# Low tech t8 lighting help



## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Option two barely puts you at 1.75WPG which is still low tech and you won't need CO2.

Option three gives you 2.3 WPG, close to needing you to inject CO2. Don't use it if you're going low tech.


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## Sundevil_brian (Sep 19, 2006)

thats great. it's always nice when the cheaper option is the better option  
thanks for the advice.


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## frostby (Sep 22, 2006)

I've been running 1 pair of 4ft T8's. They were obviously an improvement over the stock 15W lights, and I even started building a really nice hood for them.

But recently I upgraded to 4 bulbs, and I regret it. My plants do not seem to grow any faster, the overall brightness/contrast has not changed - to the eye. My water has also started to become more cloudy. Wether the water cloudiness is a issue with the lights or not, I don't yet know. 

I also have an 10 gallon experiment tank running same hours same plants similar ratio CO2, but it has 2 screw in CF bulbs, and the plants in there grow 2x faster, water is crystal clear, and plants just look so much healthier. I only fertilize 'K'. 

I have a feeling that these regular flourescent bulbs just don't quite get "bright" enough - to make the grade. Don't get me wrong, I get the impression that you can have 1000 watts over your tank, but if it's spread out, and thin, the plants just don't seem to enjoy it as much as a more concentrated source.

So, if my opinion fits in the corner of your mind, i'd also like to hear your feedback on your system for comparison. I'm shopping AH supply's 2x55 setup...


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## daFrimpster (Mar 7, 2005)

I have 3 x 32w on my 55g. It seems to be a good balance for non CO2.


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## frostby (Sep 22, 2006)

So, how do you "overdrive a T8? Does it reduce life considerably? WHat is the new wattage? I assume you use a higher power ballast assy...?


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## Sundevil_brian (Sep 19, 2006)

on a normal driven bulb you use one wire from the ballast to the bulb but on over driven bulbs you use more than one. there is a sticky about overdriving bulbs in the lighiting forum. so what i am going to do is use a 4x32watt ballast and run two wires to each of the two bulbs. The life of the bulb is probably reduced but i wouldn't know by how much. The nice thing is that two 32watt t8 bulbs are only 6 bucks at home depot so that won't be a big deal. The new wattage acording to the other thread is 54 watts. 



frostby said:


> So, how do you "overdrive a T8? Does it reduce life considerably? WHat is the new wattage? I assume you use a higher power ballast assy...?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

For our purposes it is better to use less, but brighter bulbs. 2 overdriven bulbs will probably equal the output of 4 normally driven bulbs. If you build your own hood, think about reflectors too. If you cram many bulbs side by side, there is a lot light lost due to restrike. 2 bulbs with excellent reflectors might get more light into the tank than 4 bulbs without or with a mediocre reflector.

For my 55gal low-tech tank, I am using two 4' T5 bulbs, and drive them to 2x40 = 80 Watts. Sounds low, but they are very efficient, and combined with very good reflectors a lot of light goes into the tank.


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## Sundevil_brian (Sep 19, 2006)

yea. im going to build my own hood. instead of reflectors i was thinking about just painting the inside of the canopy white or i might cover the inside with mylar.


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## lumpyfunk (Dec 22, 2004)

quality reflectors for t-8 have been hard for me to find as well. I would use a high gloss white. Plus white is a decent reflector.


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## frostby (Sep 22, 2006)

Guess what I just bought!!

A 4X32 sylvania electronic ballast to overdrive my T8's! It's bedtime now, so i can't wait to see what happens. If this is my last post, things didn't go so well!!! :icon_sad: :eek5:


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

...lol, what?


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

> If this is my last post, things didn't go so well!!!


roud: Remember, Electricity is Your Friend! roud:


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Suspense is killing me... :hihi:

Regarding reflectors for T8's, I used excellent reflectors from AH Supply, they are made for CF bulbs, but work great for T8's too.

Since then I switched to T5's and now the reflectors are collecting dust. :icon_roll


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## frostby (Sep 22, 2006)

Dang you all.... and your recommendations. MY WALLET CAN"T TAKE THIS!!!! Everytime somebody says they have this great... gizmo.... here goes frostby....straight to the store to buy or build or try this and that. AAAAHHHGGGHHH! I need help. Is there a "support" forum I can grieve at? 

