# Newbie lighting help please



## Fishguy04 (Feb 19, 2013)

So I've upgraded my tank from a 46g to a 72g and I was curious on what kind of lighting I should use for my plants. I'm keeping it simple with an amazon sword, dwarf hair grass and a crypt. As of right now I'm using a Aquatic Life T5-HO Freshwater - 2 x 39 W - 36" with 1x6000k and 1x650nm roseate. I want to get a 48" fixture and just wanted to know what kind and what intensity the bulbs should be. Thank you for the advice


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## aniroc (Aug 23, 2012)

There is a 48'' version Aquatic Life T5 HO dual 54w. Same: one 6000k, other roseate. This is what I have over the 75g and I grow swords, crypts, java fern, frogbit. Just try watersprite with that light. It grows nuts in my tank for some reason.


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## Mlevi (Jan 28, 2012)

For the type of plants you mentioned, you can use anything in the 6000 - 6500K range, and they should grow fine. There are many options for lighting with a 48" footprint. Depending on your budget, you could even put up a shop light fitting with a couple of 6500K tubes from your local hardware store, and it will work fine...or you could spend mucho dinero and get specialty tubes. 

What do you envision ultimately growing in your tank in future? How much money you wanna spend? That will govern your choices, but, as it stands, almost any type of fixture in the 6-6.5K range, will grow your plants.


Al.


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## Fishguy04 (Feb 19, 2013)

For this tank I plan on keeping the current plants as is, nothing more, just want to make sure they grow healthy and makes the tank look natural. I have a sand substrate, I'm using root tabs and liquid ferts. I just want to make sure I have the right lighting. It's in my living room as a show tank so the lighting fixture needs to look nice so the wife will be happy


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

I bought recently a 48" quad t5HO from hobbylighting on EBAY, they are here in Toronto and shipping got pretty much next day delivery.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/281054167539...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

price is not bad for the fixture (about 150 inc tax and delivery) and installation was rather easy as well. overall it makes the tank look really good and they give you the option of which bulbs they will send you (they have 12000, 6500 and actinic) I went for the 12000 and 6500 bulbs... the fixture does come with 4 night lights. makes it look interesting at night.

however as Mlevi said, it all depends on how much you are looking at spending.

sorry for the choppy pics, last 2 were taken with a cellphone


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## Fishguy04 (Feb 19, 2013)

Thanks FireWolf, I'm going to check it out....great pics


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I know where I am going to buy my next light!


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

hmm Hobbylighting started selling their lights again interesting. I know that before they were selling it and you can even pick it up at their warehouse in sauga but they stopped because someone reported them. They don't have FCC stickers I believe because it won't pass safety. I think even a member here bought one and it caught on fire, so they stopped selling it in canada and only sold it in the states. One of my plant customers bought one and he said that it's super hot and he's scared one day it will catch on fire and also the lights are not that great (was told this, I don't own one so I can't comment), I believe he tried to mod it to put a computer fan in it to cool it down.

@Firewolf

check if the fixture has a FCC sticker.


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

seems that they had been selling them for a while? there is another seller besides hobbylighting that had very similar (unless is the same people on a different account?) seemed ok with me to buy from them since they have been selling them from earlier in the year and did not see negative feedback on ebay about the fixtures. 

really bad that one caught fire, but giving the benefit of a doubt (since its my first light with them) could have been the odd one that wasn't manufactured properly? I hope that however it was got his $$ back or a replacement.

will check when I get home for the sticker and post back the findings.... so far I haven't notice the fixture getting too hot or anything of the sort.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

third page last post

http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32035&highlight=hobbylighting&page=3

Can't find the one about a fire though maybe it was on another forum.


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

ok so I have checked the link to the forum and does suck for the guy for not getting a refund, but I just wonder if he called that number that the notice says?

I have checked the fixture and well, did not see around it any sticker from the FCC. I am guessing that it should be somewhere visible and obvious and not inside the fixture (near the lamps inside the fixture?) 

it does have 4 mini "vents" on the top though, 2 on each corner, and there is a slight breeze and hum from them, I am guessing maybe small cooling fans? I had the light running for the past hour and a half and it is warm to the touch on the top, and have not smelled any "rubber" or "burning" smell from it. 

so far seems to be ok, and as for the Lamps themselves I have never really experimented with different types as I had, before this fixture, only a smaller one that was not HO, and used to buy flora lamps from Big Als that are supposedly good for plants. 

so cant really give much info on the lamps themselves. 

I understand the worries of the costumer that said about the lamp one day catching fire, but seems (no offence to your customer) rather odd that if he has those fears for him/her to keep using the lamp? 

I personally would not use it if I had any of those fears....

I am not endorsing this fixtures nor the sellers given that I just found them as I looked for a fixture myself. (mind you these fixtures are on kijiji as well, so my best guess is the same seller?)

I am also wondering how did Falcans find out that hobbylightning is the same as Britemore? just curious really. 


as for the not having the FCC on the fixture, it could also be because they are made in china? and the guy just buys in bulk then sells them for profit here


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## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

A quad light on a freshwater tank is almost certainly overkill. A dual T5HO with good reflectors will give high light to a depth of around 20 inches. Anything past that is just going to promote algae growth. Especially given that most of the plants you mentioned do not need very high light, I think you should defiantly get a dual T5HO and it will be fine. 

I had 3 bulbs above my 35 gallon for a while, and had piles of algae. Not I have a 65 with only 2 bulbs, and very little algae indeed! On my 75 gallon, I have a dual T5HO, and I think this is fine for even high light plants. 

