Help choosing a light

Lighting, filtration etc
Becca
GWAPA Member
Posts: 721
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:27 am
Real Name: Becca

Help choosing a light

Post by Becca »

We're going to need a new light for the 210 at some point in the near-ish future. Since funds are tight, options are limited.

I've narrowed it down to these two:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LF ... LUTFSIU1LH

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FV ... LUTFSIU1LH

Which does everyone think would be best, and why?

Is there something comparable in price that you'd recommend over either of these? We grow lower-light plants in the tank and, back when we had some working Finnex planted lights on the tank it grew some nice swords, staurogyne bihar, ludwidgia, lilies, etc. These days, not much is growing well, and the only light still working on it is a VERY old original-series Beamswork.
sukrol
Posts: 373
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:46 pm
Real Name: Gabriel Andrade
Location: Montgomery Village, MD

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by sukrol »

If you're talking about 210Gal, neither one of them will give you much more than viewing light. Specially at substrate level.
Gabriel
Becca
GWAPA Member
Posts: 721
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:27 am
Real Name: Becca

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by Becca »

sukrol wrote:If you're talking about 210Gal, neither one of them will give you much more than viewing light. Specially at substrate level.
But I'd take a gander that either will be better than what I'm currently working with, right?
sukrol
Posts: 373
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:46 pm
Real Name: Gabriel Andrade
Location: Montgomery Village, MD

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by sukrol »

Becca wrote:But I'd take a gander that either will be better than what I'm currently working with, right?
Probably, if you're looking for more PAR Beamsworks makes a 3W LED version. But at that point you might as well go to T5HO.

Maybe Kris will sell you some Kessils?

If money is the issue, this is what I would get:
https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Co-Fluoresc ... lamp&psc=1
Gabriel
Becca
GWAPA Member
Posts: 721
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:27 am
Real Name: Becca

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by Becca »

sukrol wrote:
Becca wrote:But I'd take a gander that either will be better than what I'm currently working with, right?
Probably, if you're looking for more PAR Beamsworks makes a 3W LED version. But at that point you might as well go to T5HO.

Maybe Kris will sell you some Kessils?

If money is the issue, this is what I would get:
https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Co-Fluoresc ... lamp&psc=1
Will a 4 foot be enough to light a 6-foot tank? We like the LEDs because they run pretty cool. When we had the oldschool beamswork and 2 36" finnex rgb planted lights on the tank (I guess it might've been a 150 back then- same height but not is deep) it grew lots of low-medium light/easy plants that got taller pretty well. I was looking back at old pictures and realized just how much different it used to look.
Becca
GWAPA Member
Posts: 721
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:27 am
Real Name: Becca

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by Becca »

If anyone has any of these lights that I could borrow to try out, let me know :-).
FishEggs
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:43 am
Real Name: Matt Esterly
Location: Upper Marlboro

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by FishEggs »

If you want full coverage over the tank you can link 3 of these together.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WDJFQU ... row+lights
FishEggs
Posts: 184
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:43 am
Real Name: Matt Esterly
Location: Upper Marlboro

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by FishEggs »

I have 4 t5ho bulbs over my 220g and the crypt and vals do fine. I custom built mine though so it's stretched to cover the 6ft. So the middle 2ft section has overlap of 4 bulbs but on the 2ft end sections it only has 2 bulbs.
Becca
GWAPA Member
Posts: 721
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:27 am
Real Name: Becca

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by Becca »

Any other input?
User avatar
Cristy Keister
Posts: 2119
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:52 am
Location: MD

Re: Help choosing a light

Post by Cristy Keister »

It depends on whether you want to spend more now for LEDs, or a lot more in the long run on T5HO bulbs.
Post Reply

Sponsors