# 200G tank lighting



## chrispeck (Oct 24, 2010)

hey i'm working on a 200 gallon tank and im curious about lighting, i found some t5 fixtures on ebay that are 36" long and have 4 bulbs. i was thinking about getting two such fixtures to make up the right length for my 6 foot tank. any way, my main question is the bulbs, i know 6700K is best for planted tanks, but the fixtures come installed with 2 actinic blue bulbs and 2 10000K bulbs. will actinic be good for plants at all or is it only for reef tanks? if so, i guess i could just switch them out. what do you guys think?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I think you'll want to switch them out. Plants will benefit from the other bulbs, but the better light will be from the 6700k. I guess it more depends on what type of plants you decide on and what their light requirments will be. The actinic lights are blue and will make your tank look a little darker. I like the look of it as it makes the colors of stuff look a little off. Kind of like how certain things look a little different wearing shades.

I also think the challenge will be to get the watts you need. My 125s are 72" long also.


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## chrispeck (Oct 24, 2010)

eight 39 watt bulbs gives me 312 watts, and i'll be happy with that, it will just grow more slowly than others which i dont mind


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If you get one that is already setup for freshwater, it will save you the expense of swapping the bulbs to 6700k. You're buying 2-36" fixtures, right? How much do they run?

There are quite a few low light and even very low light plants out there, you could stock your tank for sure.


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## chrispeck (Oct 24, 2010)

they ar like 86 bucks a piece with lamps. pretty reasonable even if i have to replace them.


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