EcHo2134 Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Hi has anyone got any advice for lighting a tank that will be densly planted it is a 36"x24"x32" (32" high). I have one aqua one power compact lights, 2 x24 watt tubes each. They are supposedly better than standard fluros, but i placed them on my 6 ft tank 24" high and was not impressed (neither was my saratoga). I have ordered another one of these lights? will this be enough? any ideas? Regards Ernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHL Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 There is another power compact that is 2x 35w which I think would be better for your setup. I have the same Aqua One light as you do, but only using it in a 30" tank (as that's how wide the light area actually is), and I find the light too green; all my red plants have faded to green. I'm actually on the lookout for pinkish replacement lights for my fitting; any ideas as to where to get them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MollyMan Posted January 16, 2004 Share Posted January 16, 2004 Tip: dont look for coloured tubes unless you are running a combo setup with at least 4-6 different light spectrums... Best bet is to look for anything around the 6500-6700 kelvin mark, and if you can really crunch the stats, 70-80 lumens per watt... (this is the closest to real sunlight that you can get in the tank) If the tubes have this info it will be in this format (based on a 36w 48" tube) 6200k - Light output 2600lm - 72lm/w HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EcHo2134 Posted January 16, 2004 Author Share Posted January 16, 2004 www.kongs.com.au they are the suppliers of the aquaone lights. u can get pink white blue bulbs.. as indicticated on their website, but they may have to be ordered (at your LFS). RRP is $24. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searlesy Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 If you have a hood, and are willing to lay out a bit more money, I would go for an E40 base power compact, and ablite reflector. The compacts can be bought in 130w or 65w versions, in 6400 or 14000K. E40 Power Compact product page link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHL Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 If you have a hood, and are willing to lay out a bit more money, I would go for an E40 base power compact, and ablite reflector. The compacts can be bought in 130w or 65w versions, in 6400 or 14000K. E40 Power Compact product page link I'm surprised they are selling them for aquarium use, as they are less efficient (as the tubes are one above the other, rather than flat), are designed to fail in the ballast (rather than the tube) and are not usually designed to be on for long periods at a time. I'd also rather keep my ballast away the tube, so I can more easily cool the ballast (they fail sooner if overheated). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searlesy Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 I agree that they may be very slightly less effecient than those that lay flat, however, even allowing for the slight loss in effeciency, they still allow you to get more watts reaching the water for a smaller area than standard power compacts. I wouldnt say that they are not designed to be on for long periods at a time, as they have been specifically designed for the hydro industry, in which they would be on for just as long a period as they would in aquarium use. I guess it is less of an issue for me though, as I run them in a refugium for a reef tank, and I have ventilation fans running whilst the lights are on. They are proving quite popular for marine tanks though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.