[Analog Kid]

Help choose my Equipment. I am starting a 24x24x21" cube w/AS,Co2 & want to light it with T5 lighting. I need a qualified recommendation on a specific fixture (24")and need to know if 2 bulbs (24 watts each) will suffice, or is a 4 bulb fixture necessary. Your input will largely influence my next order...Thanks Will

 

[m-jackson]

Hi
I was in the same boat and I was confused about the t5s vs cpf. I was told the t5s are qite a bit better especially the ho one. Go over to lighting to read my stupidity t5s vs compact fluorescent is the thread.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=58275

I ended up ordering the 30 inch version but here is a link to the 24". http://www.aquaticexchange.com/product_info.php?products_id=1975

Don't know how good these people are since I just ordered 3 of the 30 inch lights from them(they were the cheapest). The only thing someone said was I should have got a different bulb(6.7k) instead of the 10k but other sites have said the 10k is okay but I will wait and and see. In that thread I was told the t5s will out preform the more powerfull 65 watt cpf in a deeper aquarium. I believe that since that what I told by the rep for a store. I never trust a store so I asked about this and the members here was nice enough to confirm this. I am going to be using them on some 29's. Hang in here. Replies often slowly drift in. There is other better qualified than me but I thought that this might help you.

 

[Cocobid]

Will,
I have a 60 cube 24X24X24 and have a aqualight 130 over it. That said if/when I replace the lighting would use 2 fixtures placed 4-5 inches apart for lighting a cube. They are deep and wide. T-5's would be great and I would use. Just remember the depth of light diminishes at those depths. Somewhere a long time ago I found on google a chart about depth and light. Surely some will jump in here to help with that. But separating the light fixtures would be the way to go instead of one 4 bulb. But I love cubes.

 

[Analog Kid]

Will,
I have a 60 cube 24X24X24 and have a aqualight 130 over it. That said if/when I replace the lighting would use 2 fixtures placed 4-5 inches apart for lighting a cube. They are deep and wide. T-5's would be great and I would use. Just remember the depth of light diminishes at those depths. Somewhere a long time ago I found on google a chart about depth and light. Surely some will jump in here to help with that. But separating the light fixtures would be the way to go instead of one 4 bulb. But I love cubes.

Karen, Thanks for the comment. I agree the depth can be difficult. When I had this tank made I had them take 3" off the top, so technically its not a true cube but a tub version. By the time I get my substrate in it will be about 18" in depth to the plants.