New Lighting - Dramatic Improvement

[COM]

I'm home sick from work today and just got my UPS with a new Coralife T-5 Double Linear Strip! I swapped off the standard All-Glass single bulb. What a dramatic difference! The fish are even more colorful and plants look sensational. I wish I had know this to begin with. I wouldn't have messed with the All-Glass to begin with.

[Blue Cray]

T-5's are crazy good for lighting if you have the right conditions and ferts plants can grow extremely quickly under them. I have them for my 20g planted and when i add flourish excel my anacharis grows a very noticeable amount everyday.

[Ricker]

are the T5HO or just T5. I know T5HO was so much better looking then my other bulbs. Also Have already noticed my plants growing in just 2 days compared to a week with regular lights. Now I can jjust imagine with c02 my hornwart will go crazy. Ya you also got to love UPS. They just set my lights on front porch with out a signature. Which was crazy $117 dollars worth of lights could of been stolen lol. But they can't leave a empty box for rock band lol. I hope you enjoy your awesome new lights cause I know they are amazing. can you post a pic?

[COM]

I'll post some pics in a few days. I took a trip a little while back and brought my photo gear. The airline somehow managed to break one of the legs, the height adjustment knobs, and the level.

I could really use a better camera too. My Canon A530 (received as a leadership award from my company - I would never buy a Canon) really stinks. I need an upgrade in general and definitely to take fish pics. I'm liking the new Nikon D80 or D200. I'll have to check out the camera stores but I don't think that I can make it to New York before Passover and they all close down.

[Ricker]

I know how you feel I some how lost my camera so no one gets to see my awesome tank(at least I think it is awesome for a noob in planted tanks) So I am hoping to borrow one or find the one I own now lol.

[welchrock]

what kind of total wattage and Kelvin is your new light setup? I need to upgrade myself and am looking at a 95w, 10,000K single bulb for my 46G.

my current bulb is the bulb that came with my hood - eclipse brand that i have researched to be 40W tops and certainly not the 'T5' i have read so much about.

[Ricker]

Do you want the freshwater bulb to or just daylight bulb?

[welchrock]

both i guess! if you couldn't tell my knowledge of proper lighting for optimal plant and fish health is minimal. any input and advice is appreciated - PM me if you like, i don't want to hijack COM's thread needlessly.

[COM]

The Coralife has two bulbs. One is a purple color and the other is like the Eclipse bulb. I have an Eclipse on my other tank. Check out Big Al's.

[welchrock]

Sounds like having a one-bulb Eclipse hood is going to limit me quite a bit in terms of Kelvin and wattage...am I correct with this?

If I'm getting serious about this - am I better off spending my money on a new double-bulb hood that comes with bulbs rather than buying a high output bulb for my current, one-tube hood?

Thanks COM!

[Ricker]

If I'm getting serious about this - am I better off spending my money on a new double-bulb hood that comes with bulbs rather than buying a high output bulb for my current, one-tube hood?

ya you are you can get like a T5 like he has and your plants/fish just pop out so much better. You will also get more watts/ Kelvins in a 2 bulb one

[COM]

I should express my unhappiness with my Eclipse. I have my lights set on a high-end digital timer that is very accurate and is working fine. For the last few days, I have gone to look at the tank a little after the light was supposed to switch on and found that it hadn't. The ends of the bulb light dimly. I have to remove the lens and twist the bulb around until it finds a sweet spot and lights. It will stay on all day but the next day I have to repeat this process. I have tried with two different other bulbs and had the same effect. I travel quite often, sometimes several times a week, and this is upsetting to me. I sent an email to Marineland customer service and I have received no response.

[welchrock]

COM:

What a coincidence I use a digital timer too - with an Eclipse hood. No problems yet but I've only had it 5 months or so, how long did you have yours before this started?

[COM]

I bought it on 2/23. I guess it was running fine for about 6 weeks before the lighting went goofy.