Aquila Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Hi guys, I've had a look at what my 2 light tubes have written on them (from the 220L Aquaone tank I purchased off trademe last week). Crompton F1818/840 Cool White Q06 I can't find the wattage but i think its either 15 or 20W per tube. Can someone tell me what this means in terms of plants and brightness for more 'light sensitive fish'. My gravel is white, so it does reflect quite a lot back but i intend to have the bottom heavily planted so it will create some shade. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 viewtopic.php?f=3&t=32844 That might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquila Posted September 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Thanks Sam. I did try reading that post before, but i still don't really know whether that's enough for my plants/fish. So the 840 means 'colour rendering' of 80 which is 'pretty good' and a 'colour temperature' of 4000K which is just past 'neutral white'...but i still don't know what this means for my plant growth or sensitivity to fish. I've read that plants do best in a full spectrum light (because blue light is the best for photosynthesis) so i should aim for 5000K? Or 6500K? How much am i missing out (of the blue light) by only having 4000K? Will most plants have sufficient light to grow (with co2 + fert supplement)? I'm not trying to grow glosso here or anything Diameter is almost 1inch so i guess T8...which i guess its less efficient then T5. In the future, i want to get an elephant nose. Will the lights be too bright or will he be ok as long as he has a shaded hiding spot. I know they are nocturnal...but they do sometimes come out in the daytime and i'd like to encourage that Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Im running 2 x 865 Cool daylight and 2 x 840 Cool white 18w tubes over my 2 foot tank. The former is 6500k and the latter is 4000k, I think. I prefer the 6500k because it gives a cool effect and the plants tend to grow towards those two bulbs. They're both t8's and seem to be fine for my plants. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 It's more important to get a colour of light that you like the look of rather than worry too much about the plants. The tubes put out the whole spectrum (well most of it anyway), they just put out more light in some parts of the range. So long as you have strong enough lighting the colour doesn't matter so much to the plants. If you go too low the lights will make the tank look yellow, the higher end will start making it look crisp and a bit to sterile for some. If you get tubes for an electrical wholesaler rather than a pet shop you will only pay about $10 or less a tube, so it is affordable to buy 2-3 different tubes and try them out. I'm running a couple of 865 tubes and a 'blue' tube at the moment. Another important factor to consider if you are wanting to grow plants well, is to remember to replace the tubes at least every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquila Posted September 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Ok great. Well its good to know that at least most of my plants will stand a chance I know the lady replaced 1 tube in the last month because it burnt out...but the other is probably 1-2 years old. Too bad i can't tell which is which Mind if I ask you who your electrical wholesaler is suphew (since you are in Welly)? The pet store prices are pretty crazy...I really didn't want to have to pay $60 a tube, so I had started looking on trademe and also sourcing some through uni. I was actually thinking whether putting a blue tinted film over the light would make it look cool and help the plants at the same time. At uni, the students in one of the labs i TA had to put different coloured film over a plant's leaves and then sit them out in the greenhouse for a week. The next week they snip off the leaves and process them to see how much starch has built up in the leaf under where the film was (more starch=more photosynthesis occurred). The film colours were black (control), red, green, and blue. The blue always wins and is the only one with more starch in the patch then on the rest of the leaf. Yum These were not aquatic plants mind you.... So even though the film might make the lights dimmer....it could still make it more beneficial! If not, then maybe i'll just get a blue tube Thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 I went to Bunnings and got my tubes for $6-$7 each, S.O.G has Bio-lux and regular tubes from 2 -5 foot for around $12-$21, check their website. Personally, I wouldn't put anything over the bulb because it blocks out light and is a potential fire hazard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 you don't need a blue tube. a blue tube (for plants) is actually bright white. a blue blue tube is a marine blue tube, and you won't need it unless you are messing with growth factors like me. just use either 10000K - really white or 6500K - yellowish in conjunction with each other (like juwel tanks) and your plants will be happy as. don't use filters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 don't use filters. Strong words P44... You don't need a filter if you have enough plants and good bacteria and/or you do regular water changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 I meant over the lights sam :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Woah, misread that one completely :oops: But aren't you against water filters too? I know I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 No I love them. I have 3000LPH worth of filtration on my 200L tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 I'll avoid filters at all costs. In saying that, I have them in all of my tanks except one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 I'll avoid filters at all costs. In saying that, I have them in all of my tanks except one. Not doing a very good job of avoiding filters then :lol: I know I shouldn't ask, but why on earth would you want to avoid filters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Two of them are little and hardly filter and one is a homemade sponge 'n' pump filter. So really only one filter, the Aquaclear 50 HOB. I just don't like filters. They use up power, look ugly, take up room, require cleaning (which I never do anyways), make noise, cost money and create a current. Apart from CO2 diffusers and water clarifiers, they're near pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 they're near pointless Thats true, so long as you don't mind ammonia and dead fish. Your whole tank is a filter, every surface is covered in bacteria, unfortunately once you get more than a couple of fish the surface area of the glass and decorations just wont keep up with the ammonia so you need more surface area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Isn't my 5cm layer of gravel in a 30x90cm tank larger than the surface of a sponge in my Aquaclear50 HOB? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 The media in the filter acts as a place for bacteria to lodge as does your gravel but the bacteria then need to be fed and the water is being pushed through the filter with a pump so there is a lot more food and therefore it will support a lot more bacteria. You do not need a filter but only if you have very low stocking rates of fish. It is about balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 The main issue with gravel and filtering is the lack of oxygen, the bacteria that do the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate process need oxygenated water, so only the very top surface of your gravel will be acting as a filter. The lower area will be populated with anaerobic bacteria (don't need oxygen) that convert nitrate to nitrogen gas. This is why canister filters go toxic if the power (or water flow) is off more than a few hours. Plants also make good filters, a heavily planted tank with a relatively low bioload would also be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.