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Anyone having 30-40 watt on 55g planted?

6K views 33 replies 7 participants last post by  LisaC144 
#1 ·
I'm adding this tech stuff here because its mainly a discussion for the plants.....

Sooo my 55g appears too bright for me eyes even letting the floating plants grow out. I have 2x30w Daylights T8's on there. While its not bright as sunlight don't get me wrong; but its brighter then my other tanks and I'm just a picky person in general :lol:

So I was wondering and reading yesterday what if I changed it to 2x15w = 30 watt total or 1x40w?

Anyone have any experience with this low wattage on 55g?

In comparison to my other tanks I'd say let's do it -BUT- the 55g is also much taller then the other tanks, specially if I look at the 45g so would that stuff be enough for my Sagittaria and Narrowleaf Chain sword down there?

Just really looking for ideas here / experiences - Anyone?
 
#3 ·
Lisa - Worst case gimme 2 weeks test time and i'll play test bunny for the both of us with 1x30w :)
 
#4 ·
haha, sounds good. Then I can get the 2x15w if it works for you. I was going to pick up the 2x20w (since it was still 6500k) but wanted to check the forum first. I can still check Home Depot to check for the 2x30w too. We'll see if anyone has suggestions or experience otherwise :)
 
#5 ·
I keep rattling my brains here, looking at old tank pictures of other 55's I had and for the live of me I do not know what the lowest wattage was I ever set up :-(
 
#6 · (Edited)
Well my thinking is that perhaps the best bet in my case might be 2x20w at 6500k if I can't find the 2x30w at Home Depot. It's the closest I can get to the full 60w and still at 6500k. They had 2x30w available in 36", which of course is of no use to me. Go figure. Before I jump the gun though, I'll await responses and check Home Depot too.
 
#8 ·
I'm not sure what the size was, but for years I used the two 2' single bulb fixtures that came with the aquarium. They seemed bright enough to me but all I could grow long-term were crypts. Some hygros would do well for a while but in the end, they would die. That's why I switched to the tripple bulb fixture.

So far I've been able to grow lots of plants I never used to be able to grow. But there are still some that just won't grow. I don't know if that's because of too much light or too little. I think I may try removing a bulb just to see what happens. The current bulbs are 4', 32 watts t-8s.
 
#9 · (Edited)
For several years in the mid-1980's I had a 55g with one 48-inch 40w tube. It was a "Grolux" which was the rage then, in planted tanks. Very dim light by comparison to the full spectrum same size, and I didn't like the purplish hue it cast. I had thriving swords, and never fertilized. Though I did use magnesium sulfate once a week, on the advice of a planted tank aquarist writing a monthly column in FAMA at the time. It seemed to work fine.

I would suggest a single 48-inch tube to be preferable to two smaller tubes; reason being you have more even light distribution down the tank from end to end. Also, the less expensive full spectrum tubes are available in 48 inches and the other sizes are not, at least here at Home Depot, etc. May be different in the US so then that wouldn't be a consideration.

Byron.
 
#11 ·
I would suggest a single 48-inch tube to be preferable to two smaller tubes; reason being you have more even light distribution down the tank from end to end. Also, the less expensive full spectrum tubes are available in 48 inches and the other sizes are not, at least here at Home Depot, etc. May be different in the US so then that wouldn't be a consideration.

Byron.
Yea right now mine's set with 2x48"....and I would REALLY wonder about using 1x48" @ 30watts total over the tank (rather then right now 60w total) both being T8's....

You think 30w "alone" would cut it with Swords, Vallis, Ludwigia, Sagetarria??
Was this tank not what it was in the beginning ( a plain nightmare) and was it established I'd have no concern testing and it and report back to ya'll in few weeks.....but this 55 being what it has been so far and finally NOW being in check - I'm scared it'll throw things off balance AGAIN :-? and I'd hate myself if I triggered that.....

