Can you use a Smaller Light Fixture?

[Hamsnacks]

Currently have a 5 Foot Tank, with 2 24" Light Bulbs. They are in need for replacing, they are your standard T8 Fluorescent Bulbs.

It will run me about $50 to replace both, but trying to go away from them. A neighbor is taking apart his set up and said he could sell me his ZooMed AquaSen LED HO 36" Fixture, basically brand new for the same price.
Now I know these LEDs are stronger and this particular make has very good reviews.

However if I go with this unit and put it right in the middle I'll be off 12" on each side. Could I get away with this or not? Currently have 2 Bala, 2 Rainbow, 1 Angel and 6 Barb, also looking at getting some real plants.

Also side question, would the light work for sustaining plants, or if I went the standard T8 Fluorescent Bulbs that said on the box they promote plant growth, are those good enough lights for the fish as well?

Thanks

 

[Chief Brody]

short answer: yes

 

[cynic]

The light is for us to look at the fish. The fish will be perfectly happy with the standard ambient light in the room.

Plants on the other hand, lowlight plants may cope with that amount of light i suppose. I have 2 4ft plant biased t8 tubes in my 5ft tank. I have a reasonable amount of plants, growing well.

So for me you have nowhere near enough light.

 

[Byron]

I agree. With two 48-inch T8 tubes over a 5-foot tank you can grow low and some moderate light requirement plants. I had this with Amazon swords thriving, with floating plants too. But two 24-inch tubes will never do it.

I have had terrible experience with LED, though I say I only tried about four or five units (all went back), but with good LED you would be OK. So I cannot say if the named LED is or is not adequate. You would need to know the light intensity output, plus the spectrum [I'll come back to this below].

Back to the T8...if you can remove the present parts and keep the housing, you might be able to fit a dual-tube 4-foot shiop light inside. I did this when my old ballasts gave out on my three 4-foot fixtures. It is considerably less expensive than buying a new fixture.

Spectrum is very important, along with intensity. Aquatic plants need red and blue to drive photosynthesis, red being the more important. This can produce a goulish or purplish hue which I personally do not like as it is not a true rendition of fish and plant colours. Adding green to this mix improves plants' response considerably; plants appear green because they are reflecting much of the green light, but there must be something in it, as studies have proven the best plant response is under light high in red, blue and green. You can buy fluorescent tubes with a 6500K colour temperature that are ideal. On my dual-tube tanks I use a 5000K and a 6500K, which adds just a tad more warmth. All of the LED I tried were higher in blue with less red, and that is not going to work. There are good plant LED lighting units, if you know them.

Byron.

 

[NickAu]

Hi

I use Beamworks Hi lumen 60 lights, I have a 6 foot 0ne on the big tank and a 2 foot on the 2 foot, These lights are 2 years old and work great for me as you can see by the photos in my signature.

 

[Chief Brody]

If you plant directly beneath the smaller light you should have good results. If there's not adequate plant life beneath it you could just grow algae. If you have rocks/driftwood/decor keep it in the darker regions of the tank unless you want to grow algae for some reason

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