# Anyone have these T5 lights?



## Aquarius (Dec 5, 2012)

Freshwater Aquarium Lighting » Aqueon® Freshwater T5 Light Fixture | PetSmart

I was there last night getting stuff for my dogs and saw these lights. I am looking to get some decent lighting for my 29 gallon tank within the next month so I can plant it. 

I am planning on going with some swords, hair grass, anubaris and anacharis. Will these lights be sufficient or are there better ones out there for $89.99? If you know of any please feel free to toss me some idea's. Most of the T5's I've been seeing online were $150+ which is ok, but when I can get a dual for $90, it is tough to convince the wife of spending extra if there is no "great" difference in light quality.

Edit: I just found these and may lean towards them: 
Amazon.com: 30 in. Nova Extreme T5 HO Freshwater Aquarium Light Fixture - 2 x 24W: Pet Supplies


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## oldpunk (Dec 9, 2012)

The aqueon t5's are t5no as where the nova is t5ho.

My point is to let you know that you'll need co2 with the nova and will probably be able to get away without it with the aqueon. 

Deciding how you want to run your tank is more important than trying to figure out which light to get. You have to set goals and figure out what you'll need to do in order to achieve them. This is really the best way to have a successful planted tank with out constantly changing equipment or fighting algae.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

Both good choices. You may need to use Co2 with the high light, as light drives the need for plants. Otherwise your plants will suffer and you will have an algae fest in the tank.


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## Aquarius (Dec 5, 2012)

So am I wrong in that the second one I listed contain only one flourescent light? The pictures on the Amazon page show a second set of what looks like LED's. Both the LED and flourescent light are 24W. 

In theory, that would be 48W in a 29gallon tank. It doesn't exactly fit the 2-3W / gallon recommendation I've read but I am positive they have to be better than my single 18W bulb since my plants are not growing at all.


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## oldpunk (Dec 9, 2012)

Forget anything you've read about the 'watts per gallon' rule. It only really applies to older t8/t12 bulbs. t5ho and high powered leds have become a lot more efficient than the older styles of lighting.


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## Aquarius (Dec 5, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I kinda figured the LED's were more efficient but wasn't too sure on the T5's.


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## oldpunk (Dec 9, 2012)

Depending what type of LEDs are in the fixture you mentioned, its probably not worth it. Most of the cheap/affordable led fixtures suck.


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## Aquarius (Dec 5, 2012)

The LED's are on the second link from the original post. It is by Current USA and I thought they had a pretty good rep. No?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The current true lumen pro is signifigantly different than the regular true lumen.I've lost a transformer in 1 year(so did my buddy),but on line the transformers are cheaper than a years worth of almost any bulb.The upside to a blown transformer is the lighting did not degrade(all flourescent bulbs die slowly from day one) it(the transformer) just died and I replaced,the light is still 100%,and pretty bright(2 or 3 beat my dual 250 MH hands down).


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I run a similar T5HO fixture over my 29g which I think is of similar quality and I have no problem running it 7hrs a day with no CO2 or algae issues. It helps that is is about 4" above the tank, just like the T5HO fixture you are looking at. I think it is doable with good light management.


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## Aquarius (Dec 5, 2012)

Alright. I think I'll end up going with the T5HO setup. I like the overall setup better and how it it suspended above the tank rather than having the little pull-out arms the Aqueon uses. 

One other thing. Would I need to use a glass cover for the top of the tank to avoid the evaporation. The pictures with the setup doesn't look like there is a glass cover being used. IF so, how will the glass cover impact the light? Should you use the glass cover or just add water to compensate for the evaporation that occurs. 

The cover seems logical to me also because my 4 year old daughter may decide the fish need to eat more and feed them a chicken nugget while I'm at work.*r2


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## tbub1221 (Nov 1, 2012)

i have a t5 buld and because it is what i know and what iv only ever had the pleasure to use i can not compare it to anything else , but ill say that it does a wonderful job in my fresh water planted aquariums. i have about 15 different species of plant in 2 planted tanks , and i have plants with low uv needs and some that need a bit more , but iv never had alga issues and i keep my light on 16+ hours a day some days 12 hours average + so id say its a nice bulb.


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