Tube T5 Fluorescent

ekolyne

I bought a counter top light from ikea awhile ago and used it to light my fishtank. its mounted under a cabinet and the tank sits right under it. its only a 8watt max. is that enough watts to properly light a tank with 3 small plants?

or do i need like a 30-40 watt?
roughly 3 watts per gallon right?

Byron

What size is the tank? The amount of light needed depends upon how much water it has to penetrate and the surface area.

Also, do you know the kelvin rating of the tube? Kelvin is the measurement of the couolour temperature of light, and plants respond best with "daylight" around 6000K to 7000K. Light warmer (lower K number) or cooler (higher K number) than this is less useable by higher plants but algae will flourish. "Temperature" here has nothing to do with hot/cold temperature, but colour, as "warm" is reddish/orange and "cool" is bluish, etc. "Daylight" around 6500K is ideal.

Byron.

diane21

It is important to note that T5s usually require new fixtures and cannot be easily retrofitted into existing T8 or T12 systems.However, using fixtures specifically designed for T5 lamps optimizes performance and prevents the misapplication of other types of lamps – a common problem with T8 systems. Compared
to metal-halide systems, T5s offer better lighting quality due to a higher color-rendering index, better light distribution, and lumen maintenance.