light than others. so im wondering what lights to get that my zoa's and mushrooms will like. with zoa's and shrooms, will i be able to keep stoney corals as well, or should i just stick to the soft coral since they require less light than the hard corals?

 

[kirru]

with my four bulb at 39w a piece i have sps, softies, shrooms, acan, lps, zoas palys spread all over the tank, mine is a 40g breeder. some zoas like higher lit areas. take for example my dragon eyes zoas, they were under halides before i got them... but they still look nice. i believe that most corals can adapt to any lighting with in reason. how deep is yours? that also plays a factor, i chose my 40 for its nice size and shallowness so lighting isnt that hard for me to accomplish, though i do plan on upgrading to a 6 bulb even adding another 4 bulb fixture making a rigged 8 bulb fixture lol... but money will decide that.

 

[ricksconnected]

my tank is a standard 30 bowfront. im guessing that its 18-20in deep.

 

[ricksconnected]

by the way, nitro rc is the only way to go. :thumbs:

 

[kirru]

if it were me I would look for a four bulb for that, though 2 may be sufficient but that is my opinion, others may have theirs. but yea y thats not to deep you should be able to to keep most anything.

and nitro rc, geesh i havent done that in about 2 years, still got my losi eight tho. used to use it as a side high from when i wasnt at the drag races breathing in all that nitro fuel...love the smell sounds and speed...

 

[ricksconnected]

yes its been a while for me too. i still have my losi stadium,HPI street, thunder tiger, and RC10 buggy. at one time, my old roommate and i had 42 cars/truks between us. you should hear the story about when we attempted to set the land speed record with a bolink dragster in walmart parking lot here in roswell. lol

 

[jennm]

If your tank is a bowfront and it's 24" wide, it's a 26-g: 24X15X21.

A 36 bow is 30X15X21.

Jenn

 

[ricksconnected]

hey jenn

i thought he was talking how high (deep) the tank is. i was just taking a ballpark at it.
i need light edumacation jenn. what bulbs do you suggest for me?

 

[jennm]

I'm confused. You said the lamps are 24". Are they in a 24" or 30" (or other) sized fixture?

If you have a 2-lamp fixture, I wouldn't attempt anything that's too light-needy. A 4 lamp fixture would give you more options. (Doubles the amount of light).

Lamp selection is a very subjective thing - I'm liking ATI and Wavepoint lamps - exceptional quality and price point is competitive. There are many choices/combinations - that's where the subjectivity comes in.

Jenn

 

[kirru]

JennM;397596 wrote:
If you have a 2-lamp fixture, I wouldn't attempt anything that's too light-needy. A 4 lamp fixture would give you more options. (Doubles the amount of light).

Thats what i said



Yea I have buggy, stadium truck, and 2 street cars lol

 

[snowmansnow]

JennM;397596 wrote: I'm confused. You said the lamps are 24". Are they in a 24" or 30" (or other) sized fixture?

If you have a 2-lamp fixture, I wouldn't attempt anything that's too light-needy. A 4 lamp fixture would give you more options. (Doubles the amount of light).

Lamp selection is a very subjective thing - I'm liking ATI and Wavepoint lamps - exceptional quality and price point is competitive. There are many choices/combinations - that's where the subjectivity comes in.

Jenn

+1 on the ATI.. particularly the blue plus.. good stuff...

I run a blue plus every other lamp on my 7 lamp constellation. good par good color.