@B/ Everyone: The 1 tube going across rather then 2 individual ABSOLUTELY!!!!! I have 2 side by side on the 45g and I had how it makes the tank look split by the light with using 2 different K rated bulbs - I'd LOVE nothing more on that tank then having a single 4ft tube going across....but one DIY at a time :lol:
 
#12 ·
Mine has 2 lights, one on the right side and one on the left. I have no idea how I would change it, unless I bought a new light fixture. This is just how it came. I believe they are 24" each. Lowe's DOES carry 24" bulbs in Daylight. My issue was that they only had 15w and 20w available, so I could do 2x15w or 2x20w in 24" bulbs.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Mine has 2 lights, one on the right side and one on the left. I have no idea how I would change it, unless I bought a new light fixture. This is just how it came. I believe they are 24" each. Lowe's DOES carry 24" bulbs in Daylight. My issue was that they only had 15w and 20w available, so I could do 2x15w or 2x20w in 24" bulbs.
Two 20w would equal the 40w of a 48-inch [Natalie, the 48-inch is 40w usually, though the new manufacturers have 32w tubes that are equal intensity for less energy used]. That would be sufficient for most plants.

Just thought after I'd posted this; back in those days of my 55g with one tube, I never had algae; nor did I in the 25g tanks that had one 20w Grolux. Now that I have more light, admittedly over larger tanks but no deeper, I have had algae now and then. I think that again shows it is the light.

Byron.
 
#13 ·
If you're using the same bulbs eg. 2x daylight...that's fine; but if you have them stocked with let's say a 5K and 65K bulb which if they're back to back is great - Just f they're side by side it looks like *sugar* :)

If I had the choice between what you're saying with the sizes you need etc I'd get me 2x20w daylights

BTW Anyone else ever noticed the daylights @ ~20" are just the same price then the 4ft'ers and they don't come in 2-packs....I mean granted they're still cheaper at Lowes then the petstore...I had just found it odd and never realized it until just recently when I busted my 18" one.
 
#15 ·
Perfect, then 2x20w Daylight it is. I was going to grab that while at Lowe's, but I wanted to make sure first. Think I should check Home Depot for the 2x30w if I can get it (would that be better if I can get it) or just go with the 2x20w for a total of 40w?
 
#16 ·
We use single 4 foot bulbs on a few 55's. Most plants will go fine. Narrowleaf chain I would say not so good though. A reflector will make a great addition to a single bulb setup. I agree with Byron on the double light hoods.

Dan
 
#17 ·
Hmmm just checked the package; cause like the lil bulbs I have on the small tank they're 7 w (used wattage) but actually give off the light of 40w.....Didn't say nothing like that on the GE pack for the 4ft'ers just said 30w:-?

You know what I'm gonna play around now (needing to do my w/c anyway) and I'm gonna jump in the clod water and see what it'll look with just one and go from there.)
 
#18 ·
Natalie, I noticed the same thing on the GE bulb. It says the true wattage, not like the one you (and now I) use on the smaller tanks. I think maybe because the 7w is energy saver, but it still like a 40w bulb but uses 7w's of energy. Very confusing, which is why I had to take a pic of it for you ;-)
 
#20 · (Edited)
Don't get too concerned over wattage, remember, that is not an accurate indication of light intensity. Watts is just the measure of energy used by the tube to emit whatever light it emits. The lumen is the measurement of light intensity (output), and the lux represents one lumen falling on one square metre. The measurement of lumens is the key to intensity, and while I rarely have seen this given on tube packages I have seen the lux (Hagen/Nutrafin's -Glo series of tubes has a lux chart). Natural bright mid-day sunlight is approximately 70,000-80,000 lux, and tropical plants require between 300 and 6,000 lux depending upon species; crypts are at the 300 end.

