# 55 gallon plan for lighting. Help Please!



## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

48" Catalina Solar T5 - 4 X 54W

You could run just one bank of lights if need be, and have the extra bank for a noon day burst.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

If you decide to stick with the AH Supply lights, a single 2 X 55 watt kit with the GE9325K bulbs would be perfect. More light than that will most likely cause more problems than you will find it to be worth. And, that would be high light intensity too, not moderate.


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## Joetee (Mar 28, 2006)

Can we buy these GE9325K bulbs from Lowes or Home Depot etc?
Joe


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

x2 on the Solar T5HOs from Catalina.

If you go with CF bulbs I _think _you can get the 9235k directly from AH supply.

If not, they're usually pretty cheap at www.lightbulbsdirect.com.


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## Cisco (Nov 28, 2008)

Hi to All who replied,

Thanks for your input. I currently have the "perfecto" hood and light system. I know that I can't retrofit anything to fit in them, (or can I?)so that is why I wanted to buy a hood from A H Supply to actually cover the tank, then install the lights under the hood. If I purchased a Catalina Solar light, how would it fit my 55 gallon. Would I have to purchase a glass top for the aquarium, then buy legs for the light and let the unit just sit on top? I kinda wanted it enclosed so that you really don't see the light fixture just sitting on top. Jinx and Lauralee, thanks for the suggestion on Catalina, don't know if that is what I'm looking for, but I'm not ruling it out.

Hoppy, so you think that I should go with 110 watts total for my 55 gallon? Jinx, you mentioned having a bit more to give the plants a noon day burst if need be. 

Do any of you find that having more light in case you need it is better, or does the 2 watt per gallon rule work best overall? 

Thanks again!! I appreciate all of your help.

Cisco


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The "2 watts per gallon rule" applies to less efficient lights than T5 lights. With AH Supply quality reflectors and bulbs I found that more than 2 watts per gallon made my life miserable. And, a bit less than 2 watts per gallon made it worth living again. Even less works fine for me - right now I have one 55 watt 9325K bulb on a 45 gallon tank, raised 6 inches above the tank, and my crypts, java ferns and anubias grow very well. Those are known to be low light plants, so that wouldn't work for high light plants, but 110 watts over that same tank sure did work well, if not too well.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Yes, I'd recommend legs and a glass canopy if you go with the Catalina. This is what it looks like sitting on top of my tank; I personally find them very low profile (and mine is silver whereas I think now all their fixtures are black)


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## Bugman (Jan 7, 2008)

You need to make some decisions before deciding on the light. Maybe you already have but it isn't mentioned. What kind of plants do you wnat to grow? Are you planning on pressurized Co2? How about ferts? The answer to all of these helps determine how much light to go with. I you aren't going with pressurized then you definitely don't want to go with more than 2x55 as hoppy suggested and DIY Co2 just doesn't work with a 55.


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## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

Joetee said:


> Can we buy these GE9325K bulbs from Lowes or Home Depot etc?
> Joe


Here is the link to the $14.20 9325K 55w bulbs that lauraleellbp mentioned earlier.
http://lightbulbsdirect.com/Merchan...=PROD&Store_Code=001&Product_Code=F55BX-AR-FS


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## Cisco (Nov 28, 2008)

Hoppy, thanks again for further explaining. I see!! I guess I would have to decide on what plants I want. 

Lauralee, Thanks so much for the photo. It gives me a better idea of what I would be looking at with a Catalina fixture. And thanks for the explaination as well.

Bugman, Thanks for your questions. That makes sense to include what kind of plants I want. First of all, I'm planning on 5-6 discus fish, but I want to keep a planted tank for about a year first before adding my discus. I need to make sure my tank is working well and I have this planted tank stuff down before I add them. I want low to moderate plants: Amazon Sword, Anubias Barteri, Wendtii , Red Tiger Lotus, some kind of moss (not sure what kind yet). Probably Co2 since I have very hard water. Ph is at 8.0 to 8.2. I wasn't planning on a DIY Co2, there is a unit called a Sanders Floramat CO2 Generator  that I was looking at. Will that work for me? I guess I will post where I need to concerning the Co2 generator. But the lighting is where I want to start. 

Am I on the right track? If not, please direct me, I very much appreciate all of your ideas, expertise, advice. :smile:


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

What are the kH and gH of your water? If they're as high as that pH indicates is likely, you probably need to get an RO unit if you're set on keeping discus. Discus aren't nearly as sensitive as they were a decade ago, but a pH of 8.0+ is still really out of range.

All of the plants you mentioned will grow quite well in low light, with or without CO2.

FYI the tank I posted is a 90gal, I run only 108 watts of T5HO for no more than 8 hrs/day, and there's no CO2 on that tank.


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## Cisco (Nov 28, 2008)

Lauralee, Thanks! My gh is 120ppm (8 degrees) and my kh is 90ppm (5 degrees). My ph is more like 8.0. I have a 40g goldfish tank as well, stocked with 1 8" and 4 3" fish, no other tankmates and no live plants. It's been established for 2 years and that tank (with weekly water changes) remains at 7.5. Don't know if this would happen with a planted, discus tank or not. 

Your 90 gallon is very nice. It's good to know that you don't have to do any co2. Perhaps I won't have to either. I guess, I will decide as I go. I'm not going after breeding them, I just want them for display. I've heard the breeding pairs and growing discus need a much lower ph, but I have considered an RO unit as well.

Thanks again L!

Cisco


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## Cisco (Nov 28, 2008)

Hi again,

I decided on the Catalina 48" 2x55 Solar T5HO for my 55 gallon, pretty much because I might want to upgrade to a 75 gallon and have the option to keep the same unit for a low-light (low-tech) scenario. Wanting to avoid using pressurized Co2. 

For the 55 gallon, it's a little less than 2 WPG, but as Hoppy says, the 2 WPG rule applies to the less efficient lights than the T5's. So, for a 55 gallon, will this unit be too much light for a low-light setup? And if I get a 75 gallon will this unit be too little light for a low-light setup?

Thanks again for your patience and your help. 

Cisco


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## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

Left C said:


> Here is the link to the $14.20 9325K 55w bulbs that lauraleellbp mentioned earlier.
> http://lightbulbsdirect.com/Merchan...=PROD&Store_Code=001&Product_Code=F55BX-AR-FS


I know this is an older thread, but does anyone know off hand if these bulbs will fit in an AH Supply 55w setup? Thanks.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

jart said:


> I know this is an older thread, but does anyone know off hand if these bulbs will fit in an AH Supply 55w setup? Thanks.


Yes, they do. I use that bulb in an AH Supply fixture.


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