AquaticLife Dual T5 HO Fixture

HI Everyone,
I'm new to the forum, have been reading a lot over the past couple of weeks and decided to join and ask my first question. I have reading about lighting and have read the stuff on PAR and checked out the chart for tank height with different lighting etc. but thought I'd get some personal opinions.
I'm starting up an aquarium soon, it's something I've wanted to do for ages and my basement is finally finished being renovated so I now have a perfect spot!

I am going to be doing a 75 gallon (48L x 20H x 18W) freshwater planted tank. I'm going to stick with peaceful community fish. I don't want the tank really heavily planted but not sparse either.
I've been searching for lighting fixtures and my LFS recommended the Aquaticlife Dual T5 HO fixture that comes with one 6000K bulb and a 650nm pink bulb.
I did a search on these and see that there are some people that have these and say the lighting is good for that kind of setup and some people say the lighting is insufficient. The salesperson at my LFS said I would definitely need two of these fixtures.
I found another fixture for sale that is a T5HO quad fixture that comes with two 6500K bulbs, 2 pinks and a strip of LED moonlights for $130 but I can't find any information on the brand "Sea World". When I e-mailed the seller (on kijiji) they said that it's a Chinese brand and they don't have a web site. I really don't want to set my house on fire!
My LFS also sells Coralife but the salesguy said for the price the AquaticLife is better (the coralife dual fixture was $175 while AquaticLife was $199).

So my question is: Is the one AquaticLife dual fixture enough? Or will I really need the two?? Instead of 2 (which would be two 6000K and 2 pinks) can't I just have one with two 6000K or 6500K bulbs? Or is the pink necessary? I read the pink is good for the plants and helps to bring out the colours of your plants and fish. I like the idea of having the led moonlighting but it's not a deal breaker to not have it.
Is there a recommended fixture that isn't too expensive for what I need? I've been trying to find on-line shopping here in Canada in hopes of more selection but there doesn't seem to be much.

Thanks for any advice given!

Sorry another question.
When I look at this chart:


It says for my tank depth of 20" and having the light 4" above tank that 2 T5HO bulbs would be high... now is that 2 T5HO bulbs of ANY kind?? Would that apply to the 6000K and the 650nm pink that comes with the Aquaticlife fixture?

 

I use a four bulb fixture from aquatic life. right now its on a 55 and let me tell you it, it works. it works really really well. so well that I only run two bulbs. so I'm pretty sure you could put it on a 75 and still run only two bulbs. of course you know that along with bright light you will need co2 and fertilizers?

 

Thanks for your input beginner. So basically the sales guy was trying to make a nice sale of 2 of these units? LOL
Yes, I have read that with brighter lighting I will need Co2 and fertilizers... So this set up would be bright enough that I'd need to get into that? Or do you pretty much need that if you're going to do any kind of planted aquarium? I haven't gotten as far as learning about using Co2 and fertilizers yet. Just figuring my lighting out is taking me a while! LOL
This is definitely a different experience from having a tank when I was a kid! It's a lot to take in but I'm really enjoying learning!

 

only high light tank need co2 and daily fertilizers. so if you don't want to get into that stuff then you might want to look into lower lighting.

the 2 t5-ho will be great for high light. I have 2 on my 75 gallon I just setup. you will have to replace the pink bulbs with another 6500k bulbs. 6500 bulbs are the only ones to use with planted tanks.

also the aquatic live fixture is very expensive form what iv seen. have you looked at these...

or if you want a fancy fixture with moonlights you can get this one. its just like the aquatic life one, but I would only run 2 bulbs maybe 3 if you have co2...

here is my new 75 gallon with 2 t5-ho bulbs. one is a 6500k the other is a 5000k.

 

What would happen if the lights are too high? I heard that the plants "burn". What does burning look like? Would 2 6500k and 2 roseate still be too high?

 

the plants wouldnt burn unless they grow out of the water and get to close to the light. if you have to high of lights you will have algae problems though.

what are roseate? bulbs?

 

So no harm done if the lights are too high as long as the plants stay in the water?

 

yeah I kinda think he wanted to sell you more than you needed. every time I write about co2 it gets out of hand. so I'll find you a link that explains my thoughts and some scientific proof



now this may be a lot to take in but the opening remarks and last paragraph says it all

the plants wouldnt burn unless they grow out of the water and get to close to the light. if you have to high of lights you will have algae problems though.

what are roseate? bulbs?

roseate bulbs are aquaticlife's equivalent to the floramax. even though they are pink and 520nm they are meant to stimulant the red peak of photsynthesis

What would happen if the lights are too high? I heard that the plants "burn". What does burning look like? Would 2 6500k and 2 roseate still be too high?

algae is the results. and I haven't had any plants burn. they actually do better at the surface
I'm in trouble for back to back posts huh, haven't figured out the multiple quote button yet

 

I'm in trouble for back to back posts huh, haven't figured out the multiple quote button yet

I click reply with quote then respond. then I highlight everything and click copy. then do it over again to the next post I want to respond to and when I'm done I click paste... prob a better way but that is how I do it...

roseate bulbs are aquaticlife's equivalent to the floramax. even though they are pink and 520nm they are meant to stimulant the red peak of photsynthesis

hummm I never heard of using anything but 6500k idk about the pink bulbs at all

 

ok I'll try that next time. I need to correct myself, the roseate's are 650nm and the Idea with that color is that it complements the 6000k bulbs that also come with

 

I was thinking of getting this.