As an example, I have T8 Life-Glo 2 tubes on my tanks, and their lux rating is 320. So with two of these, there is about 640 lux. However, a majority of plants will do fine under this, as my tanks and Angel's tanks and other people's tanks prove. When I tried the T5 HO tubes, same brand, the lux was close to 500 per tube, which is why I say that one 48-inch T5 HO puts out the intensity of 1.5 T8 tubes, and over the tank the brightness was significant.

The watt per gallon idea works quite well with standard T8 tubes, for a guide. But as soon as you get these newer tubes that are more intense [like the Zoo Med series of T8] or the T5 NO and HO tubes, the watts basically becomes meaningless.

Byron.
 
#22 ·
Single tubes now. I give up on lighting. It makes my head hurt. I should just go T5 ho and co2 injection. Why not? Then lighting isn't a factor anymore. Right? Not to the nth degree anyhow.

Wanna see what different lights look like on a tank? Unca harri has ya covered. Valotesti
 
#24 ·
Alright for those of you that are details freaks like me here's what I found out:

(Info only for GE Florescent EcoLux Bulbs!!!)

Name: GE Sunshine VS. GE Daylight
Size: 48" T8 / 48" T8
Energy Used: 32 watts / 32 watts
Light Output: 2800 lumens / 2700 lumens
Color Temp: 5000 Kelvin / 6700 Kelvin
CRI: 86 / 78

Alright I'm gonna lean myself wayyy out of th window here now; someone help me if that trail of thought is correct or not....:|

Lux as we know is the measurement of the intensity in which Light is perceived by the human eye. So important for a planted tank will be the Full daylight outdoors which is 10-25.000 LUX (Full daylight not direct sun); The direct sunlight is 32-130.000 LUX

We know Lux is expressing the lumens per square meter; so if I had a 1 sq meter surface hit by a light that's 1.000 lumens that will equal the intensity of 1.000 Lux.

Now to keep my prop already screwy ideas simple I'm gonna do it measuring my tank in centimeters...

So my tank's surface (Standard 55g) is 32CM by 122CM = 0.3904 sq meters

LUX=Lumens / m2
2800lumes / 0.3904 sq meters =7172 LUX (using 1 GE Sunshine)
5600lumes / 0.3904 sq meters = 14.344 LUX (using 2 GE Sunshine)

Sooo IF I done all this thinking and calculating correctly (which I *think* I may have but am not sure) then in simple terms that would mean: Me using 1 GE Sunshine over my 55g will work for all my plants (Sword, Chain-sword, Crypt, Vallis, Ludwigia, Sagittaria) - In theory it should work anyway:-?
 
#25 ·
Alright here the before-after shot of the tank now having 1 bulb not 2....Its hard to tell on the picture and surprisingly enough its really not as much of a difference as you'd think it is....while its not dim now with only 1 bulb is 'softer' I guess would be the way to explain it.
Specially that river gravel mix I have in there REALLY stuck out - negatively IMO- before and not its more natural looking IMO.

I used the camera w/out flash and tried to give it the same angle both times and you can tell the difference spc if you look at the floating plants.

As for looks I like it - Let's see what the plants say now - If they turn yellow tomorrow I know what's wrong :lol:
 

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#27 ·
The tough part about comparing pictures is the camera will try to compensate for lower light by keeping the aperture open longer. But I agree that to the human eye, removing one bulb doesn't appear to make that much difference. But the plants will let you know what they think.
 
#29 ·
The tough part about comparing pictures is the camera will try to compensate for lower light by keeping the aperture open longer. But I agree that to the human eye, removing one bulb doesn't appear to make that much difference. But the plants will let you know what they think.
I know and I even tried different settings for you guys to get a better picture but really it doesn't work - You'll just have to take my word for it that it looks nice and "smooth" :lol:

Natalie, how are you looking today with your 1x30w? I'm still torn on the 2x15w or 2x20w.
I'm still liking it; later if I have time I may switch between the GE Sunlight and GE Daylight see what visual diff that makes.
 
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