lighting question for my 20 long.

[Raul]

I have a refugium that i am using for my cichlid tank, and it has turn up very good, it is a shrimp and snail tank and planted, but I was uising a single CFL light bulb for the whole tank, which I am sure it is very low.

So I decided to make my self a ligthing fixture with 4 T5 24inch no HO light tubes, not not sure if the watts will be good or did I added to many, the T5 light tubes I currently have are the ones that came with the fixture rated at 14Watts, but that is all the info it has, would the 56Watts be ok for the 20 long and also which light bulbs should i replaced them with?

[TaTeR ToT]

6700 k coralife bulbs try this site.

https://WWW.hellolights.com

[Raul]

Thanks, I ordered some T5 6500K from another site, tight on budget right now, I will see how it goes, I might combine those with the ones I have, I figure the ones I have are 3000K and even since yesterday that I changed the lighting big improvement, the plants are generating more oxygen bubbles right now, I am supplementing CO2 with DIY and a fluvar Diffuser.

[jwh0818]

Where did you order your light bulbs. I Have been looking

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[Raul]

I got it from https://1000bulbs.com

they have very good prices, not sure about brands, but well I ended up paying $2.52 for the T5 6500K, they have T5 HO 22" for $4.00, will see when i get them how they work.

[Raul]

Here are some pics, on the project and the current light lamps of 3000K it looks good so far, it seems it is arround 2.8 Watts per gallon and the tank is not at full capacity since it is a refugium for the 55G on top. Once I get the 6500K I assume the spectrum will be better for the plant.

[jwh0818]

Why aluminum foil?

[Raul]

well just, a crazy idea, to reflect more light :), well that is what I think.

[eklikewhoa]

Foil would make it look brighter to the eye but I think there's little useable light reflected into the tank.

[jwh0818]

How about a mirror?

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[jwh0818]

Also, where did you get the thing your lights plug into? I guess they are called end caps?

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[eklikewhoa]

Mirrors don't direct the light into the tank either.

City pets carries end caps.

[jwh0818]

Are those the things you plug your light into?

[eklikewhoa]

Those are the ends or sockets that the light bulb or lamp would plug into, yes. Then you would need to wire those to a ballast which fire and power the lamp.

[jwh0818]

Those are the ends or sockets that the light bulb or lamp would plug into, yes. Then you would need to wire those to a ballast which fire and power the lamp.

Would an existing balast work? Sorry, I should actualy know this but I wanna double check