But pairing with Osram Lumilux 865 T5HO 6500k.

 

only high light tank need co2 and daily fertilizers. so if you don't want to get into that stuff then you might want to look into lower lighting.

the 2 t5-ho will be great for high light. I have 2 on my 75 gallon I just setup. you will have to replace the pink bulbs with another 6500k bulbs. 6500 bulbs are the only ones to use with planted tanks.

Thanks bankruptjojo for the links; I've heard about the Odyssea through my searches and thought it looked good for the price but I can't seem to find any in Canada. I can only find in the US and by the time I pay for shipping and whatever they slap on for customs fees I'll likely end up paying the same price as the AquaticLife (retails for $199 at my LFS). I liked the one with the moonlights, I think that would be a cool feature to have.

Here is a link to the roseates that come with the AquaticLife fixture (more info in "lamp applications" and "spectral graphs").

I have done some searching around (may not be accurate) and from what I can find the 650nm are 3000K. Would that paired with the 6000K still be considered high light in need of co2 and fertilizer?

yeah I kinda think he wanted to sell you more than you needed. every time I write about co2 it gets out of hand. so I'll find you a link that explains my thoughts and some scientific proof



now this may be a lot to take in but the opening remarks and last paragraph says it all

Yeah I think he probably saw me a coming a mile away and thought he'd double his sale

Thanks for the link! I'll have some nice light bed time reading tonight lol. I'm not opposed to using this stuff, just need to figure out IF I need to and then of course learn what I need to do etc.

Thanks for your helpful responses!

By the way bankruptjojo your aquarium looks beautiful! Also, great tips, I've bookmark your video

 

So no harm done if the lights are too high as long as the plants stay in the water?

No if you have too much light in terms of intensity or in terms of photo period then you will have algae issues, if you are not supplementing co2. Think of what plants need to grow, light, fertilizers, and co2.

You need to have these three elements in a balance for your higher order plants out-compete the algae.

Too much light, with nutrients in the water column and an insufficiency of co2 and the lack of co2 is a growth limiting factor for your macro plants. Algae can and does handle the lack of co2 better then the macro plants.

Too much co2 with adequate light and a lack of nutrients (within reason) would be a better situation but you won't have prolific growth.

 

There are Canadian dealers for Odyssea lights.

 

sorry I forgot your in canada.

so do you want high light? are you going to be able to buy a co2 setup? you can use liquid co2 but its much more expensive in the long run. a injected co2 setup will cost around $250 or so. if you can't afford this then you could only run one t5-ho bulb tell you get some co2. but if you don't think you'll ever add co2 id prob look to a diff fixture. kinda silly having spots for 4 bulbs if only using 1 or 2.

here a good link about the balance between light, co2 and fertilizers. you might have seen it, it has that same chart...

https://www.fishlore.com/encyclopediaaquariumplants.htm

By the way bankruptjojo your aquarium looks beautiful! Also, great tips, I've bookmark your video

thank you very much!

I have done some searching around (may not be accurate) and from what I can find the 650nm are 3000K. Would that paired with the 6000K still be considered high light in need of co2 and fertilizer?

honestly I'm not to sure as all I have used is 5000-10000k bulbs. I would think it still adds to the light but not as much. in my opinion it would still be high light just not as high as before.... I have a 5000k bulb and its pretty dI'm more of the lower spectrum like the 3000k bulbs. I don't really think I would go any lower then 5000k form what I have seen, to our eyes it just looks kinda funny imo.

 

I was thinking of getting this.


But pairing with Osram Lumilux 865 T5HO 6500k.

I think you'll find that bulb is pink, I dnt think that's the right picture

 

Just a word of caution (though I didn't follow and read all the links provided) -- I have a dual T5HO fixture by AquaticLife. It is great. Only thing I wish it had the ability to do was just one bulb and double it if I want later on. There is only one switch and you must have two bulbs in it for the fixture to turn on.... I tried having just one bulb in and flipping the switch didn't turn the light on. Tried again, but with both in - it worked.

