T5 on 55 gallon standard

[Beruka]

Would four T5 6500K 54 watts bulbs place 12" over a tank be too powerfull
for a planted tank?

I use 3 55 watts PC bulbs 3" off the surface with good effects. I doo get
thread like algae over the third light occasionally but is very simple to
control really.

Thanks

Beruka

[-=Almazick=-]

Do you turn off the third light to keep Algae in control???


Almazick


"Beruka" > wrote in message
. com...
> Would four T5 6500K 54 watts bulbs place 12" over a tank be too powerfull
> for a planted tank?
>
> I use 3 55 watts PC bulbs 3" off the surface with good effects. I doo get
> thread like algae over the third light occasionally but is very simple to
> control really.
>
> Thanks
>
> Beruka
>
>

[Beruka]

NoIt's on a different timer though.

"-=Almazick=-" > wrote in message
.net...
> Do you turn off the third light to keep Algae in control???
>
>
> Almazick
>
>
> "Beruka" > wrote in message
> . com...
> > Would four T5 6500K 54 watts bulbs place 12" over a tank be too
powerfull
> > for a planted tank?
> >
> > I use 3 55 watts PC bulbs 3" off the surface with good effects. I doo
get
> > thread like algae over the third light occasionally but is very simple
to
> > control really.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Beruka
> >
> >
>
>

[Chris_S]

I've got 2-55W 6700 PC's on my 55G planted FW tank, and that is plenty of
light. With CO2 the plants grow out of the tank faster than I can prune
them. Can't imagine needing more light than that, and sometimes I think
I've got too much light. Some fish don't like so much light.

Chris.


"Beruka" > wrote in message
. com...
> Would four T5 6500K 54 watts bulbs place 12" over a tank be too powerfull
> for a planted tank?
>
> I use 3 55 watts PC bulbs 3" off the surface with good effects. I doo get
> thread like algae over the third light occasionally but is very simple to
> control really.
>
> Thanks
>
> Beruka
>
>

[Beruka]

Thats what I use currently. About 2 watts per gallon is sufficient for many
plants.

The red leaved plants can require more light. and do not do well 2-4 watts
is max but height of fixture above tank is also a fator. I can grow all the
easy one hbut wanted to grow more delicate plants that are more light
demanding.

I think my question should have been what is the visual appearance
differance between 55w 6700 K PC bulb and a 54 watt DAYLIGHT T5 bulb?

Beruka



"Chris_S" > wrote in message
...
> I've got 2-55W 6700 PC's on my 55G planted FW tank, and that is plenty of
> light. With CO2 the plants grow out of the tank faster than I can prune
> them. Can't imagine needing more light than that, and sometimes I think
> I've got too much light. Some fish don't like so much light.
>
> Chris.
>
>
> "Beruka" > wrote in message
> . com...
> > Would four T5 6500K 54 watts bulbs place 12" over a tank be too
powerfull
> > for a planted tank?
> >
> > I use 3 55 watts PC bulbs 3" off the surface with good effects. I doo
get
> > thread like algae over the third light occasionally but is very simple
to
> > control really.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Beruka
> >
> >
>
>

[Chris_S]

> Thats what I use currently. About 2 watts per gallon is sufficient for
many
> plants.

You cannot compare wattages without understanding efficiency. For example,
a 1W T5 puts out far more light than a 1W T8, and even much more than a T12.
Generally the smaller the bulb the more efficienct it is. That is because
the plasma is much closer to the phosphers, and the optical thickness of the
plasma is thinner.

The old rules of thumb about so-and-so watts per gallon started with T12
bulbs, and really does not address true intensity of lumens per gallon,
which is the real intensity parameter that matters.

The T5 biax bulbs (power compact type, etc) are very high efficiency. They
produce a lot more lumens per watt.

> I think my question should have been what is the visual appearance
> differance between 55w 6700 K PC bulb and a 54 watt DAYLIGHT T5 bulb?

If you are talking about conventional T5 bulbs vs. the rare earth
tri-phospher bulbs, I would suggest you stay away from the low cost daylight
bulbs. Their spectrum is very poor and no where near the wide spectrum of
the 6700K bulbs.

