Will this light work on a 40 gallon breeder,?

[miranda2]

Odyssea T5 Aquarium Lighting


Should I get a single tube fixture or this one with two?
Will it work for both plants out of the water and under water? Will this light be okay for the fire bellys(not hurt their eyes or anything)?
I want to make sure I get the right thing before I order it.Thanks

[deranged chipmunk]

A dual bulb would be fine. I run the same fixture, except a 4 bulb over one of my 40b tanks.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[deranged chipmunk]

And yes, it will be fine for aquatics and terrestrials. But looking at the ad again, no, that won't work. That has 10000k and actinic bulbs. Great for a reef tank, not as good for plants. Look for a freshwater version with 6500k bulbs.


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[miranda2]

Thanks so much I would have never known that.
I was reading that using three 13 watt cfl spiral lamps can work as well. They run 6 bucks each plus fixtures another 6 bucks each.Would it work to hang them some inches above the tank in a line (might look to ghetto though).

[deranged chipmunk]

as long as they have some sort of reflector, they would work. i don't really like the cfl's, they just don't throw enough light for the aquatics i keep. i'm actually going to start slowly replacing my t5ho fixtures with leds. the tech is now where they are affordable in our color temp ranges that we use. my honest advice is this: if you are planning on growing live plants, do yourself a favor and don't skimp on lighting. when it comes to plants, there's a big difference between thriving and surviving. i've seen a lot of people go all budget on lighting, only to regret the decision because the plants simply don't look lush, and end up buying a new fixture, and there went the budget. i cannot think of one person whom i advised on lighting who said they regretted it. only that they didn't do it sooner.

[DigitalPunk]

Cheap lighting + rebuying the right lighting = the most expensive lighting.

LED are the way to go. However I do like my T5ho lights. Plants love em!