# [Wet Thumb Forum]-lighting



## pahorne (Jun 9, 2003)

hey there right i have a 40 gal hexagol its 18 inches deep i have 2 18 inch tubes both brand new (think i gave myself arc eye when i turned them on) 
i had a friend make me a light prison so 95% of the light is directed straight down isthis going to be enough


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## pahorne (Jun 9, 2003)

hey there right i have a 40 gal hexagol its 18 inches deep i have 2 18 inch tubes both brand new (think i gave myself arc eye when i turned them on) 
i had a friend make me a light prison so 95% of the light is directed straight down isthis going to be enough


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## JamesHoftiezer (Feb 2, 2003)

Pahorne,
Good to have you here. Welcome!

What wattage are the bulbs? I could assume but I would prefer you stated the wattage. If you know the color(K) it would also be helpful.

*James Hoftiezer

Tank Journal - Aquascape ( Latest / Archive )
Tank Journal - Parts and Construction ( Latest / Archive )*


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## pahorne (Jun 9, 2003)

hi and thanks for the welcome
the bulbs are 15 watts 
and there are both triton
as for colour i have the box here and it dont say nothing about colour


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## JamesHoftiezer (Feb 2, 2003)

In general terms the minimum for low light plants is 2wpg with average for planted tanks being closer to 3wpg. I personally use 3.3wpg.
30w over 40g is only 0.75w
It would be best if you could look to upgrade the lighting before getting plants.

*James Hoftiezer

Tank Journal - Aquascape ( Latest / Archive )
Tank Journal - Parts and Construction ( Latest / Archive )*


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## pahorne (Jun 9, 2003)

thank for your help i think a total rethink is going to be needed here because of the shape of the tank lighting might be a problem i might be able to get 2 or 3 more tubes on bored but anythink more than that would be really tight 
i also desighed a co2 defuser but im a little frightened to use it 
the other problem i have is that im in the uk and there is a real lack of qualitity shops over here the only light i can get are flo tubes i had to build my own co2 from the inter net which works(9prob to well)
the other thing is before i found this web sight id never seen anythink about substate so i dont have one (YET) 
thank james sorry about the typing i broke 2 finger playing cricket last night


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## JamesHoftiezer (Feb 2, 2003)

Not to worry. We assume everyone is new to the hobby, so we try never to assume too much.

Being in Europe may actually be good for you in that there are some specialty items you can get but we can't get in the states. AquaMedic and Dupla are example of hih quality stuff that we fight to get in the states.

In paricular I am thinking of a 100-150w metal halide light which I think would be perfect for that tank. Its a little small bulb that would give you 2.5w of light in a very small package. They key would be getting it in a bulb color of 5300k-7000k.

Here's an example, but it took a while to find it;
1 LIGHT UNIVERSAL SYSTEM 24'' X 24'' (BENDABLE) 100W 5K 

*James Hoftiezer

Tank Journal - Aquascape ( Latest / Archive )
Tank Journal - Parts and Construction ( Latest / Archive )*


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## cousin it (Apr 2, 2003)

If you are in the UK then you can get hold of T5 lights from several online shops.
these are very good for planted tanks and are very cheap to run.
I have been using a set on my main tank for the last 7mths and they are a huge improvement over a lot of the alternatives on the market at the moment.


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## JamesHoftiezer (Feb 2, 2003)

A) What are the tank dimensions?
B) What sizes can you get T% lights in?

*James Hoftiezer

Tank Journal - Aquascape ( Latest / Archive )
Tank Journal - Parts and Construction ( Latest / Archive )*


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## cousin it (Apr 2, 2003)

you can get t5 lights from about 18" upto around 6' they do compact versions which should be about the right size for that tank if its currently using 18" t8's.

I have a 68w unit coming for a 60l (2')tank I have and after seeing the difference just 2wpg of t5 can make over 3+wpg t8 I'm really looking forward to it arriving.

I did read that a company has started selling aquatic t5 units in America reciently.


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## pahorne (Jun 9, 2003)

hi there i back from the shops i found a t5 unit the only snag is the smallest unit they had was 24 inchs across which is really tight and would give 44w in total and it £95 so i might as well just buy 2 more starter unit`s and have 4 tubes which will cost me about £25 and give me 60 watts thats about 1.50 watts per gallon although the tank is 50 gal i have just read and i didnt allow for my wood rock and substrate i have also found some new substrate and finer gravel so its been a good around day now after next week im off for 3 week holaday so now should i use my co2 in my new tank or not and where can i get quality plants from


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## JamesHoftiezer (Feb 2, 2003)

For sizing the lights just go with the tank's set volume. We all understand about the issues with determining the actual/real volume of water and we take it into account.

My tank is 100g but with the wood and 250lb of gravel etc... The truth is that is a complicated formula based on type and number of bulbs taking into account the height of the lights above the water, the surface area of the tank and the depth to the particular plant you are trying to light ....I try to avoid things that have forumlas or too many decimal places.

For instance when we say watts per gallon, we are assuming standard flourescent bulbs as opposed to incadesant, metal halide, power compact or any really good reflctors.

When I suggested the MH, I was taking into account the hex shape of the tank. It makes find lights difficult. The ones that are short enough rarely provide sufficient wattage. Power compacts are a possible solution, but again length may be an issue. I know of some quad 96w that might work. That would at least give you 2wpg. I still think a small MH is your best bet.

*James Hoftiezer

Tank Journal - Aquascape ( Latest / Archive )
Tank Journal - Parts and Construction ( Latest / Archive )*


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## cousin it (Apr 2, 2003)

this is where I have purchased my smaller t5 units from compact t5 units.
one thing to keep in mind with t5 versus t8 is t5 has been developed as a replacement for MH lighting and each tube is the same as aproximately 3-4 t8 tubes and uses a fraction of the electricity of a t8 unit.
also the life span of the tubes is a lot longer, so although the initial purchase price is higher than say 4 t8's after 2 years when you have replaced the t8 tubes say 4 times the original t5 tubes will still be working well.
a rough calculation 4x 18 tubes = £40 x 4 £160 or £96 for the t5's, I know where I have put my money


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## JamesHoftiezer (Feb 2, 2003)

OK, T5 is also callled;
Power Compact 
Compact Flourescents

I run a 6x55w over my tank. Just different name.

*James Hoftiezer

Tank Journal - Aquascape ( Latest / Archive )
Tank Journal - Parts and Construction ( Latest / Archive )*


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## pahorne (Jun 9, 2003)

ok sorry i didnt make myself vary clear there cousin it i already have 2 and 2more will cost me £25


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## pahorne (Jun 9, 2003)

and what about the co2


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## cousin it (Apr 2, 2003)

there are differences between the two those units I linked to are compact t5 units, but the larger units use standard style tubes.
a bit more info on them here and here


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