 

Just a word of caution (though I didn't follow and read all the links provided) -- I have a dual T5HO fixture by AquaticLife. It is great. Only thing I wish it had the ability to do was just one bulb and double it if I want later on. There is only one switch and you must have two bulbs in it for the fixture to turn on.... I tried having just one bulb in and flipping the switch didn't turn the light on. Tried again, but with both in - it worked.

thanks a lot for that input, that is very important to know. helps me give better advice in the future to. I wonder if the Odyssea ones are like that also.

all my fixtures are zoo med t5-ho. not the best but it does the job. iv been thinking about adding a third bulb to my 75g, and maybe getting the odyssea fixture. but I think 4 would be way to much even with co2 and daily dry fertilizers.

 

It's the way the ballast is wired to the bulbs. Both bulbs form a single circuit. You can probably mod it using two good ballasts from the hardware. Philips Advance Centrium is good but it's like $35 each.

 

I only read enough to know why 650nm or red orange light is important to plants grown under florescent bulbs

 

There are Canadian dealers for Odyssea lights.

Thanks!! I had been searching ebay.ca when I guess I should have been searching the .com site. I'll have a look around!

sorry I forgot your in canada.

so do you want high light? are you going to be able to buy a co2 setup? you can use liquid co2 but its much more expensive in the long run. a injected co2 setup will cost around $250 or so. if you can't afford this then you could only run one t5-ho bulb tell you get some co2. but if you don't think you'll ever add co2 id prob look to a diff fixture. kinda silly having spots for 4 bulbs if only using 1 or 2.

here a good link about the balance between light, co2 and fertilizers. you might have seen it, it has that same chart...

https://www.fishlore.com/encyclopediaaquariumplants.htm

Thanks for the link as well I'll definitely read all these... However I think I should check out some different fixtures as looking into the co2 a bit more I don't think I really want to get into that. At least not yet anyway. Baby steps LOL
I was thinking the 2 bulb aquatic life with the 6000K paired with the 650nm roseate would be sufficient for growing some plants but not too much that I'd have to add all that other stuff... back to the drawing board!

 

I was thinking the 2 bulb aquatic life with the 6000K paired with the 650nm roseate would be sufficient for growing some plants but not too much that I'd have to add all that other stuff... back to the drawing board!

I really think for med light all you need is one t5-ho bulb. you can try the two of them but if you start getting algae like crazy you'll know why and have to remove a bulb. and I would stick to 6500k rather your using one bulb or two.

if you want another good link here you are

 

Thanks so much!! Maybe I'll have a look at the Odyssea 2 light on e-bay now that I know I can get it. If they're able to run with only one bulb only then that would work out perfectly.

Lots of good reading here, have them all bookmarked. My husband thinks I've gone nuts, I've been totally immersed in fish for the last couple of weeks.

 

Thanks so much!! Maybe I'll have a look at the Odyssea 2 light on e-bay now that I know I can get it. If they're able to run with only one bulb only then that would work out perfectly.

Lots of good reading here, have them all bookmarked. My husband thinks I've gone nuts, I've been totally immersed in fish for the last couple of weeks.

lol I know how that goes. my girlfriend brought a betta home, so I can blame my fish addiction on her I'm going on 2 years and still learning, don't think it will ever stop. if it does I guess ill get a saltwater tank

let us know how it turns out.

 

I think you'll find that bulb is pink, I dnt think that's the right picture

You're probably right. I seem to remember my first fish tank having pink lights. Not sure if I will still like it now that I got used to 6500k.

 

There are Canadian dealers for Odyssea lights.

HI matsungit, I'm looking at those fixtures and just wondering if I'm missing where it says it's Odyssea? I can't seem to see a name brand anywhere. I thought maybe I could find a dual rather then a quad but again, my search for Odyssea doesn't return anything in Canada. I'm really leery of purchasing something with no brand name that I can't research. I'll keep searching

 

Welcome to the forum. Lots to consider with a planted tank!

I have the Aquatic Life quad fixture over a 90g. It is borderline too much. There is no way I would consider more than a 2 bulb fixture for a 75.

As you want to avoid CO2 for now stick with a single tube. This would put you on the low end of the moderate spectrum. That is a good level as you can grow most plants.

I would also plan on using dry ferts. Cheaper in the long run if you can find them. Many in Canada struggle to acquire them.

Have you thought about the plants you want? If not, do some research. If you are gravitating toward high light plants then you'd need the time 2x bulb fixture and CO2.

Have fun planning your new tank!