I spent more on tank toys, than I did on the tank and stand itself. I hope my wife never finds out!

-so, ahsupply will sell just a reflector? ca-ching, ching... as wallet keeps getting thinner and thinner


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

frostby said:


> AAAAHHHGGGHHH! I need help. Is there a "support" forum I can grieve at?


Try slickdeals.net ... That will take care of any money you might have left. :flick:


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## Sundevil_brian (Sep 19, 2006)

Wasserpest said:


> Suspense is killing me... :hihi:
> 
> Regarding reflectors for T8's, I used excellent reflectors from AH Supply, they are made for CF bulbs, but work great for T8's too.
> 
> Since then I switched to T5's and now the reflectors are collecting dust. :icon_roll


yea i just thought of that too. i got an ah supply 2x55 watt kit for my 20gal reef tank but im gona be using the wh5 to power some t5s, so i will also have the reflectors just lyin around.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

I think I just went blind. 

I just got the bulbs for my 4x54w Tek fixture. Put in 2 6700K bulbs and 2 10000K bulbs. DON'T LOOK AT THE LIGHTS WHEN YOU TURN THEM ON.


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## Sundevil_brian (Sep 19, 2006)

epicfish said:


> I think I just went blind.
> 
> I just got the bulbs for my 4x54w Tek fixture. Put in 2 6700K bulbs and 2 10000K bulbs. DON'T LOOK AT THE LIGHTS WHEN YOU TURN THEM ON.


lol thats prob the most light anyone has put over 2 10 gal tanks. hope you have fun trimming plants every two days with all that light!
i can't wait till i upgrade my reef tank and use t5 on it!!!
i think im also gona go with t5 on my high tech planted only w/o reflectors.


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## killerproblem (Jul 30, 2006)

i needed reflectors for a 8 lamp 3xODNO, (so 32 ft of reflectors) there was no way i was paying 20-40 for ea 4 ft refletor...so for my current project i'm making some reflectors out of 4" pvc (thin wall smooth sewer pipe 2"-4" would work i got the 4" cheap), slice them in half longways, and glue in a 1/2"x1/2" or so triangle (wood would work i'm using plastic) as a restrike deflector, then fine sand the insides (talking about starting at 500grit and working thru 2000 then using 000 and 0000 steel wool), until you have got them really smooth. then prime them with a plastic adhesion type paint (krylon fusion or rustolem's plastic paint), i'm using white for the primer. last i'll spray them with hi-grade crome paint (like the stuff you get in a auto body shop)to get them looking like a mirror...


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## Sundevil_brian (Sep 19, 2006)

killerproblem said:


> i needed reflectors for a 8 lamp 3xODNO, (so 32 ft of reflectors) there was no way i was paying 20-40 for ea 4 ft refletor...so for my current project i'm making some reflectors out of 4" pvc (thin wall smooth sewer pipe 2"-4" would work i got the 4" cheap), slice them in half longways, and glue in a 1/2"x1/2" or so triangle (wood would work i'm using plastic) as a restrike deflector, then fine sand the insides (talking about starting at 500grit and working thru 2000 then using 000 and 0000 steel wool), until you have got them really smooth. then prime them with a plastic adhesion type paint (krylon fusion or rustolem's plastic paint), i'm using white for the primer. last i'll spray them with hi-grade crome paint (like the stuff you get in a auto body shop)to get them looking like a mirror...


it might be easier to use the pvc but instead of all that sanding and then painting it with crome paint, just get some mylar and glue it to the pvc. but that is a good idea using the pvc


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## killerproblem (Jul 30, 2006)

I looked at the "mylar" i can get here and most of it is traslucent or fairly expensive, $30-40 to get the amount i'd need (plus glue) vs. $11 in paint... but yes, good mylar would be nice if You could get it reasonable...


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## Sundevil_brian (Sep 19, 2006)

have you looked online for it? you can get a 25' roll for $20 but thats probably a lot more than you need. im doing three hoods with it so it'll be more cost effective for me. if i just had one hood to do i'd prob do the same as you.


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