# Catalina Aquarium Single T5HO for low tech



## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

So I am looking for a low tech option for a 29 gallon and have been having issues with my coralife lately. So looking into other options. Tank just has a few swords, vals, and dwarf sags so low to medium is what I am looking for. Don't want CO2 or a big algae bloom. Will this light work well as a low tech? They describe it as the fixture for your low light needs.

http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=71_196&products_id=1835

Its only 1 24watt T5HO light. So thats under a watt per gallon but is High output with the high quality catalina reflector.


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## livingword26 (Oct 28, 2010)

From Hoppy's charts on the first post here:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/105774-par-vs-distance-t5-t12-pc.html

I would say that would put you in the medium/high light range. If you set it up off the tank 6 or 8 inches that would probably put you into the low medium range.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

Well that blows, so is my only choice for a low tech option on a 29 the coralife NO fixture that keeps popping bulbs?


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## livingword26 (Oct 28, 2010)

Interestingly enough, there is a thread that discusses using T5NO bulbs in the Catalina T5HO fixtures. 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/175257-catalina-gears-down-t5-ho-no.html

I read the thread, and the thread it links to, and emailed Catalina and asked them is this was true. They said yes. But I would email them yourself, and save the email, if you want to try this.


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## dmagerl (Feb 2, 2010)

I have a 3 bulb Catalina over my 29 gal tank but am only using 1 bulb.

It's suspended about 1 ft above the tank and I get roughly 25 umol at the bottom of the tank.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

Problem is the tank has a hood, it's only about 6 inches tall so I would not be able to suspend it, it's also in a waiting room at a dr. office with kids running around so it's kind of a secure hood so they can't get to stuff. So suspending isn't a option.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Look into LED. I'd do the marine land double bright. or the single bright. Look at the LED Lighting Sticky in the Lighting forum.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

The single bright I saw couldn't even grow moss. The double bright will do low light but I heard it won't light the corners of the tank. The beam is to direct and doesn't cover enough ground.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

You are right, I forgot about those problems. I just got my Finnex Ray 2 in the mail yesterday. Its an awesome light. I have it on a 20 long emerged setup. It might work for you but I think it would be more light than you are wanting.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Here is a pretty good option: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/176470-lighting-overload.html#post1863601


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

Hoppy does anyone have experience with these fixtures? I would hate to buy another fixture just to start popping bulbs every few months like my coralife has been doing.

I just realized it's a HO fixture. 2 HO lights would be less PAR then one HO light by catalina?


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

Another option is what if I get the AH supply kit? With my goals of no CO2, No algae, growing Vals and swords. What kit would I get? Would I get the 36 watt kit or the 55 watt kit? It's a 29 gallon.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

bradlgt21 said:


> Hoppy does anyone have experience with these fixtures? I would hate to buy another fixture just to start popping bulbs every few months like my coralife has been doing.
> 
> I just realized it's a HO fixture. 2 HO lights would be less PAR then one HO light by catalina?


The FishNeedIt light seems to use a ballast that doesn't drive the bulbs to full HO power, and it doesn't have a very good reflector. It produces a light intensity higher than the Coralife T5NO, but less than good T5HO lights.









I don't know if people have found these to have a limited life or not.




bradlgt21 said:


> Another option is what if I get the AH supply kit? With my goals of no CO2, No algae, growing Vals and swords. What kit would I get? Would I get the 36 watt kit or the 55 watt kit? It's a 29 gallon.


I used a 2 x 55 watt AH Supply kit for a tank just a little bigger than a 29 gallon tank, and it gave very high light, with lots of algae problems. With only one bulb running it still seemed to be high light. When I later tested the light I found that for a 29 gallon tank, with about 2 inches of substrate, it should give about 70 micromols of PAR with one bulb, which is definitely high light. A 36 watt light would just be a shorter bulb, lighting the tank less uniformly.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

I talked to catalina yesterday and they told me that the t5HO fixtures they sell can run NO bulbs. Only problem is that leaves me with the coralife bulbs that keep popping. I don't want to risk it being the bulbs that are the problem. They suggested building them out of T8's. Been looking into them and T8's have a huge selection compared to NO T5's. Would 2 T8 bulbs built into a catalina fixture with there nice reflectors be low-med light like I am looking for?

I am nervous about getting a T5HO fixture that is so cheap it performs like a T5NO, when catalina said they could build me something around that price in T8.


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## kuni (May 7, 2010)

If you have a glass lid between your light and the tank, that'll drop the PAR enough that you can use the Catalina without having light issues.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

Kuni are you refering to the single T5HO light or a dual T8 I am looking into them making for me? 

Because yes I have a wooden canopy so I have to use glass lids to keep the moisture out of the canopy.