 

HI matsungit, I'm looking at those fixtures and just wondering if I'm missing where it says it's Odyssea? I can't seem to see a name brand anywhere. I thought maybe I could find a dual rather then a quad but again, my search for Odyssea doesn't return anything in Canada. I'm really leery of purchasing something with no brand name that I can't research. I'll keep searching

These quads have the option of running 2 or 4 lights on timer. You might also consider buying T5 HO fixtures from the hardware store. DIY T5 HO is easy to make although not pretty. As with catsma's advice, you might not want a quad. It's up to you. Odyssea and the links I gave you on ebay are most probably made by the same manufacturer in China. The difference being the branded ones have to go through QC inspection in North America. I took mine apart and put it back together before plugging it in like I always do for things made in China.

 

Thanks guys. Yeah I wasn't considering a 4 light fixture, just the 2 light as I thought the 6000k and roseate bulb would be okay but seems not.

I just worry about burning my house down with a no name brand fixture!

I haven't gotten as far as researching my plants yet. That's next on my list. So much to think about! Thanks so much for all the info guys.

 

I have the Odyssea lights and like them. I have the 4 6500K T5 bulbs in one fixture and a smaller fixture with LEDs that I want to switch out. The LEDs are 10000K and I think they are causing a lot of my algae issues. I noticed that Aquatraders now has LEDs that are 6500K. These weren't available when I bought my other LEDs. My aquarium is 60gal, but it has an odd pentagon shape, so I got the LEDs to fill in the gaps.

After I bought the Odyssea fixtures, my LFS owner told me he had read complaints about the Odyssea units catching on fire. Mine obviously haven't, but they do get hot...both the T5 and LED units get hot. Just make sure you use the metal brackets they come with so that you can keep some air flowing under them. They do not have fans.

 

6,000k with rosette is perfectly fine. The rosette bulbs help to bring out the reds in plants.

 

6,000k with rosette is perfectly fine. The rosette bulbs help to bring out the reds in plants.

good to know, but does it look pink to the eye?

 

6,000k with rosette is perfectly fine. The rosette bulbs help to bring out the reds in plants.

Thanks very much catsma. Sorry, what I meant above was that I'm not considering the quad light anymore. I was in the beginning because the guy at the LFS told me I needed 2 dual fixtures but I had my suspicions he was taking me for a ride.

Thanks for your input Helmsdeep

I think I'll probably stick with the dual AquaticLife. I don't really have too much selection where I am and I'm not comfortable buying a no name brand from someone on the net. I'll hope for the best with this and if I find it's too bright I guess I can return it. Or sell it.

I saw a tank in the LFS with this fixture on it with the pink bulb and it didn't appear pink to me at all.

 

I don't really have too much selection where I am and I'm not comfortable buying a no name brand from someone on the net.

I'm curious... I wouldn't even consider buying anything other than fish, gravel and tank from a local store. Everything else I would order online through amazon, ebay, pet solutions or what have you and have it delivered. I find that even with delivery, I can get almost anything at half the price they charge in the store, plus the selection is practically unlimited.

 

HI gingerone, it's not so much the delivery fees I mind if I can find a good enough deal, it's the customs charges added with the delivery fee that adds up. For example, I ordered two small Christmas gifts from the US. They were from the same place, packaged together. I paid $35 delivery and then on top of that I paid $40 customs. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it's not.

If I could find a fixture that has good reviews, meets my needs and is a great deal online then I'd purchase. I do lots of on-line shopping but when it comes from stuff from the US I have to weigh whether it's a good enough deal to pay the extra amount for it or not. Sometimes what starts out as a good deal ends up costing me just as much as buying close to home where I can easily return if I need to.
I checked CDN Amazon and E-Bay but there really wasn't much. I'm still keeping my eyes peeled on the US versions of these sites though and perhaps I'll find a deal worth paying the extra costs.

Edited to add: I'm also new to this so perhaps there are some CDN on-line sites I'm missing.

 

I'm sorry I wasn't paying close enough attention to see that you were in Canada and not US. Best of luck to you finding a good deal!

 

good to know, but does it look pink to the eye?

no, there's absolutely no pink, atleast to my eye. the spectrum is actually more orange than red. it doesn't appear any different when used with the 6000k bulb

 

coarlife fixtures are actually very low quality. read this link before you buy, hoppy made a new chart for lighting...



sorry if its to late I just found his new chart with more accurate par readings.

 

........

all my fixtures are zoo med t5-ho. not the best but it does the job. iv been thinking about adding a third bulb to my 75g, and maybe getting the odyssea fixture. but I think 4 would be way to much even with co2 and daily dry fertilizers.

Jo-Jo, what do you mean by "dry fertilizers"?

 

Just plant nutrients that are in powder form. You can buy them here...

 

I'm looking into buying the 24" model of the aquatic life t5ho lighting. I have a clear acrylic cover. Does the install of this item interfere with the cover?

 

I don't have this fixture but I'm pretty sure you can use it with a cover. the legs sit on the aquarium frame so as long as the lid sits on the inside ledge of the frame you should be fine.