Help me set up my new 50 gallon (plants and fish)

chevysoldier

So I got the water in, filter and heater running and put 10 or so snails in. I had the light on for a little bit and they all buried in the sand pretty quick. Then after I turned it out they all resurfaced. It is so cool having sand for substrate and watching it change from the snails movements.

Tomorrow I pick up the plants and probably Saturday for the Platies.

chevysoldier

I searched all over for a bulb. No one had a 48" T5 6500K. I ended up with an Aqueon Floramax Plant Growth Fluorescent Lamp. It didn't have a K number on it. It makes the tank very pretty but it's not as bright as the stock bulb.



T8 Fluorescent Aquarium Lamps: Aqueon Floramax Plant Growth Fluorescent Lamp

Think this will work or should I take it back and try to find another one?

Byron

The spectrum is fine for the plants, but I would be concerned over the intensity. I tried to find out more about this tube but couldn't, even on Aqueon's site. No mention of intensity (lumens, lux would have helped) or Kelvin (colour). From the spectrum I would expect a very warm reddish/purplish hue. And this almost always means less intensity, sometimes half that of a full spectrum 6500K tube. With no data, but only your comment to go by, i would exchange this.

Life-Glo 2 is ideal; ZooMed Ultra Sun same. Or from a hardware/home improvement store a "daylight" tube by GE, Phillips or Sylvania with a 6500K rating. I know these will work fine as I have used them myself.

When I bought an Aqueon hood for my 29g, it came with a tube that was useless. I chucked it straight into recyling. No idea if it was what you have, or a stock tube. But it was weak light, and purplish like the so-called aquarium and plant tubes are.

chevysoldier

I took the bulb back to the LFS. I then checked The Anderson's to no avail. Decided to recheck Home Depot since it was near by. After asking an associate for help, we found a box of Phillips 48" T8 6500K two packs that had a T5 on top which is why I couldn't find them.

Tank looks much better and the Anubias even had streams of O2 bubbles coming off them last night!

Byron

That's a good tube, I have them as one of two tubes on my dual-tube tanks.