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## newday3000 (Nov 4, 2009)

Marineland has new higher power led plant lights but its not available yet. I plan on getting one for my riparium

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk


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## kuni (May 7, 2010)

bradlgt21 said:


> Kuni are you refering to the single T5HO light or a dual T8 I am looking into them making for me?
> 
> Because yes I have a wooden canopy so I have to use glass lids to keep the moisture out of the canopy.


If you're using a glass lid, a single T5HO will be fine. Hoppy's charts assume nothing is obstructing the light. A lid will drop your PAR 20-50%.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

Drop your par 50% are you kidding me? it's not tinted glass it's clear glass. I did some research a while back on how much the glass cuts your par. I saw numbers 5-10% when measured with a par meter. I would like to see your proof that a glass lid can cut your par in half.

I was a using coralife dual t5no fixture on this tank with glass lid. After seeing the par results for this fixture being in the teens cutting that in half wouldn't even grow anubius and I have grown a lot of plants successfully with it.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

bradlgt21 said:


> I talked to catalina yesterday and they told me that the t5HO fixtures they sell can run NO bulbs. Only problem is that leaves me with the coralife bulbs that keep popping. I don't want to risk it being the bulbs that are the problem. They suggested building them out of T8's. Been looking into them and T8's have a huge selection compared to NO T5's. Would 2 T8 bulbs built into a catalina fixture with there nice reflectors be low-med light like I am looking for?
> 
> I am nervous about getting a T5HO fixture that is so cheap it performs like a T5NO, when catalina said they could build me something around that price in T8.


I ran my t5ho catalina with NO bulbs. It worked, but the main issue is the bulbs didn't last long at all. I was getting a new one every few months. Got pricey after a while.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

sewingalot said:


> I ran my t5ho catalina with NO bulbs. It worked, but the main issue is the bulbs didn't last long at all. I was getting a new one every few months. Got pricey after a while.


What NO bulbs did you use? I was trying to find NO bulbs and it seems the only T5 NO bulbs on the market are made by coralife. And coralife bulbs have been popping every 3 months for me in my coralife NO fixtures I am looking to replace. So maybe it's not just the fixtures its the bulbs. This is why I am starting to lean towards having Catalina build me a dual T8 fixture. There are a ton of options for T8 bulbs out there. Options that don't involve using coralife products that have been poor as of late.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

GE bulbs that I got at Home Depot. They had them in 3, 4, 5, 6.5 and 10k at our local store for right under $8. I'd probably go with a T8 over a T5HO if it were my choice to make. Simply for the options like you stated.


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

bradlgt21 said:


> Drop your par 50% are you kidding me? it's not tinted glass it's clear glass. I did some research a while back on how much the glass cuts your par. I saw numbers 5-10% when measured with a par meter. I would like to see your proof that a glass lid can cut your par in half.
> 
> I was a using coralife dual t5no fixture on this tank with glass lid. After seeing the par results for this fixture being in the teens cutting that in half wouldn't even grow anubius and I have grown a lot of plants successfully with it.



30-50% PAR reduction source.

http://www.omnima.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=6


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

Wow that is really shocking. I wonder how dirty the glass was. But I stand corrected, you showed me proof. So I guess I can just do that. Thanks guys you probably saved me around $50.


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

To be fair, his glass lid was not the cleanest from the pictures and he could have had salt buildup.


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## PaulG (Oct 10, 2010)

50% sounds excessive! I find that really hard to believe with clear glass it would be that much. Glass manufacturers usually claim around 5-10%.

Mesh will block more light IMO. Or floating plants.


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## livingword26 (Oct 28, 2010)

TexasCichlid said:


> 30-50% PAR reduction source.
> 
> http://www.omnima.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=6



On the first set of test done with the fluorescent tubes:

On the "upper level" test, the "no glass" test was done in the middle of the tank, the "under glass test" was done off to the side, where the par is probably lower anyway. 

On the "midle level" test, the test also done with the "under glass" part being done closer to the side.

ON the "bottom level" test, the tests were done on opposite sides of the tank.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

So if I decide to do a single T5HO fixture. What bulb do I get? 6500k, 10000k I am actually leaning towards 5000k because I have sunset rainbows and they are a beautiful orange red when displaying there good colors. I would love a bulb that compliments them. But I couldn't find anyone who did only a 5000k, everyone seemed to mix it with a higher bulb like a 10k. Would this really look that horrible at 5000k by itself if it helps bring the reds out of my rainbows?


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## SJInverts (Apr 6, 2009)

I use a single 24" 24w T5 HO fixture with a Hagen Life-Glo light that is 6700k. I love the look of the aquarium.


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