# Fluval Spec V Light Replacement?



## fishnooblet (Jun 24, 2014)

Hi everyone! *wave* I am completely new to the forum, this is my first post. I have been researching and reading your forum quite a bit over the last couple weeks, though, so I decided to join since I have a question about the Fluval Spec V and its lighting.

I am currently cycling the tank for a future betta, and I have anubias ("assorted anubias" from Petsmart), a java fern, water wisteria, and amazon sword plants in the tank. Two of the water wisteria stalks I planted, the other three are just kind of hanging out floating at the surface. 

I have read that Amazon Sword likes high light, but I have also read that it likes low-moderate light. I am concerned that the stock light that came with the Spec V is not enough. It says it's a 7500K light on the box, but through research, I have learned that it's not really that - one place even claimed that it was ~1800K, and is very, very low light.

So, I have been thinking of upgrading. A lot of places recommend either the Current Satellite LED or the Finnex Fugeray 16" for this particular tank. I am worried, however, that if I use either of those lights, it may end up being *too much* for the lower light guys I have in there right now. I have read that the Fugeray can bump plants into the "higher end of the low, low end of moderate" spectrum, and then I have read that "you need to give the lower light plants like anubias a cover, or it will be too much for them." Basically, I'm thoroughly confused.

For reference, I also started doing API CO2 booster yesterday, and should be receiving some Flourish in the mail tomorrow. 

Does anyone have experience with these lights that could recommend how to proceed? The plants seem to be doing fine - in fact, I had to move two of my anubias down from the top of the pictured cube decoration because they were getting little clear spots in their leaves, which I presumed to mean "Ohgod, too much light!"

I have attached a photo of my current setup and how it looks with my desk lamp off (none of the lamp light reaches the tank) in ambient daylight.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

fishnooblet said:


> Hi everyone! *wave* I am completely new to the forum, this is my first post. I have been researching and reading your forum quite a bit over the last couple weeks, though, so I decided to join since I have a question about the Fluval Spec V and its lighting.
> 
> I am currently cycling the tank for a future betta, and I have anubias ("assorted anubias" from Petsmart), a java fern, water wisteria, and amazon sword plants in the tank. Two of the water wisteria stalks I planted, the other three are just kind of hanging out floating at the surface.
> 
> ...


Lights not bad.. and unless your camera wb is way off.. it has that bluish cast of a high K LED..I'm not seeing any reason to doubt the spec (as a range)

your plants will tell you.. 

I see no need for any more or different light..


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## fishnooblet (Jun 24, 2014)

I don't think the bluish tinge you're seeing is from the tank itself, rather it is from the ambient sunlight coming in from the window that is about 3 inches to the left of the tank. My office faces northeast, so I keep the blinds open all day for my orchid collection. 

I took another picture of the tank now, in total darkness other than its light. Does it still look like enough? (Also sorry for crappy cell picture, our real camera died on the first day of our honeymoon and we have yet to replace it )


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

fishnooblet said:


> I don't think the bluish tinge you're seeing is from the tank itself, rather it is from the ambient sunlight coming in from the window that is about 3 inches to the left of the tank. My office faces northeast, so I keep the blinds open all day for my orchid collection.
> 
> I took another picture of the tank now, in total darkness other than its light. Does it still look like enough? (Also sorry for crappy cell picture, our real camera died on the first day of our honeymoon and we have yet to replace it )


yes better..still has that high K look.. (6500k or greater)


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## fishnooblet (Jun 24, 2014)

jeffkrol said:


> yes better..still has that high K look.. (6500k or greater)


Good.  How will I know when/if the plants start to do poorly? This is my very first planted tank, so...=\ I spent most of the afternoon/evening reading about deficiencies and nutrients and lighting and co2 and all of the other overwhelming topics about keeping plants, lol. It's so much!


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## BuddhaBoy (Jun 12, 2014)

I added the 18 finnex ray 2 to my spec v

The 16 might be too small.


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## fishnooblet (Jun 24, 2014)

That looks nice. What are you growing in comparison to me? How do I know if I *need* it? I don't want to invest the money if it's not necessary.

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## BuddhaBoy (Jun 12, 2014)

java fern windelov, crytocoryne wendtii, Anubis barteri, Anubis frazeri, vallisneria spiralis

They are all low light plants, but I was finding that spec v light still wassnt enough for them to thrive. 

The built in blue lights are useless too. Good for an unplanted tank only imho.


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## fishnooblet (Jun 24, 2014)

BuddhaBoy said:


> java fern windelov, crytocoryne wendtii, Anubis barteri, Anubis frazeri, vallisneria spiralis
> 
> They are all low light plants, but I was finding that spec v light still wassnt enough for them to thrive.
> 
> The built in blue lights are useless too. Good for an unplanted tank only imho.


