# can you fit a 2nd light fixture on an All-Glass Versatop hood?



## dog523 (May 9, 2012)

hi i need help, im upgrading to a 55gallon tank and ive been reading that if you want to grow plants you need 2 T8 light bulbs. And ive read that 2 T5HO is too much light. Ive been looking around online and it seems impossible to find a dual light fixture for t8 bulbs, i can only find single bulb fixtures like this Perfecto
Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting: Perfecto Fluorescent Single Strip Lights

so i dont see what else i can do other than buy an All-Glass Versa Top hood and put two of those perfecto fixtures on top of it, but will they both fit? is there room for two of those or not?
How is it possible that the drsfostersmith site doesnt even sell a dual t8 fixture? i cant seem to find it anywhere, do they even exist?

also is it really true that a dual T5HO is too much light? then why do they even make them? and ive seen T5HO setups with 4 or even 6 bulbs, what the hell?

i did see that petsmart sells Aqueon normal output T5 dual fixtures so i may just go with that since i read that normal output T5 is equivalent to a T8
Aqueon® Freshwater T5 Light Fixture - Lighting & Hoods - Fish - PetSmart
thanks for any help


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## BrianTX (Aug 19, 2011)

I put a dual T5HO fixture on my 55g, doesn't seem like too much light at all, only ~2watts/gallon.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Watts per gallon doesn't work with T5HO. All depends on the quality of the fixture but T5HO fixtures usually have a reflector per bulb. This can make the light nearly 4 times the effectiveness...blowing away any type of WPG guideline. WPG only works for T8 bulbs and maybe T12.

Why do they make fixtures with 4 or 6 bulbs.....freshwater use isn't the only use and Corals need much more light than plants will ever need.

A high quality T5HO fixture (2X54W) setup is pushing it for being too much. Thing is, you don't need that much to grow plants - even ones that supposedly have a high light requirements. So really if you're able to get away with a fixture like that over a 55g and not have trouble with algae and even go a step further and able to get away without pressurized CO2, it just means that you have a junky fixture - in the T5HO world anyway.

You can put as many fixtures as you like on your tank - if they will fit.

For T8, try this light Diamond Plate 2-Light Chrome Ceiling Fluorescent Shop Light Fixture-1241DP RE at The Home Depot A lot of people are praising the way it is made. It's a shop light that actually uses reflectors. My kid has the 4-bulb version (also an option for you) on his 75g and it works awesome.


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## dog523 (May 9, 2012)

cool thanks for the info, ill either go with the shop light or the aqueon dual T5 normal output fixture


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