Juwel 60 Tank's Lighting - Pathetic!

[robinreliant23]

Got the Juwel Rekord 60 which has just one T8 light bulb which if I'm honest is pathetic! Ok the black sand substrate probably doesn't help as a lighter colour sand would probably help the light reflect, also the tannins of the bogwood probably doesnt help but surely there is something i can do to brighten it up some. It's currently housing neons and goldine cory. I bought a bulb which enhanced red and blues which was great to show up the colour of the neons but since adding the goldline cory i've had to put the original daylight bulb back in to be able to see them!

I've simply no idea why they had such a huge feeding flap, rather than a small hinged corner flap and made room for a 2nd light bulb.

Any ideas would be grand please

 

[StandbySetting]

You could always retrofit a second tube, to be honest the lighting on the Rekord 600 is ideal, it gives you about 1WPG of light which is perfect for a low tech tank with plants. If you do keep plants and you double up on the lighting you'll need to inject CO2, if not you'll have to keep the photoperiod short in order to not suffer algae problems.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Add a reflecter for about £8?

 

[robinreliant23]

Have added a reflector, didn't seem to make much difference. I've actually got a Rekord 60 not the 600 (the 600 is the upgraded version of the 60).

If I was to retrofit a 2nd bulb (don't need it for plants purely for light) what would be the best two bulbs to run to show up the neons and the goldline cory nicely? (bulb wise to hand i currently have a daylight and a colour bulb - do you think the two together may work?)

 

[Aqua Tom]

Put a new lamp in, they only realy produce a good output for a year or so.


Tom

 

[robinreliant23]

Put a new lamp in, they only realy produce a good output for a year or so.


Tom

Both bulbs are new I think the trouble is as I have the black substrate, black background and dark bogwood (for the neons) the little T8 daylight bulb even with new reflector just isn't enough

 

[StandbySetting]

You could try a T6, there light output is slightly higher and they fit in T8 fittings, the Rekord 60 has a reflector stock fitted.

 

[robinreliant23]

You could try a T6, there light output is slightly higher and they fit in T8 fittings, the Rekord 60 has a reflector stock fitted.

ooh just found one and it even helpfully comes with the t8-t6 fitting adapter
was reading someone used a t8 interpet daylight bulb as they couldnt get a t6. do you know the difference between the realux t6 and the t8 interpet.

have just fitted an arcadia starter unit to enable 2 bulbs to be fitted into the lid so as i'm not not interested in plant growth (they're plastic so would worry if they started growing lol) what two colour bulbs would you recommend to show up the neons and the goldline corys ... 2 daylight bulbs? ..... 1 daylight, 1 colour? ....... 1 daylight, 1 moonlight?

 

[StandbySetting]

Don't bother with aquarium tubes, get some from a hardware store, to show up the neons you want those that peak at Blue and Red, and for the Corydora's those with peaks in the Yellow and Orange section of the spectrum.

 

[robinreliant23]

Don't bother with aquarium tubes, get some from a hardware store, to show up the neons you want those that peak at Blue and Red, and for the Corydora's those with peaks in the Yellow and Orange section of the spectrum.

sorry if i sound dumb but T6 18" 15w bulbs from a hardware store?? don't suppose you have a link to something of the kind i should be looking for do you please? this is all quite new to me

also, will i need some kind of adapter?

 

[StandbySetting]

You may struggle to get a T6, but if you're using the twin T8's then just use T8 tubes, other wise you'll really struggle with algae. If you use the single tube then a T6 will be fine on its own, I think Aquaessentials do T6 tubes.

 

[robinreliant23]

so 2 standard T8 tubes from a hardware store for a twin light set up OR 1 x T6 say from Aqua Essentials if a single light bar.

what if i run 2 T6 tubes from Aqua Essentials? what will be brighter the 2 hardware store T8 tubes or 2 T6 tubes from AE?

 

[StandbySetting]

The 2 T6 tubes, but seriously, a single T8 alone should be fine, if it isn't then there's something wrong with the tube or the ballast.

 

[robinreliant23]

cool - off to the hardware store i go - thank you

 

[robinreliant23]

if i were to get 2 x t6 18" 15w tubes (realux tubes) ... has anyone got any idea as to which one's i'd need to get to that peaks at red, blue and yellow? google's making my brain hurt