jerilovesfrogs

so i got this HO t5 light for my new 75g. i was tossing around a tripple t8, or a t5 NO. but in the end thought this would give me more wattage for my low-light plants.

and apparently its given me so much more than wattage.....and even using the legs it came with will only raise it 4inches.....and that is considered high light (according to the chart kunsthure showed us. )

i do not want high light, or co2. i wanted low-mediumish. so now that i have it.....can i take one of the bulbs out and just have one in it? or should i get some kit to hang it from the ceiling, to get it farther away? or send it back? help!

harpua2002

What brand is it? Some of the Current USA models are compatible with their hanging kits. The kits allow you to have total control over the position of the light.

Or, if the model you bought has separate switches, just use one of the bulbs.

jerilovesfrogs

it's a coralife....i don't see more than one switch, and nothing on top to hang anything from. hmmm. well could i take one bulb out? and run it with 1 at 4inches above? seems kind of silly though....but then again i'd have to ship it back ....which would cost who knows how much. ahhh!

harpua2002

If it's only got one switch, I believe that it needs both bulbs installed to run. I'm not too familiar with Coralife's T5 HO light... do you have a link?

Nate McFin

I was in the same boat. I used a shelf to attach mine to so i could move it up and down as I liked. I didnt want wires hanging from the ceiling.
Here is a link to the thread....
Suspended light shelf DIY

harpua2002

Nice DIY, Nate... and the tank looks awesome too! What brand is your light? Does brand make a difference in how you would attach it to the shelf?

Nate McFin

i imagine it might make a difference. I had an alternate plan to drill the top if I needed...happily I didnt need to. LOL
The light is a Catalina 3x39 t5HO ( I only use the 2 outer bulbs though)

jerilovesfrogs

nate- if you the two outer bulbs on yours.....could i use just one on mine? nice set-up, i might consider that

Nate McFin

The way I figure if your tank is 21" deep and your substrate is 3 " deep (just a guess)
Thats a total of 18" from the top of the tank to the substrate If you put the light there it will give you (according to hoppy's chart) 65 Micromols of PAR or Medium light. The Par reading is for directly under the light and it would taper off as you get toward the edges of the aquarium. So you might actually have low light around the edges and medium in the middle just under the light. Sounds like what you are going for?
Not to say you might not still need Co2 depending on how you plant to set things up (number of plants,type of substrate, feeding schedule, dosing routine, etc.)

Hope this makes sense. lol

whether or not your ballast will run with only one bulb is another matter...mine has separate switches for each light.

jerilovesfrogs

that's where i get lost. PAR? micromols? so what's all this WPG business about....if it's really not that important?

but yes, low-medium light is what i want. i planned on planting all with real plants. what would be a reason i'd need co2?

Nate McFin

If algae begins to grow or the plants refuse to grow despite plenty of nutrients. Both would be signs Co2 supplement is needed.
Without getting to deep into Micromols and PAR (which Mathas is the one to talk to regarding specifics!)...Light matters from the standpoint of plants needs. More light more need of Co2, nutrients. Too much and you get algae. It a balance act.
It sounds like one bulb would work for you in theory but you can never tell for sure and it almost all planted tanks require at small changes after they are set up. (# of hours the lights are on, how high they hung, amount of nutrients etc.
For the lowest maintenance tanks (still confusing to set up!) have you heard of "El Natural" or The Diana Walstad Method? The substrate is actually potting soil. No Co2 (the co2 comes from the system,, No ferts, heavy feeding of fish minimal trimming requires, and no water changes! It might be just what you are looking for. Here is a link if you are interested. I have read about them quite a bit but have not set one up. Someone on the forum was doing one awhile back butI cant remember who.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...step-step.html

jerilovesfrogs

yes i have heard of the el natural tanks. they sound pretty intriguing. i think SDS has a 90 that is filtered by plants. not sure if he has the potting soil substrate though.

one thing i just found out....according to that lighting chart, my 20gH has high lighting! never would have guessed that, and halfway don't believe it. 2 14w T5 NO. how long would it take for plants to show signs they need co2? i've had the light several months, and only recently got some flourish. a crypt has been melting a bit (the newest to go in), and the water wisteria has only it's top branches left. all the rhizome plants are good.

all this new found craziness makes me want to have mostly fake plants! literally, i have a headache

Ekrindul

One bulb of T5HO lighting will be sufficient for a non pressurized CO2 tank. My tank uses a Coralife T5HO fixture. I only use one bulb and see healthy growth, no visible algae.

Nate McFin

I know the feeling well Jers! I went through the same thing myself.
I started my first tank a few years ago,it is a 20 gallon tank and strong fluorescent lighting over the top of it. I discovered plants which quickly became as fun if not more fun than the fish themselves. The fun stopped however when I added the plants and the only thing that grew was algae. I dosed ferts for months and saw very very little growth on the plants. The algae got so bad that I stopped dosing ferts (actually thought it would help) and to my surprise it just got worse.
Finally after tons of research as to why the plants were doing so poorly I added a bottle of DIY Co2. The growth was amazing...in just 2 weeks the plants took off and it looked like a different tank. It took some time to get rid of the algae but I learned a ton in the meantime.
I was ready to throw in the towel at several points in the process but luckily I stayed with it.
The point is that this should be fun for you.Dont worry about this stuff too much as you will learn when things pop up and you need to. Its good stuff to think about but by no means is it required to enjoy plants. You know where to come if things get ugly...your already a step ahead of most.


Regarding your other tank, Crypts melting when changing from one tank to another is VERY common. Its called crypt melt. They will come back even if there is no leaves at all. Wisteria and other stems can get a little ratty toward the bottom of the stem. Take a pair of scissors and cut the top of the plant off and simply replant it. It will grow new roots and make a new plant. Then trim the bad stem off the other section. It will the shoot off two stems from the one you cut off. Trimming makes stem plants happy.

jerilovesfrogs

Ekrindual: thank you! and that's a really pretty tank! ok, so i can just take one bulb out then i'm assuming. and i'm not sure what non pressurized co2 means.

Nate: thanks for the tip on the wisteria. i'm gonna give that bad boy a haircut! and ekrindual pointed out he uses the same fixture with one light. i might see how that goes. of course my tank isn't even set up, everything is just sitting on the floor.

Nate McFin

Beautiful tank!