calculating watts needed with t5's

[dearis]

Hi there,

are watts needed for t5's the same formula used for fluros? would 6x54watt t5's be enough/too much for a 4x2x2?

Regards Darren

[Big Daddy1]

You're going to need plenty of plants and possibly CO2.

Otherwise algae will consume the tank.

Tank pic or intentions? If you have a planted tank you might want to pose this question in that thread.

[rwel4809]

your tank would be approx 120 gallons so you would have 324 watts of light giving you a little less than 3 watts per gallon (WPG) I have more light than this with a heavily planted tank with C02 injection. It should be fine as long as you get the balance right.

HTH

Robert

[ILLUSN]

depending on the reflectors used that could be too much i use 4x54w on a 4x2x2 (12cm deep substrate so 47cm of water column) with gull wing reflectors and i get emersed growth on my wysteria once the strands get 4/5 to the top.
T5's put out A LOT of light with the right setup.

generaly you can get away with 2.0-2.5w/gal with good T5's. if your only using average fittings they are no better then t8 fluros.

[dearis]

Thanks all, I guess the question now is how many what do I need to grow the following

Microsorum pteropus narrow leaf
Microsorum pteropus

Nymphea lotus “red tiger lotus”
or
Nymphea lotus “green tiger lotus”
or
Nymphaea lotus “malay red”

Echinodorus “Devils eye”
Echinodorus “red flame”
Echinodorus martii
Echinodorus tenellus

Anubias Nana

Cryptocorne Becketii
Cryptocorne Wendtii “brown and green”
Cryptocorne Petchii
Cryptocorne Undulata

Blyxa japonica

[ILLUSN]

4X 54W WILL BE PLENTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dearis]

Cheers illusn appreciate it...

because it's 2ft wide tank should I buy 2 fittings of 2x54watt of will one 4x54 watt fitting spread enough light?

[ILLUSN]

Buy 2 fittings to evenly spread the light, if you can get the ones with individual reflectors on each tube, hagen GLO, reef octopus, aquamedic, these things put out so much more light than the cheep stuff it isn't funny, using these types of fittinegs your 4x54w will easily outshine 8x 54w using old school flat common reflectors.

[dearis]

hmm I was going to get them off ebay but I am unsure now are reflectors usually interchangable?

[ILLUSN]

nope ebay ones arn't that great, the hagen unit 9basicly just a ballast and endcaps) comes up every now and then for $80 you'll just have to add a set of reflectors (2x$30) and some decent tubes.

[dearis]

ah ok....so to avoid all that I should go 6x lol

[dearis]

ah ok....so to avoid all that I should go 6x lol