If you get a quad fixture, you should consider lifting is above the tank. This will help keep it from being to intense, and also spread the light better. But 48" dual T5s seems to be the most commonly sold lights here on the forum. If you post a wanted add, you might get one for a great price.


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

Hey Colio

I am not sure about the dual lamps, but are the lights on at the same time? or do they come with switches for each one individual? 

the one I got has 3 buttons, 1 for the 2 65k bulbs, 1 for the 12k bulbs and 1 for the blue moon lights. 

also what I like, (havent used or set up yet) is that it comes with a timer for them to turn off and on


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## Canadianbettas (Oct 18, 2009)

I'm not sure.. if these are new/remade ones.. because I bought from this guy.. awhile ago.. (my post)

for 100 for the quad T5ho fixture..

Fixture got extremely hot... within 3 hours use.. If you went close.. it smelled bad lol

I continued using.. and just set my timer to shut them off every 3 hours or so to prevent overheating... Anyway..
Shortly after I bought it there was a recall on these lights supposely because someone's fixture catching fire.. 
That pretty much made me stop using it 

There was a form to fill out for the refund.... Just my thoughts maybe they changed now..?

Do keep us updated though... price is good lol


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

has anyone thought to contact them about if they changed and are legal now?


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

@ Canadianbettas

well hopefully they are new ones/remade from what they used to sell. and 100for a quad is not bad.

I haven't had any issue with it overheating or smelling bad, but then again I haven't had it on for more than 3 or 4 hours at a time.... coming on days off from work soon, so will keep it on most of the day and share anything I notice from it 

@ Pyrrolin

even if contacted they could say anything, doesn't mean it will be the truth...but then again it could be. 

but otherwise, I personally have not thought of contacting them to check on that...as far as the item works the way its intended (and not cause any issues)...its ok with me.


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

*update*

Hello Everyone!

just coming back with an update....
continuous time on, did not shut the fixture off until the evening...

so yesterday I had the fixture on, from about 10 am, until approximately 6 pm with one of the 2 sets of lights on, just to see how it would do....so far the fixture got warm, but nothing to be alarmed about, it was warm enough that I could keep my hand on top of it (on either side , left, right and middle) without any issue or getting burnt.

today did the same thing with the second set of lights, to test how hot it would get... and so far it has shown the same as yesterday...just got warm enough that I could feel it but still keep my hand on it for any extended period of time.

there has been no smell of burning or anything of the sort coming out of it and well, seems that the fans this one have are working as they should be.

Canadianbettas, maybe you or anyone else who has used this fixture can tell me if the one that you had previously had any fans?

mine comes with 2 sections on each side (see pic attached) where I can feel air circulating from the fixture. if the ones from before did not have them, then maybe this are upgraded fixtures that they have changed to, to evade any issues of them overheating or catching fire?

I still got to try and set up the timer, haven't done it since whenever its been on, there is always someone home. but will try to do it later tonight and see how it works.

if anything comes up with mine I will be sure to update everyone, but so far, it seems that this fixture was well worth the money paid for it... as for the light bulb quality, I am still using 2 6500k and 2 12000k bulbs. first fixture that is an HO so I don't really have much of a say, except that my plants seem to like it, have noticed a bit of a difference compared from the previous fixture I had on it.


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## Canadianbettas (Oct 18, 2009)

Mine had two vent holes like yours but inside there were no fans lol (at least I don't remember any)

Can you feel air coming out of those?  if so.. they probably added them? hmm


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

Yes mine has 2 vent holes on each side and can feel a slight breeze from all 4 of them. 

I haven't opened the fixture enough or the vents to see how big the fans are, but it does seem to keep the temperature low enough so it doesn't overheat


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

Just do what we all used to do as a kid, stick something in there like a house fan. Insert a piece of small paper and if you can hear the fan blades hitting the paper there is a fan. If not then they just waited it out and started selling them again without properly safetying it

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

well there is a fan, I know for sure since I can feel the slight breeze, coming out out the vents, as to how big the fan is, that I do not know


however, just for the fun of old times  I have checked again, this time I lifted the vents, the 2 near the control side do not have fans, but seems that the fans on the other side have enough strenght since I can feel light breeze coming out of it. 

could not see a fan from that side since only the wires visible... so I chcked the other side, and sure enough both vents had a fan each. small one, the size of the vent, so I did not take it out completely since I do not know how much of wire does it have to be pulled up, did put a piece of paper in, and confirmed 2 sides have a fan for sure.

would have expected 2 fans on each side (at least 1 minimum) but could be that the fans are near the ballast? if I ever get any trouble with it, will take it apart for sure, but for now, seems to be OK. Will consider in the future to possibly add another to the side that does not have a fan, but will see...


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## Canadianbettas (Oct 18, 2009)

How are the bulbs they gave u?
I have 2 left over.. that I am using in my high light plant with co2 right now...

Doesnt seem too good.....


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## FireWolf (Jul 8, 2013)

Canadianbettas said:


> How are the bulbs they gave u?
> I have 2 left over.. that I am using in my high light plant with co2 right now...
> 
> Doesnt seem too good.....


It is my first time using HO lights, so I am not too sure what you mean how good they are?

it is 4 skinny long bulbs that they gave me and they seem ok, my plants have gained color compared to how they were with the previous fixture that I was using on the tank...

got 2 65k and 2 12k on a 3 hour interval (12-3, the 65, 3-6 the 12k)


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