What intensity is this combo?

**bethyMT** · 10-04-2012, 03:42 PM

I have a 48" long tank, 55gal, lights are about 20 inches from the substrate. Two light fixtures which hold one 18" T8 each. FW setup.

Right now, I have a life-glo 15W (6700K I think)in one fixture, and I just put a coralife 15w (10,000K) in the other. This is a vast improvement over the crap lights the tank came with. Both bulbs are new.

Am I going to be able to keep my plants alive with this setup? I tried using the calculators and it looks like I can grow/maintain nothing.

Thanks for your help. There is so much to learn. I want healthy fish and plants!

**jeffs99dime** · 10-04-2012, 03:51 PM

What plants are you going to be keeping?
Plants require different lighting levels.

**chrisfraser05** · 10-04-2012, 03:56 PM

I think you'll struggle with most plants to be honest bud.

I had a 48" long and 22" deep tank with 216w over it, most of my plants exploded with growth but even then there were a few that struggled.

I went down to 162w and found a good balance though getting rid of a few of the highest light plants

**smaug** · 10-04-2012, 04:02 PM

That fixture will not support much more then some algae . It may keep certain plants such as a mossball or anubias and ferns alive but they won't grow.

**bethyMT** · 10-04-2012, 04:03 PM

Well as far as plants go, I have a little of everything...a couple of swords, a couple anubias, wisteria, and bacopa. There is also anacharis, but that never does well, and I am OK with replacing it every so often.

Strangely enough, I had a 20 gallon tank with just one T8 15w 8000K bulb and every one of these plants rooted and grew. Not fantastically, but a bit. The one couple of swords I have are both quite old...almost killed them a couple times, but now they are doing quite well.

Anyway, do they make higher wattage 18" T8 bulbs? Or will I have to consider an upgrade? Sorry to sound so dumb...I guess I am about this stuff.

**bethyMT** · 10-04-2012, 07:36 PM

All right. Looks like, through my research, that my T8s are not going to cut it. Fabulous. I look to upgrade my tank and there is always just one more thing to buy so everybody is happy in there. I'm gonna go broke.

So it looks like a 48" T5 fixture is the way to go... but I will have to find a way to suspend it above the hood. I know the fancy aquarium specific fixtures have feet. Could I possibly rig a way to elevate the fixture? I have some T5s in a plant table...they run wicked hot. I will not suspend it from the ceiling.

At this point, changing the lighting on the tank is just too too expensive for me if I do it straight out of a catalog. My husband will kill me. He's already upset at how expensive this tank has become.

Also...could I possibly add some...what are they?...LED strips? Do you add those to the existing fixture somewhere?

Boy, I'm feeling lost and confused. I just want to get this tank right.

Off to check out my plant table...maybe I can use one of those fixtures. They are 48" two bulb T5s....