So a lot of the same as me. My biggest worry is them suddenly receiving too much light and me not being able to go anything about it. Someone mentioned getting a Current USA Satellite LED because it's adjustable. =/ I just want my plants to not die, lol.

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## BuddhaBoy (Jun 12, 2014)

Get a digital timer and plug the light into it. set it for 9 hours per day to start and then adjust as needed. Pretty much everyone on here has timers. The fugray is probably the best all around light. I got the ray 2 before I realized there was a fugray.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Current Sat+ in 18" would be a nice light for your Spec V.
http://aquascapedepot.com/shop/current-usa-satellite-plus-led-fixture/


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## Dtran5 (Mar 29, 2014)

I used to have a 20" planted+ on my spec v but it was WAY too much light for the tank. So I replaced it with the 18" satellite+. It's a good fit for the tank because you can adjust the light to fit your specifications. I still found that I had to set my fixture on risers though.


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## fishnooblet (Jun 24, 2014)

Dtran5 said:


> I used to have a 20" planted+ on my spec v but it was WAY too much light for the tank. So I replaced it with the 18" satellite+. It's a good fit for the tank because you can adjust the light to fit your specifications. I still found that I had to set my fixture on risers though.


I haven't researched the lights as heavily as I would like yet, but doesn't the satellite LED have cloudy day settings? Was that still not enough dimming? lol I suppose that's my conundrum. I may not have enough light with what I have but anything else might be too much..=/

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## Dtran5 (Mar 29, 2014)

I'm going to preface my response by saying that I am not affiliated with Current Satellite USA in any shape or form and do not have a vested interest in that company at all. Now that that's out of the way, I really like this fixture for the fact that I can manually control the amount and intensity of the light. Yes, there are some novel "dynamic effects" but they're just bells and whistles. I don't really use them much anymore. Using the remote control, you can adjust RGB individually to create your desired color combination. Overall, I like the fixture, even though it's not as bright as the finnex planted+. The cons of this fixture are: the remote doesn't seem very well-built and sometimes is not quite responsive, when you extend the legs out past a certain point, they feel very flimsy, and finally, because of the low-profile and the tendency for the fixture to get rather warm after extended use, my water temperature would rise after a few hours of use. That's partly why I had to raise the light.


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## BuddhaBoy (Jun 12, 2014)

Does the satellite keep it's last known settings when it's power cycled?


The reality is that all the extra settings are just bells and whistles and one more thing that can break. For me anyway, the goal is a simple robust light that can be automated with a timer and provides enough light to work with a co2 setup that is also on a timer. 

Figure out what your goals are and check the reviews and then buy the best quality light you can afford. 

I started out just trying to create more room for my betta.... And now I'm going full co2 lol.


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## fishnooblet (Jun 24, 2014)

BuddhaBoy said:


> Does the satellite keep it's last known settings when it's power cycled?
> 
> 
> The reality is that all the extra settings are just bells and whistles and one more thing that can break. For me anyway, the goal is a simple robust light that can be automated with a timer and provides enough light to work with a co2 setup that is also on a timer.
> ...


All I really want is something straightforward that doesn't take a bunch of modification, that is enough (but not too much) light for my plants to thrive and for my future betta to be happy. I don't need something high tech with a lot of bells and whistles, I just want something that is effective and serves its purpose: keep the plants alive without burning them up. 

If I were to hypothetically go for the Fugeray as opposed to the Satellite light, if I did shorter increments of time with the light on (if it's strong), would that help? Like does keeping it on longer make it more intense/too much? Most of my plants are low light, so I just worry about melting them, particularly my very tall anubias. My other anubias plants are all find with their leaves hitting about midway up the tank, but the big one's top leaf is only about an inch from the water's surface.


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## BuddhaBoy (Jun 12, 2014)

The fugray should be fine for intensity... I have a ray2 which is stronger.

The photoperiod (the length of time the light is on) will mostly affect algae growth. Too much time on will result in unwanted algae. You should also be dosing with micro and macro nutrients and a product like seachem excel for liquid carbon.

Lights are only part of the solution. As soon as you add better/brighter lights you change the equilibrium of the growing conditions and need to rebalance.


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## fishnooblet (Jun 24, 2014)

BuddhaBoy said:


> The fugray should be fine for intensity... I have a ray2 which is stronger.
> 
> The photoperiod (the length of time the light is on) will mostly affect algae growth. Too much time on will result in unwanted algae. You should also be dosing with micro and macro nutrients and a product like seachem excel for liquid carbon.
> 
> Lights are only part of the solution. As soon as you add better/brighter lights you change the equilibrium of the growing conditions and need to rebalance.


I have API co2 that I have been putting in, and I also have a bottle of Flourish that should be arriving today. Haven't seen the UPS dude yet, but it should be here any time now.


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