# light for an ADA 60P



## jlramir5

Hello guys, 

Im starting an ADA 60p tank pretty soon but dont know what kind of lights to get for it.. 

I have a 2x24w GLO fixture but Im not sure if the legs will mount on the tank? 

I cant do hanging fixture because i live in an apartment.. any suggestions on fixtures that rest on top of a 60p tank? 

thanks!


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## Storms

jlramir5 said:


> Hello guys,
> 
> Im starting an ADA 60p tank pretty soon but dont know what kind of lights to get for it..
> 
> I have a 2x24w GLO fixture but Im not sure if the legs will mount on the tank?
> 
> I cant do hanging fixture because i live in an apartment.. any suggestions on fixtures that rest on top of a 60p tank?
> 
> thanks!


I'd certainly like to know as well. I'm considering an ADA 60P as well, and most of the 2x24" T5HO fixtures are way too much light for such a small tank, unless you hang the light and raise it over 12" from the top of the tank. It seems like T5 normal output aren't really being sold much any more, so even if you can get the fixture I'd be afraid of not being able to get replacement bulbs.

Aqua Forest Aquarium has a really nice Archaea clip on light, but it doesn't give full coverage as it's only 18.5" wide instead of 24", and it takes really expensive ADA replacement bulbs.

http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72_74&products_id=452

Let me know what you figure out.


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## Bunbuku

i have the aquatic life 24watt x 2 t5 lights for my 60P no problems, just make sure CO2 is not limiting. i think the hagen would work


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## TAB

i'd use a 150 mh =)


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## jlramir5

Storms said:


> Aqua Forest Aquarium has a really nice Archaea clip on light, but it doesn't give full coverage as it's only 18.5" wide instead of 24", and it takes really expensive ADA replacement bulbs.
> 
> http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72_74&products_id=452
> 
> Let me know what you figure out.


 I was looking at the clip on as well but I want to have enough wattage and coverage to grow HC and micro sword.. I will be dosing co2 via a 10 pound tank and Milwaukee ph controller.

Im looking for a sleek 24in fixture, the Hagen GLO fixture looks like it will be enough, but im not sure if it will clip on to the tank.


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## AquaBarren

Really like the Archea LED lights. Great output, reasonable price, look and work great. I also have a Marineland Double Bright LED fixture that we also love. I haven't tried high-light plants with it, but it is working well on a 33g tank. Haven't seen PAR measurements for either. On a 60p, I can't imagine both not producing plenty of light, but can't vouch for ability to grow a carpet.


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## Storms

AquaBarren said:


> Really like the Archea LED lights. Great output, reasonable price, look and work great. I also have a Marineland Double Bright LED fixture that we also love. I haven't tried high-light plants with it, but it is working well on a 33g tank. Haven't seen PAR measurements for either. On a 60p, I can't imagine both not producing plenty of light, but can't vouch for ability to grow a carpet.


Unfortunately I think the Marineland double bright are still considered "low light" for most tanks. You probably couldn't grow HC with it.

I'm seriously considering the Fishneedit 150 watt MH: http://www.fishneedit.com/150w-metal-halide-pendant-lig.html

It looks like almost a clone of the ADA Solar light. Of course the power consumption is way more than 2x24 watt T5HO, but it would look great and you could grow anything.


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## JustinKScott

I have a double bright; great for fish tanks... Bad for planted. (Unless you have 3-4 lamps.)


Jks
---------
60g waterfall tank
80g high tech planted (2.7w/g t5ho, pressured co2, EI ferts)
Bare-bottom Discus growth tank w/ 8 juvies
Angelfish breeder


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## AquaBarren

JustinKScott said:


> I have a double bright; great for fish tanks... Bad for planted. (Unless you have 3-4 lamps.)
> 
> Ours produces more than enough light for crypts. It is also growing hygro "kompakt" very well, a reneckii too. Light is mounted 20" above substrate and is on 12 hours/day.
> .


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## jlramir5

I went with the Archaea 24in fixture from Aqua Forest Aquarium.. Comes with two 6700k bulbs. We'll see how it works.


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## Storms

Looks nice! I went with the less than half price Fishneedit 24" T5HO fixture. I'll let you know how it works as well (just starting a 60P).

Good luck!


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## lanceduffy

Storms, 
I am considering a 2 or 4 bulb T5HO from FNI. I want to suspend the light above the tank. Could I get away with suspending a 2 bulb say, 12 inches above the water line?


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## OVT

BTW, the GLO mounts just fine on rimless tanks and it does have 5 notches for height adjustment and it does have build-in hide-away suspension tabs. I got a 36" over Mr. Aqua tank.


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## Storms

Hi lanceduffy,

Hoppy on another forum did some PAR tests on the FNI 2x24 watt fixture and found that they are underdriving the bulbs and they are putting out closer to T5NO output, rather than T5HO. I believe he was getting around 38 umols of PAR at 16" (per single bulb). Check the other forum in the Lighting section for more information.

What this means for me is basically I'm using the included plastic legs and it is sitting directly on top of the 60P, about 16" from the substrate. I still have high lighting and am running an 8 hour photoperiod with Co2. If they were driving the bulbs at full strength I would probably have an algae farm, but since they are underdriving the bulbs it works out ok for me.

If you raised them up to 12" above the water line you might have low or medium light, but you should probably read the thread and look at the chart Hoppy provided to see the details.


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## lanceduffy

Thanks Storms. I have seen Hoppy's thread. I appreciate the work he has done but I don't believe that his charts have a large enough sample size to draw any conclusions worth investing my money in.

For example, if I had gone off his data before he tested the FNI unit, I would have thought that all T5HO were the same. I don't think this but that is how the presentation looks to me. 

Now I am getting data on FNI T5HO. From what I read this is data from only one sample. I don't know the age of the unit, bulbs etc. 

I am thinking, based on the information I have read specific to this topic, and the data I see when I look at contest results, that I am going to go with the 4 bulb T5HO from FNI. I want to suspend the fixture 12" from the water line. If the bulbs are driven correctly, I might be able to get away with just running 2 of them. If they are under driven, I will run all 4. I was also thinking about their 70 W MH, but I think I have read enough to know that I don't wanna go down that road.

Thanks Storms for your advice. Thanks Hoppy if you are out there. We gotta start somewhere and I appreciate what you are trying to do.


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## Kevin Jones

i have used a variety of fixtures both LED and T5 on 60 - p tanks 

currently my favorite is the Vertex Illumilux which i'm using on3 of my 9 planted tanks


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## lanceduffy

I bought a 4 bulb 24" from FNI today. The plan is to suspend it 10-16" above the tank and use as many bulbs as needed. It comes wired to run 2 or 4 bulbs but I think I can rewire it to run 2 or 3 bulbs if needed. I will post updates about my impressions of the light to my journal. Thanks!


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