# T5 48 inch HO light fixture



## overthetop2009 (Jan 18, 2010)

Hi Everyone. 

I have other posts out there with the details of my setup. At the risk of being repetive I'll summarize so that you can best give advise (please)  

I have a standard 75 gallon (4foot). A ton of ecocomplete and other flourite based substrate. 4-5 inches in the back 1-3 in the front (thinnest in the middle). 

I have planted my tank (see image after planting). I am having trouble with my grass like dwarf sword (browning) but the micro sword is doing much better. I like it better too. 

I am thinking I need more light to complement my dual HO coral life 48" light fixture with two 56 W hagen lifeglo bulbs. That's 112 W of light on a 75 with 10-15 gals of displaced water due to substrate. Translating to 1.5 W per gal without substrate displacement or 1.72 W per gal with substrate. 

I have started dosing with 1 cap of flourish every day and fert with Seachem fert as well. I am in the market for CO2 canister and equipment but don't think that is warranted until I can get my lighting to 2-3W per gallon. 

My undeducated plan is to get another dual fixture and run one extra 56 W lifeglo bulb and one other to couterballance the spectrum to bring out the colours of my fish. Super Pet on Yonge and Lawrence has quoted me at 185 give or take for an empty HO fixture. Then another ?$ for the bulbs. Is this price reasonable? Is there a cheaper way to go both aquarium specific or from hardware store? I want to be able to support 56W lifeglow bulbs. I was thinking of trying one other lifeglo bulb and one blue to bring out the colours of my fish. That would bring me to at least 168 W of light or 2.6 W per gallon with substrate displacement (not couting the blue bulb output). It would give me an option to push my lighting to 3.5 WPG in the future (or even now). 

Another potential option: I already have another identical fixture on my oscar tank running the saltwater 28W lighting one is white light the other is blue both at 28W. This is the Coral Life Ocean light setup. I don't need or want algae/plant usable light on my Oscar tank so their might be a cheaper solution for that tank? First question: Is there? Can I get a cheaper dual light fixture for my O tank (still want T5 if possible). This is the tank in the living room so it has to still look good (lighting more than the fixture as I have hoods on both tanks). 

What would you do? Where is the cheapest and best TTC or internet friendly solution? 

Any advise would be really apreciated. 

Thanks!


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## overthetop2009 (Jan 18, 2010)

I know everyone likes pictures. I know I do. I will upload a new one this evening.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

What are your nutirent levels and maintence routine? I don't think more light is your issue - my folks have a 75g (which I maintain) and it runs with 2x 28w normal output 4' T5 bulbs. The dwarf sag grows in a decently carpeted state, with no browning.

Here's how it looked a few months after planting:


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## overthetop2009 (Jan 18, 2010)

*Wow*

Nice growth on that tank, really beautiful. I am going for a little more growth to have a lawn of 'grass' from that microsword.

I do a weekly 30% water change (from the tap dosing with dechloronator before hand).

2217 Ehiem filter.

Dose once a week with the Seachem fert - use label instructions (1.2 caps).

Dose once a day with Seachem Flourish.

What do you use for CO2? Fert? Considering I have twice the light on my tank that you do I would be very happy to not need this additional expense.

Anyone else?


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

overthetop2009 said:


> What do you use for CO2? Fert? Considering I have twice the light on my tank that you do I would be very happy to not need this additional expense.
> 
> Anyone else?


Unfortunately, that is exactly why you would need to closely watch your nutrient levels with the addition of CO2. With more light, things can get out of hand really quickly if you let it. With 4x54watt T5HOs on a 75gal tank, that to me would need CO2 and nutrient dosing for sure.

Btw, what type of T5HO fixture is Superpet quoting you on? Why not buy a 4ft x 4 bulb T5HO fixture and sell off your dual bulb?


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## Rmwbrown (Jan 22, 2009)

It could be difficult getting Lilaeopsis brasiliensis and Echinodorus tenellus to carpet ( i don;t think you are growing sag?). I am running a 20 gallon at 3 wpg, ecocomplete, DIY Co2 and following the Seachem dosing chart and both are growing slowly (mind you, my Co2 is still reading on the low side) and proving difficult to carpet. Once you get that kind of lighting you will need some form of Co2 not only to feed the plants but to keep off algae. I am using a DIY and seachem combo to do this now, however, given the scale of your tank you will need the pressurized system as you indicated. 

Echinodorus tenellus will also brown (i.e. die) if it is planted too deep into the ecocomplete. More over, if you see any of Amano's early work like some of the stuff in his first book, he even has a hard time carpeting E. tenellus - it is not very dense and it grows low to the ground. Lilaeopsis brasiliensis is also a slow grower so you usually see it as an accent plant more often then a full out carpet in larger tanks. 

I really don't think there is a cheap or easy way to carpet plants - this, however, is my first try. More over, i would agree with Gucci, you might as well sell off the existing light and get something that houses 4 T5's. It will be a mess any other way. 

I am by no means a planted tank expert, however, the more i look at planted tanks i realize that they all look amazing when the plants are thriving. It seems that getting plants to thrive often means going over and above the minimum requirements. With that in mind you may want to pick a few "carpeting plants" that are a little less light intensive. I have been having pretty good luck with Glossostigma at 3wpg. Better yet, though it was placed in the mid/background of my tank, I had to move all my Hemianthus micranthemoides up to the front because I could not stop it from carpeting.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

No ferts or any supplementation on that tank.



Rmwbrown said:


> If you want your Dwarf Hair Grass to carpet you are going to need 3 watts at the very least.


Not really - the 'carpet' of dwarf sag in this 20L is supported by 28w of normal output T5s:










It's actually pretty dense too - lots of runners going all over the place.


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## Rmwbrown (Jan 22, 2009)

For the love of Latin! Sorry ameekplec when i first read that post I thought he was talking about Eleocharis parvula. After reading it again i thought he meant Lilaeopsis brasiliensis and Echinodorus tenellus. 

Are we talking about Sagittaria subulata? Your right though, I have dwarf sag. in my parents 70 gallon with a little under 2 wpg and it spreads nicely - though it tends to flay out and hug the bottom.


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## Rmwbrown (Jan 22, 2009)

BTW, is that where that huge chunk of Ricca came from?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

yeppers. Takes a few weeks, but every few weeks I need to remove a huge sheet of it or else it chokes everything out


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