Lighting And Plants...

[Schmill]

Ok, so here's where I am at.

My current tank is a 60L tank, and using an aquatic flourescent tube. I'm not sure what it is, but it's one where you push on the end caps, and run a seperate 'lighting controller', which I think is just glorified transformer and starter. The tube itself is 15W. The hood it is mounted in is metal, and coated white on the inside, but there is no reflector on the tube.
My rough calcs give this as:
60L = 15.8 USG
15W / 15.8 USG = 0.94 WPG

My NEW 300L tank I thought came with twin T5 (2x 54W) lighting, however it seems I have some of the 'older stock' which is equiped with T8 lighting (2x 30W).
The tubes in this are both 30W tubes, and both have silvered reflectors fitted.
My rough calcs give this as:
300L = 80 USG
60W / 80 USG = 0.75 WPG

Based on the fact that my new tank (see sig) is a 'tall' 4ft tank, does this mean that actually the new tank is worse off regarding lighting for plants than the old tank?
I do not have CO2 system on either tank, so I am wondering how these lighting levels compare for the sort of plants I will be able to have in a planted tank without CO2?

I'm actually really annoyed as I like live plants in my tank, and when I was researching the tanks I looked on Aqua Ones website and it said the tank came with T5's. It's only after having the tank fishless cycling for a month or so (with the lights off) that I now know the difference to look at T8s / T5s and realise I've actually got T8's I've phoned Aqua One immediately and they told me that their older design had T8 and in the last year they moved to T5's, but thats not the point. For the £700 odd quid the tank cost me I didn't expect to get second rate 'older stock'

 

[SuperColey1]

Are you using both tanks? If not then use the 15W in the new one to add to the 60W in there.

is it really 4ft tall? Sounds very tall to me but yes your suspicions are right. A tank of that depth requires more light to penetrate to the bottom. You would need 1.5WPG T8 at least with reflectors for this tank.

The box isn't a glorified 'transformer and starter'. It is a ballast unit. The starter does what it says and the ballast unit works as a limiter making sure that it keeps the power to the tube constant and it doesn't peak and trough as the power supply goes up and down. This unit will be made for a certain type of tube. In your instance it should say on the label for 15W-20W tubes or something similar. This is not to say that if you put a 20W tube in that it will give you 20W but means that if you put a 20W tube into it then it won't blast 40W through it and burn the lamp out. It will just put 15W into it.

£700 is a lot for a tank though so I would get onto the retailer's site and see what they specified when you purchased the tank. If it said T5 then you want T5.

However its not old out of date second rate lighting its just not the latest. Lots of us still use T8 and there is often a better selection of tubes for T8 than T5.

With the 15W you can get cheap reflectors that clip on to the tube (so no DIY at all) for a fiver or so in Pets @ Home.

AC

 

[Schmill]

Many thanks for your reply. I think I may have crossed a few wires there though...

Firstly yes, both tanks will still be in use, so the 15W tube on the 60L tank will need to stay there.

The 'tall' 4ft tank is not 4ft tall

The tank is 4ft long, and is 300L, with a height of just over 2 feet, which is taller than most. I know water depth plays a part in the lighting required which is the the only reason I mentioned it.
The tank is the Aqua One Regency 120 shown here, which says it should come with 2 x 54W T5 tubes.

I have contacted the manufacturer, (Aqua One), and will also be contacting the retailer I bought it from, but since I bought it nearly 2 months ago now I don't know how supportive they will be The thing is I didn't buy it from a website, I went instore and bought it from the retailer. I just didn't realise that the "Aqua One Regency 120" that I was buying in the shop wasn't the same as the "Aqua One Regency 120" that is shown on Aqua One's website

 

[SuperColey1]

That sounds a bit more like it. lol. I was imagining a very strange looking 4ft tall column tank

Just over 2 ft shouldn't be too much of a problem but 1.5WPG T8 (120W) or 1WPG T5 (80W) would be about the best amount to grow most plants without CO2. However pressurised CO2 is always preferable IMO as it just helps avoid algae that little bit more if you get it right. I run my 0.9WPG T5 with pressurised CO2.

If you get no luck with the retailer (I guess he will say You bought what you saw and you could've asked more of the specs, or maybe he will say it's written on the box) then you can add some lighting to it with the same sort of unit that you have on your 60L. Just a ballast starter with the end caps (for a 4ft tube as the ballasts are all rated for the tubes they will take) and then plonk a 4ft tube into it.

AC