90 Gallon S.A. Discus/Pleco Tank Journal

[jeebus]

No, I haven't had a chance to replace the bulbs yet. Its a 4 bulb T5 fixture. Any suggestions on what bulbs to run it with? I've got 2 actinic and 2 12k's that it came with now.

What I eventually want to do is get an inline heater and use the co2 reactor you gave me. In the mean time I'm gonna have to leave the heater there as its the least visible until I can get some more plants and they grow in.

[Mzungu]

Like I had said, I think it would look great with one actinic, one 12K, and 2 plant bulbs.

I hear Geissman bulbs are really great for plants, and some of the best out there.

[jeebus]

I lost (read: accidently deleted) your pm! I knew you had said the Geissman, but not what rating. I'm gonna look online and see what I can find.

Thanks!

[Mzungu]

That's cool! Sorry you lost it!

Donald (ddaquaria) posted some stuff on APC about Geissman bulbs for his plant tank, wonder if he is using them now?

[mgarrido]

Personally i like 2 ligth setups
1. 6700k and 10000k
2. 8800k

[Darbex]

You will have to read the box I think its every few months or something but dont quote me on that. One thing I noticed with the root tabs. When you clean the sand dont shift the sand all the way down because the root tabs will turn the sand a darker color. It happened to me.

[jeebus]

Found this: http://www.saltwatercritters.com/4_foot_ho_t5_bulbs?b=1

[jeebus]

Mary Beth, Fish Gallery has the Geissman's for 36 a pop. I just couldn't pull the trigger so I went with a Hagen 6700k instead.

Now I've got from front to back:

12k White
20k Actinic
6700 Red
12k White

Thoughts on the arrangement? Does anyone think there's enough difference between 10k and 12k to switch them out?

[Mzungu]

Unfortunately, one brand's 10K can be vastly different in color than another's. That's not how it's supposed to work, but it does, lol. Which brand's 10K are you thinking of using?

How's the light on the Odyssea 12K's? Is it pretty white?

Is the Hagen 6700K the Life-Glo light? I love the color on that light - it's always seemed pretty white and pure-looking to me. I also always loved their Aqua-Glo (I think that's what they're called) bulbs. Do they have those available in T5-HO? I always had great results with those bulbs over plants.

All in all, how do YOU feel about the arrangement? How does the color look to you? Does it make your discus look great and colorful and highlighted to their best advantage, or do they look washed out?

I'm going to try to look for a spectrum graph on those 12Ks, but in the meantime, I think it's more a matter of personal preference. Unless those 12Ks put out just a horrible spectrum, lol, I think your plants should do well.

[jeebus]

Yes, the Hagen is a Life-Glo. I really like the color of it as well.

I'm not using 10k's but rather 12k's and they are the stock Odyssea brand bulbs. They are more of a dull white with a bluish tint. What k rating is the Aqua-Glo? Is that the 10k?

The color to me looks great but I am a complete noob when it comes to hi-tech planted so I feel clueless as to what works best versus what looks best.

[Mzungu]

Oh, I was asking about 10Ks because you asked if there was enough difference to switch the 12Ks out to 10Ks.

I'll have to google it, but I think the Aqua-Glos had a pretty low K-rating. Although it never looked low, it's pretty white/bluish looking to me. That's what I was saying about the brands - technically, the K-rating is supposed to be a scientific value (something about heating a black body, way too I-didn't-go-that-far-in-that-class-in-college for me. ) ) But it's become more of a rating that the brand feels it needs to put on the product's box.

And as to "what works best versus what looks best," that's the question of the century, apparently! So you're no noob in that. It's an evergoing debate. Mostly, from what I've read over the years, yes, spectrum does matter, but most lights out in the market today have enough wide/full-spectrum components in their makeup that plants can make do. So, when it comes down to it, just go with what you think looks good. :) At least, that's what I've taken from the tomes of stuff I've read.

[jeebus]

In that case I'm going to stick with what I have and when I end up changing the 12k's I'm gonna look at the 10k Hagens.

Thanks!

[jeebus]

Oh, some will be happy to know that angled my spray bar further downward creating less movement at the surface (just a slow tank long turning motion is all it does now - no rippling like before). I also drilled a hole on the bottom of my intake strainer and ran my co2 airline tubing up into my intake. Now 100% of my co2 is being diffused in the biggest reactor of them all, an Eheim 2262!

[mgarrido]

Glen, your actinic is not doing nothing for the plants, maybe just pop you discus colors. For your plants you have only 3x54w=162watts =1.8gpw.
Not all the brands has the same visual spectrum, ie: hamilton 10000k looks yellow if you compare with a coralife 10000k.

[jeebus]

Is there any type of bulb that I could swap the actinic with and it still give the Discus their color yet still be able to contribute to the over plant growth? A 50/50 bulb maybe?