Need a new light

[guster730]

I've had my eye on these two due to their low price and good reviews

http://www.aquatraders.com/48-inch-4...e-p/52305p.htm

http://www.aquatraders.com/ProductDe...uctCode=52123P

I'm just wondering if the first one is overkill. I have a 55 gallon with a few plants. I don't have any fancy substrate, just pool filter sand. I use seachem flourish but my amazon swords are doing pretty terribly, others are just ok. No doubt it's that my lights are terrible. They came with my aquarium, just some "all glass aquarium" fixtures, one of them doesn't turn on unless I flick it on and off. I believe they're only 12 watt bulbs, so I need a lot more than that. I'm just wondering are there any better lights that don't cost too much more, and if not, which one of these should I get? 216w just seems like a lot to leave on like 8 hours a day.

[C. King]

I have had an odyssea for 3 months and have been very satisfied. Mine has four flourescent bulbs and two switches that control two bulbs each. I replaced two bulbs with plant lights, so I can turn on the regular ones, or the plant ones, or both, depending on what is needed. That way, I can control the number of hours of high intensity light in my tank, but still see the fish when I dont want so much light. My odyssea also has a moonlight feature, which is cool at night to view nocturnals. Hope this helps!

[guster730]

Well they sell two different versions of each, the one's I linked come with 4 (or 2 with the other model) 6500K plant bulbs. Maybe I'll just go with the quad and keep 2 on at a time and alternate. I would like to have the blue LEDs as I do have some nocturnal fish. But I may need to take off my lid for it to fit.

[C. King]

Yeah, I had to do a little rearranging to fit my retro tank, too. But the "legs" on the odessea are adjustable-they can move in or out to fit the tank width, and I like that they also raise the light fixture up a bit from the top of the tank, so even with a high water level, I don't worry about splashing the fixture. A clear plexiglass covers the bulbs to protect them.

[guster730]

I don't think there's anything I can do with mine to make it fit. Well, it'd fit but the light wouldn't go through. I have one that looks just like this http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo

I can take the lights off but the clear part to let the light through is only 4 inches long. I could get a new lid, but I don't know what would work well. I could go wihtout a lid but I'm just worried my clown loaches will jump out (one did before, thankfully while I was there feeding them).

Maybe something like this? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...81&pcatid=3781

I could use two 24'' ones since mine has the center brace.

[lohachata]

for a 55 the 2 bulb T5 HO fixture from aquatraders is fine..i have several of these fixtures in use since 2009...i am very satisfied with them....i have found a place that sells the 6500k 48" bulbs for about $4.00 each.....