Bulbs for a twin tube hood

[Andy Pastuszak[_4_]]

I have a planted 30 gallon extra high tank with a 24" twin tube strip
light I bough a few years ago. It cam with 2 T5 22" bulbs that have
since burned out. I manage to find online, 22" 5500K "daylight" T5
bulbs which came in the mail today. Are 5500K bulbs good to use in a
planted tank, or should I be using a different wavelength?

The bulbs that were in the hood were T5-14W-W 12000K bulbs, but I
couldn't find anyone that made a bulb like that.

Most stores recommended I go to a twin tube HO setup, but I don't want
to spend that kind of money. I would prefer to find an old 24" twin
tube hood that uses standard size bulbs, so I can just buy 2 viatlites
and stick them in here, but no one seems ot make those anymore.

Andy

[Nitesbane]

"Andy Pastuszak" > wrote in message
news:2010042613312311272-amp68nospam@verizonnet...
>I have a planted 30 gallon extra high tank with a 24" twin tube strip light
>I bough a few years ago. It cam with 2 T5 22" bulbs that have since burned
>out. I manage to find online, 22" 5500K "daylight" T5 bulbs which came in
>the mail today. Are 5500K bulbs good to use in a planted tank, or should I
>be using a different wavelength?
>

When I was still using regular fluorescents I preferred "aquaglo" bulbs
which are 18000K. My fish room receives a lot of ambient light during the
day though. If it was a darker room, I would have probably gone with one
aquaglo and one that is more white/yellow like the sunglo which is about
5500K I think. In any case, the color temperature doesn't matter as much as
the actual spectrum it produces. For optimal plant growth, you want a bulb
with peaks in the blue and red range (not far red).

Hope that helps.
-N

[JLG]

On Apr 26, 1:31*pm, Andy Pastuszak > wrote:
> I have a planted 30 gallon extra high tank with a 24" twin tube strip
> light I bough a few years ago. *It cam with 2 T5 22" bulbs that have
> since burned out. *I manage to find online, 22" 5500K "daylight" T5
> bulbs which came in the mail today. *Are 5500K bulbs good to use in a
> planted tank, or should I be using a different wavelength?
>
> The bulbs that were in the hood were T5-14W-W 12000K bulbs, but I
> couldn't find anyone that made a bulb like that.
>
> Most stores recommended I go to a twin tube HO setup, but I don't want
> to spend that kind of money. *I would prefer to find an old 24" twin
> tube hood that uses standard size bulbs, so I can just buy 2 viatlites
> and stick them in here, but no one seems ot make those anymore.
>
> Andy

Hey Andy,

I also have a 29gal high planted aquarium. My hood could hold two
bulbs but I only have one flora glo 20 W- 24" (61 cm)- 25 mm Diameter-
T8 bulb. I am using an aqua clear 10-30gal filter with a sponge and
one bag of chemipure. I also give liquid nutrients (the Flourish
fundamentals kit). I also have
1-2inches of flourite substrate on top of my regular gravel. My plants
are absolutely flourishing. Sometimes i get a large growth of hair
algae but I have this little white pleco catfish thing and 4 pencil
fish that have been keeping it under control.

Jonna

[Andy[_3_]]

On May 18, 2:33*pm, JLG > wrote:
> On Apr 26, 1:31*pm, Andy Pastuszak > wrote:
>
> > I have a planted 30 gallon extra high tank with a 24" twin tube strip
> > light I bough a few years ago. *It cam with 2 T5 22" bulbs that have
> > since burned out. *I manage to find online, 22" 5500K "daylight" T5
> > bulbs which came in the mail today. *Are 5500K bulbs good to use in a
> > planted tank, or should I be using a different wavelength?
>
> > The bulbs that were in the hood were T5-14W-W 12000K bulbs, but I
> > couldn't find anyone that made a bulb like that.
>
> > Most stores recommended I go to a twin tube HO setup, but I don't want
> > to spend that kind of money. *I would prefer to find an old 24" twin
> > tube hood that uses standard size bulbs, so I can just buy 2 viatlites
> > and stick them in here, but no one seems ot make those anymore.
>
> > Andy
>
> Hey Andy,
>
> I also have a 29gal high planted aquarium. *My hood could hold two
> bulbs but I only have one flora glo 20 W- 24" (61 cm)- 25 mm Diameter-
> T8 bulb. *I am using an aqua clear 10-30gal filter with a sponge and
> one bag of chemipure. *I also give liquid nutrients (the Flourish
> fundamentals kit). *I also have
> 1-2inches of flourite substrate on top of my regular gravel. My plants
> are absolutely flourishing. *Sometimes i get a large growth of hair
> algae but I have this little white pleco catfish thing and 4 pencil
> fish that have been keeping it under control.
>
> Jonna

Well, I went and got new bulbs for the hood. One of the bulbs burned
out after only one week, so I think the hood is now broken in some
way. I have been trying to find a 24" twin tube strip light and no
one makes them any more. If anyone has one they want to sell, let me
know.

Andy