I have grown Lotus plants with red leaves clear through the top of the tank
with my two 55W 6700K bulbs. Grew so fast I could not prune them enough.
I can't imagine needing or wanting more light.

Now if you use the daylight bulbs, then perhaps you may need 4 bulbs and
still not be the same effect. It must all be considered together: wattage,
efficiency, and spectrum.

Chris.


> "Chris_S" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I've got 2-55W 6700 PC's on my 55G planted FW tank, and that is plenty
of
> > light. With CO2 the plants grow out of the tank faster than I can prune
> > them. Can't imagine needing more light than that, and sometimes I think
> > I've got too much light. Some fish don't like so much light.
> >
> > Chris.
> >
> >
> > "Beruka" > wrote in message
> > . com...
> > > Would four T5 6500K 54 watts bulbs place 12" over a tank be too
> powerfull
> > > for a planted tank?
> > >
> > > I use 3 55 watts PC bulbs 3" off the surface with good effects. I doo
> get
> > > thread like algae over the third light occasionally but is very simple
> to
> > > control really.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> > > Beruka
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[Beruka]

Chris,

I would have really preferrefed to run 3 T-5's 10" above the water level. I
may need to reconfigure the ballast to do this . Most T5 ballast run even
numbers of t5 54w bulbs. Maybe you have a better reflector than me because
I have some plants on two T7's (PC) that are not growing well over all.
Others are growing too well. The growth mostly corresponds to their light
requirements.

I am aware of the efficiency gain. T5 are fairly new. I am also going to
switch to growing marine macro algaes in the near future and will need the
extra intensity with one actinic atleast. In the meantime I could raise the
light fixture habging by cables to reduce intensity as needed.

Drew

"Chris_S" > wrote in message
...
> > Thats what I use currently. About 2 watts per gallon is sufficient for
> many
> > plants.
>
> You cannot compare wattages without understanding efficiency. For
example,
> a 1W T5 puts out far more light than a 1W T8, and even much more than a
T12.
> Generally the smaller the bulb the more efficienct it is. That is because
> the plasma is much closer to the phosphers, and the optical thickness of
the
> plasma is thinner.
>
> The old rules of thumb about so-and-so watts per gallon started with T12
> bulbs, and really does not address true intensity of lumens per gallon,
> which is the real intensity parameter that matters.
>
> The T5 biax bulbs (power compact type, etc) are very high efficiency.
They
> produce a lot more lumens per watt.
>
> > I think my question should have been what is the visual appearance
> > differance between 55w 6700 K PC bulb and a 54 watt DAYLIGHT T5 bulb?
>
> If you are talking about conventional T5 bulbs vs. the rare earth
> tri-phospher bulbs, I would suggest you stay away from the low cost
daylight
> bulbs. Their spectrum is very poor and no where near the wide spectrum of
> the 6700K bulbs.
>
> I have grown Lotus plants with red leaves clear through the top of the
tank
> with my two 55W 6700K bulbs. Grew so fast I could not prune them enough.
> I can't imagine needing or wanting more light.
>
> Now if you use the daylight bulbs, then perhaps you may need 4 bulbs and
> still not be the same effect. It must all be considered together:
wattage,
> efficiency, and spectrum.
>
> Chris.
>
>
> > "Chris_S" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > I've got 2-55W 6700 PC's on my 55G planted FW tank, and that is plenty
> of
> > > light. With CO2 the plants grow out of the tank faster than I can
prune
> > > them. Can't imagine needing more light than that, and sometimes I
think
> > > I've got too much light. Some fish don't like so much light.
> > >
> > > Chris.
> > >
> > >
> > > "Beruka" > wrote in message
> > > . com...
> > > > Would four T5 6500K 54 watts bulbs place 12" over a tank be too
> > powerfull
> > > > for a planted tank?
> > > >
> > > > I use 3 55 watts PC bulbs 3" off the surface with good effects. I
doo
> > get
> > > > thread like algae over the third light occasionally but is very
simple
> > to
> > > > control really.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks
> > > >
> > > > Beruka
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>