# t8 lighting



## Postal Penguin

I had plenty of success with standard daylight, 6500k, T8s you can find in a hardware store.


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## DishyFishy

Postal Penguin said:


> I had plenty of success with standard daylight, 6500k, T8s you can find in a hardware store.


+1 to that


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## BlueMovieBaz

Postal Penguin said:


> I had plenty of success with standard daylight, 6500k, T8s you can find in a hardware store.


So your saying i don't need to buy a hagen or other t8 in a fancy bit a packaging and just purchase one from the local hardware store saving me $$££ :icon_bigg

Thanks just seen these 
http://www.thelightbulb.co.uk/product-1010/Gro-Lux-Fluorescent-Tube/36watt-4ft-T8-Gro-Lux


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## PlantedRich

I'm pretty new to the lighting and planted world but I find there are many aspects of the tank that need work as much as the lighting. Since I was not sure I wanted to do planted and only wanted to try a cheap setup, I went all out cheap for my first few. I found I did not need "special". My first lights on planted tanks were simple Twisty CFL bulbs in bulb holders placed around the tank canopy. I used the ones from hardware stores and found 6500K rated worked well enough to suck me into needing more plants with more lights and CO2. Better lights and other improvements will give you more options for various plants to do well. Lights are only one item, though so keep that in mind as well.


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## oyeabog

PlantedRich said:


> I'm pretty new to the lighting and planted world but I find there are many aspects of the tank that need work as much as the lighting. Since I was not sure I wanted to do planted and only wanted to try a cheap setup, I went all out cheap for my first few. I found I did not need "special". My first lights on planted tanks were simple Twisty CFL bulbs in bulb holders placed around the tank canopy. I used the ones from hardware stores and found 6500K rated worked well enough to suck me into needing more plants with more lights and CO2. Better lights and other improvements will give you more options for various plants to do well. Lights are only one item, though so keep that in mind as well.


good advice.The light is the driver.......


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## samamorgan

BlueMovieBaz said:


> what are the best tubes to use for a planted aquarium [hagen aqua glow, sun glow, power glo etc?
> 
> thanks
> 
> I should point out that i need 2 tubes


Light is light. As long as its within a certain spectral range it doesn't matter to the plants, and it's a pretty wide range of white bulbs from about 2000k to 15000k. It's all about personal visual preference. Plants enjoy an 8 hour spraying of photons, they don't care much about the visual color.


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## benjaminleebates

I got my 2 light T8 fixture from the hardware store for less than 20.
Where I screwed up was that I built a box to house them, but the opening (window) on the hood is only 4 inches wide.
If I don't upgrade my lighting, I will at least buy a thick chunk of plexi to replace my hood, so that ALL the light can make it into the tank.


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## BBradbury

*Aquarium Tank Lighting*



BlueMovieBaz said:


> what are the best tubes to use for a planted aquarium [hagen aqua glow, sun glow, power glo etc?
> 
> thanks
> 
> I should point out that i need 2 tubes


Hello Blue...

If you avoid the more demanding plants, you can have a nicely planted tank with a single, T8 or T12, 6500K bulb. If your tank is taller and a little narrower, than use a T8. If the tank is shorter and a bit wider, then go with the T12.

Attached is a pic of a tank I put together with just a single, T8 6500K, 32 watt bulb I got from the local hardware store for about $10.00. The bulb has lasted more than a year. 

The pots have a little organic potting soil topped with standard aquarium gravel. 

The ferts are mainly what the fish produce and a little liquid, trace elements dosed every week or so when I change out half the tank water.

It's so easy to have a planted tank.

B


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