# How much light do I have?



## Paintcraze (May 3, 2013)

I have a 28 gal bow front tank....24"L x 18"H x 15" D. I have a Coralife T5NO fixture with two 14W 6700K bulbs and a SolarMaxHE fixture with a 14W 10000K bulb? Would this be considered medium light?


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Medium or medium-low I'd say, assuming the fixture is right on the rim of the tank and not elevated. 

18" of height reduces the light quite a lot.


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## Tyger (Jan 2, 2011)

I believe you will find you are really at medium-low and definitely low at the bottom of the tank, because HE (high efficiency) is *not* HO (high output) and so less powerful and less penetrating especially after 9"-12" depth. Low height/bottom growing plants will be in an low light environ. If you wanted to bump up the lighting, I suggest 3 (or 4) HO Lights with good reflectors. Best wishes...


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## Paintcraze (May 3, 2013)

I am wanting medium low light but had a lighting "guru" on another forum tell me that the combination of the two fixtures would give me high light and that the Solarmax fixture (which I am aware is NO) would provide twice the light of the Coralife fixture. The Solarmax does have much better reflectors.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Ehh, I'd bet a lot of rare plants its not high light, not even close. Who was it that said you had high lighting?


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## Paintcraze (May 3, 2013)

Hoppy.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Hmm strange, he is usually quite good with lighting issues. I'm surprised he says high light. 

I still disagree with high light, from what I've seen 42 watts of light (from 2x14w and 1x14w) on an 18" high tank is medium or medium low light conditions.


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## Paintcraze (May 3, 2013)

I'm wondering if he thought the Solarmax was a HO fixture.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

He might have, but even so calling it fully "high" light is a bit of a stretch, maybe medium-high.


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