# Where to fing right light for my new 30Gl planted tank ?



## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

Hi

I finally started my new 29Gl tank. it currently cycling. I want to make it a planted tank same as my 10Gl. After checking a light bulb on canopy i realized that it's only 18W, 24" daylight T8 one. When I went to BAs I found only 20W ones in my size. The BA rep advices me to upgrade to 30" canopy but I also found out that the strongest lamp they had for 30" is 24W T8. But my experience and understanding that I need at list 1W per gallon. So I need at list 30W lamp. I'm planning to grow low light plants like Java fern, amazon sword, Hygrophilia deformia and polynezia. Does anybody know where i can get 30-40W T8 or T5 24" lamp (or 30", I can upgrade my canopy) for regular Tetra canopy for 29Gl tank ?
Any help is appreciated


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

I had the same issue with my 29G tank. Nothing would survive with the 18w light and I doubt 24w would do anything. There are T5HO options but if you want to keep the canopy, This is something to look into. I did the DIY for about $20 including paint and bulb over a year and a half ago and it will grow all low light plants now.


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

arc said:


> I had the same issue with my 29G tank. Nothing would survive with the 18w light and I doubt 24w would do anything. There are T5HO options but if you want to keep the canopy, This is something to look into. I did the DIY for about $20 including paint and bulb over a year and a half ago and it will grow all low light plants now.


What is T5HO ? And what could be done DIY. I'm not very good on DIY. I prefer to buy / pay vs. DYI if it is not too expencive


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

T5 High Output fixture is a type of lighting which produce more light output(lux) per watt than T8. Here is an example. Note that T8 and T5HO use different sockets and ballast so you can not interchange bulbs with them.

If you look at the Hagen T5 Glo Single Fixture(7850 Lux @54watts) vs the standard T8 Perfecto Single Fluorescent Strip Light(1780 Lux @40watts) the lux are a lot higher for only a slight increase in watts. The reflector also is an important part.

Most quality aquarium T5HO lighting are really expensive(150+) and I wanted to keep the lid on the 29g tank so DIY route made sense to me. If you are ok with removing the lid and buying a fixture, I would look into getting This. I personally don't like these as the reflector is garbage and this double bulb fixture will produce less lux than a single Hagen GLO 24watt T5 HO but the Hagen fixture is double the price or more(if you can find one at all)

The DIY reflector for mine is just white paint(same as the ebay lights) and lux is most likely the same or less than the ebay one but it cost $20 total. Also I would not recommend buying a T5HO strip and transplanting it into the canopy you have. T5HO lights create a decent amount of heat and within an enclosed space will shorten the life of the ballast and bulbs greatly.


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

arc said:


> T5 High Output fixture is a type of lighting which produce more light output(lux) per watt than T8. Here is an example. Note that T8 and T5HO use different sockets and ballast so you can not interchange bulbs with them.
> 
> If you look at the Hagen T5 Glo Single Fixture(7850 Lux @54watts) vs the standard T8 Perfecto Single Fluorescent Strip Light(1780 Lux @40watts) the lux are a lot higher for only a slight increase in watts. The reflector also is an important part.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your help. What about putting in my current fixture Life-GLO T8 - 20W one ? Would it be sufficient enough for low light plants like Java fern on hygrophilia ?


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

No harm trying the 20w but I don't imagine much growth from the hygrophila, the java fern may survive. My java fern slowly died off over a few months with 18w


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## ubr0ke (Jul 12, 2011)

add fertilizer...I have less then 1watt of t8 light per gallon...growth is fine...

light is a small part of planted tanks..low light just means slow growth...its more likely your plants starved to death then died due to lack of light..


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

What is the height of your tank? I used a 15W T8 for a year on my 20-gallon tank (16" height). The plants grew, but I kept having 30-40ppm Nitrates each week. When I upgraded to a 36W PC, my Nitrates dropped to 20ppm.

So with a basic T8 light, low light plants will grow, but not fast or vigorously enough to handle a large bioload.


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

solarz said:


> What is the height of your tank? I used a 15W T8 for a year on my 20-gallon tank (16" height). The plants grew, but I kept having 30-40ppm Nitrates each week. When I upgraded to a 36W PC, my Nitrates dropped to 20ppm.
> 
> So with a basic T8 light, low light plants will grow, but not fast or vigorously enough to handle a large bioload.


It's a regular Tetra 29Gl (wide, not toll) kit. I'm planning to put there java fern, chygrophilia polinezia and deformia and amazon sword. I'll be using furtalizers like flourish, excel and iron. I'm planning to pur around 30nfish there with AC50 filter running and if I put more fish I'll add another AC30


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

ppaskova said:


> It's a regular Tetra 29Gl (wide, not toll) kit. I'm planning to put there java fern, chygrophilia polinezia and deformia and amazon sword. I'll be using furtalizers like flourish, excel and iron. I'm planning to pur around 30nfish there with AC50 filter running and if I put more fish I'll add another AC30


Are you sure it's wide? You mentioned a 30" canopy: assuming a tank width of 30", that would put the height to 19", which is 3" higher than my tank. I would say that puts a 24W over it to about the same light intensity as a 15W over 16".


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

solarz said:


> Are you sure it's wide? You mentioned a 30" canopy: assuming a tank width of 30", that would put the height to 19", which is 3" higher than my tank. I would say that puts a 24W over it to about the same light intensity as a 15W over 16".


It's actualy 18" height. And the lamp that will go there in 20W Life-GLO. I hope this will be enough for low light plants


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## ubr0ke (Jul 12, 2011)

ppaskova said:


> It's actualy 18" height. And the lamp that will go there in 20W Life-GLO. I hope this will be enough for low light plants


it is..this tank has 30 watts of t8...its a 35 gallon.


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