T5's for a FOWLR. overkill?
- Thread starter offroadr
- Start date
Recty
New member
I wouldnt say there is such a thing as overkill unless you went really crazy.
I ran a 250W MH over my last FOWLR... sure, I didnt NEED it, but it made the fish look amazing with the shimmer and my LR actually grew stuff.
Now, I wouldnt run 5 250W MH over a FOWLR, but one is fine imo. Same with running T5s, you dont need to go completely nuts and have 2000 watts of T5 over your 180 but the better lighting you have, the better your fish and your tank is going to look.
I recently switched to LEDs and freaking love them. I'll never go back to T5 or MH.
If you're the handy type, look into building your own LED setup. It's really not that bad, my brother just set his up for a freshwater tank and it is AMAZING how much light he puts out. He only runs his LEDs at 50% because of the brightness, and the sweet thing about LEDs is if you run them at 50%, they just last twice as long. So his 50,000 hour LEDs are now 100,000 hour LEDs. That's 23 years of life...
Anyway, T5s are fine. If you want to spend a little more money up front and save it in the long run, try out LEDs. Also you get the nice shimmer effect which is cool to see in a FOWLR, plus a huge savings on power and bulb replacement.
I paid $300 for a premade LED lighting setup, where I typically would have paid about $150-$200 for the T5 equivalent. However, one time replacing all 4 bulbs in the T5 fixture would put me almost up to the $300 mark I paid for the LED and then next time I replaced the bulbs it would push me well over it, so I figure my LEDs are paying for themselves real soon here. Plus the savings in power is not negligible, that adds up over time. I expect to use this fixture maintenance and bulb replacement free for at least 10 years, that's just crazy talk imo
I ran a 250W MH over my last FOWLR... sure, I didnt NEED it, but it made the fish look amazing with the shimmer and my LR actually grew stuff.
Now, I wouldnt run 5 250W MH over a FOWLR, but one is fine imo. Same with running T5s, you dont need to go completely nuts and have 2000 watts of T5 over your 180 but the better lighting you have, the better your fish and your tank is going to look.
I recently switched to LEDs and freaking love them. I'll never go back to T5 or MH.
If you're the handy type, look into building your own LED setup. It's really not that bad, my brother just set his up for a freshwater tank and it is AMAZING how much light he puts out. He only runs his LEDs at 50% because of the brightness, and the sweet thing about LEDs is if you run them at 50%, they just last twice as long. So his 50,000 hour LEDs are now 100,000 hour LEDs. That's 23 years of life...
Anyway, T5s are fine. If you want to spend a little more money up front and save it in the long run, try out LEDs. Also you get the nice shimmer effect which is cool to see in a FOWLR, plus a huge savings on power and bulb replacement.
I paid $300 for a premade LED lighting setup, where I typically would have paid about $150-$200 for the T5 equivalent. However, one time replacing all 4 bulbs in the T5 fixture would put me almost up to the $300 mark I paid for the LED and then next time I replaced the bulbs it would push me well over it, so I figure my LEDs are paying for themselves real soon here. Plus the savings in power is not negligible, that adds up over time. I expect to use this fixture maintenance and bulb replacement free for at least 10 years, that's just crazy talk imo
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I wouldnt say there is such a thing as overkill unless you went really crazy.
I ran a 250W MH over my last FOWLR... sure, I didnt NEED it, but it made the fish look amazing with the shimmer and my LR actually grew stuff.
Now, I wouldnt run 5 250W MH over a FOWLR, but one is fine imo. Same with running T5s, you dont need to go completely nuts and have 2000 watts of T5 over your 180 but the better lighting you have, the better your fish and your tank is going to look.
I recently switched to LEDs and freaking love them. I'll never go back to T5 or MH.
If you're the handy type, look into building your own LED setup. It's really not that bad, my brother just set his up for a freshwater tank and it is AMAZING how much light he puts out. He only runs his LEDs at 50% because of the brightness, and the sweet thing about LEDs is if you run them at 50%, they just last twice as long. So his 50,000 hour LEDs are now 100,000 hour LEDs. That's 23 years of life...
Anyway, T5s are fine. If you want to spend a little more money up front and save it in the long run, try out LEDs. Also you get the nice shimmer effect which is cool to see in a FOWLR, plus a huge savings on power and bulb replacement.
I paid $300 for a premade LED lighting setup, where I typically would have paid about $150-$200 for the T5 equivalent. However, one time replacing all 4 bulbs in the T5 fixture would put me almost up to the $300 mark I paid for the LED and then next time I replaced the bulbs it would push me well over it, so I figure my LEDs are paying for themselves real soon here. Plus the savings in power is not negligible, that adds up over time. I expect to use this fixture maintenance and bulb replacement free for at least 10 years, that's just crazy talk imo
What LED system did you go with?
DoubleM 10
Active member
i have a 4 bulb 54w t5-ho fixture over my 55 gallon
and i have a 4x 39w t5-ho fixture ovre my 46bow
i just like the way they look and the ease of use (aquatice life with built in timer)
and i have a 4x 39w t5-ho fixture ovre my 46bow
i just like the way they look and the ease of use (aquatice life with built in timer)
This?
http://www.marinedepot.com/Marinela...uariums-Marineland-AS33000-FILTFILDFX-vi.html
Some of the reviews are scary!
Recty
New member
That's the one. I have the 36" to 48" version.
I only saw one bad review and 9 good ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5CcurJvcdk
There is the amount of light it puts out, I took a video of it a couple months ago.
I only saw one bad review and 9 good ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5CcurJvcdk
There is the amount of light it puts out, I took a video of it a couple months ago.
Recty
New member
My brother's DIY LED setup is freaking amazing. I just didnt have the time to do it right so I bought a premade solution, but if I had the time to do it I would have gone DIY as well.
Plus, with DIY you save money. You'll probably save 25% by building it on your own and the other bonus is you get exactly what you want. The lighting color you want, the placement you want, the size you want and the brightness you want.
Plus, with DIY you save money. You'll probably save 25% by building it on your own and the other bonus is you get exactly what you want. The lighting color you want, the placement you want, the size you want and the brightness you want.
Curious George
New member
I wouldn't consider T5's over kill at all. I would call them extremely efficient. More light, less heat, smaller size, and less to power.
I am thinking of getting 2 48" ones for my 8 foot tank. My electric bill is CRAZY at the moment. I figure I could save a good $75 a month with these lights. The only thing that worries me is whether they are bright enough.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I love the Marineland LEDs, have LEDs on all my tanks now. Elec cost & no bulb replacement means they pay for themselves. I sold my old MH/T-5 fixtures and actually made a profit with the switch. No heat problem either. I think the yellowish comment may have been from a single-bright owner (brightness refers to lights, not the owner); which just aren't enough light for most tanks, IMO. Buy from a dealer who will guarantee you're happy with them and you have nothing to lose.
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