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Best Lighting For a Macro Tank


calvin

Lighting Preference  

149 members have voted

  1. 1. What's the best lighting for a macro tank?

    • PCs
      25
    • T5
      42
    • Metal Halide
      16
    • LED
      62
    • a mixture (give details below)
      5
  2. 2. What color spectrum?

    • 6,500k
      71
    • 10,000k
      46
    • 14,000k
      18
    • other (perhaps a mix of multiple spectrums. give details below)
      15


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I think for super big setup like what's needed for aquaculture, DIY would be too tricky and time consuming to manage, unless there was someone like me who like to put together DIYs for cheap. So T5 is a more economical thing

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  • 2 weeks later...

Personally ot depends on what im growing. For example my cheato is under like 3000k and grwos awesome

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg26tBxIbEo&feature=youtube_gdat

 

But for other algaes like lught green/yellow/blue and red macos I use full spectrum led as it looks prettier and grows brighter colored macro

 

It peaks at about 10k but most of the day is in the 14k range

 

20130407_160028_zpsec806e03.jpg

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  • 4 months later...

I have recently set up a macro pico for work and found that 2x cree xm-l cool whites and 1x OCW chip produce a very appealing light that seems to grow both caluerpa and ulva quickly, while keeping my dictyota and red bubble alive. It might be slightly on the green side, but looks gorgeous and soothing.

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  • 2 months later...
Thoughts on which t5 bulbs to use for a dual bulb fixture on a 12 inch tall tank?

Debating between what combo of blue+, coral+, and a 6500k.

 

When using T5 lamps of the same wattage, PAR values will be double using 6500 kelvin as compared to the blue spectrum. Also, being a true full spectrum lamp, it will have the same amount of blue as bulbs that are specialized in the blue spectrum. At ths point your decision depends on what you are growing in that tank. If it is a shallow water macro, then it will benifit from the reds and yellows. If it is a deepwater macro like Red Grapes, it will not do well as the reds and yellows will fuel nuisance micro algae. Before it got complicated, I had good success with actinics/6500 in a 1/1 ratio.

Patrick

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  • 2 years later...

When using T5 lamps of the same wattage, PAR values will be double using 6500 kelvin as compared to the blue spectrum. Also, being a true full spectrum lamp, it will have the same amount of blue as bulbs that are specialized in the blue spectrum. At ths point your decision depends on what you are growing in that tank. If it is a shallow water macro, then it will benifit from the reds and yellows. If it is a deepwater macro like Red Grapes, it will not do well as the reds and yellows will fuel nuisance micro algae. Before it got complicated, I had good success with actinics/6500 in a 1/1 ratio. Patrick

could i do the same with a Pc fixture to get good growth from both green macros and red macros ?

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could i do the same with a Pc fixture to get good growth from both green macros and red macros ?

 

I have more experience with Macro's under T5HO than I do under PC, but I used a PC light over the Pico tank with Macros that is in my Sig. I don't think I kept very many green Macros in there though. The red Macros did well enough, but I I kept the tank running for less than a year, so I don't know if it was long enough to say whether I got "good" growth.

 

I'm interested to see what others say on this, although I don't think there are many out there still experimenting with PC fixtures over tanks.

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I have more experience with Macro's under T5HO than I do under PC, but I used a PC light over the Pico tank with Macros that is in my Sig. I don't think I kept very many green Macros in there though. The red Macros did well enough, but I I kept the tank running for less than a year, so I don't know if it was long enough to say whether I got "good" growth.

 

I'm interested to see what others say on this, although I don't think there are many out there still experimenting with PC fixtures over tanks.

Yea Ive been searching. Ill probably end up experimenting myself with my p/c fixture. Ive even thought about adding some LED accent lighting to assist with the P/C fixture. Some of my favorite tanks have been ran off of P/c Fixtures, I love the ideal of a simple lowlight reef and Macro algae tank.

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Yea Ive been searching. Ill probably end up experimenting myself with my p/c fixture. Ive even thought about adding some LED accent lighting to assist with the P/C fixture. Some of my favorite tanks have been ran off of P/c Fixtures, I love the ideal of a simple lowlight reef and Macro algae tank.

 

That's definitely something that I love and enjoy as well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have my seahorse tank, (which has quite a few macros) lit with a 4 bulb T5HO fixture. Right now it has a 10k, (2) actinic and a coral daylight. I hope to replace one of the actinic with a blue+. I get good growth and color though from all my macros.

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  • 3 weeks later...

could i do the same with a Pc fixture to get good growth from both green macros and red macros ?

 

Adapt,

Yes to using PC lamps in a 1:1 ratio of daylight to actinic. With respect to macro light growing requirements, I think it is more important to know at what depth macro is collected. In the case of a red macro like Gracilaria Hayi, it is collected from 0-10' of water. I grow it in a tumble culture with 5K full spectrum T5. Consider Red Grapes. In Russ Kronwetters guide at live-plants.com, he indicated that Botryocladia is collected in 15'-130' of water. As sunlight passes thru water, color spectrum with less energy are filtered out first: red at 15', orange at 25', yellow at 40', green at 75'. IMO, RED GRAPES do not require the same light spectrum as macros collected at shallow depths.

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  • 1 month later...

I have a dirt cheap setup that works too well.

 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_302257-3-26966___?productId=3202347&pl=1&Ntt=6500k

^ I use these Sylvania 6500K CFL bulbs.

 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_203213-1373-FL-300NPDQ12___?productId=3122291&pl=1&Ntt=bayco

^ I use a clip on lamp like this one.

 

My cheato grows like crazy. I mean like CRAZY! I have to toss some out on occasion. ('o' )!!

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  • 1 month later...

uggg this thread just makes me even more confused. still trying to get my lighting figured out for a 20L macro tank both reds and greens.

i tend to like tanks in the 14K wave lengths but also would like to grow a verity of macros.

 

between the current orbit ( not pro model ) and a dual T5...

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  • 1 year later...

I am currently keeping a 4 x 24w T5HO fixture over my Macro tank. 

The bulbs in it are old, but since Macro actually likes the light spectrum from old bulbs, I see that as a plus. 

I also have a good bit of natural sunshine lighting the tank. 

I think the light is actually slightly on the strong side for some of the Red Macros, and I have moved just a few of these to a small pico lit only by sunlight to see how they do as an experiment. 

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On ‎3‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 7:29 PM, Anime Gee said:

I have a dirt cheap setup that works too well.

 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_302257-3-26966___?productId=3202347&pl=1&Ntt=6500k

^ I use these Sylvania 6500K CFL bulbs.

 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_203213-1373-FL-300NPDQ12___?productId=3122291&pl=1&Ntt=bayco

^ I use a clip on lamp like this one.

 

My cheato grows like crazy. I mean like CRAZY! I have to toss some out on occasion. ('o' )!!

 

I ran pretty much the same set up on my garage tank and well stuff went nuts in the sump.......I left the light on 24/7 and it would grow and grow things......

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  • 2 months later...
On 18/09/2011 at 5:23 PM, jeremai said:

6500K PCs, imo. and some neon tetras.

Ha. I agree it's similar to a planted fw tank. 6500k to 7000k bulbs. Pc or t5. No neons though.

  • Like 1
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I got insane growth from reef-breeders LED's. Honestly though the speed at which macros grow isn't just about light. Pretty sure I hit some magical nutrient/nitrate/phosphate ratio the macros just loved.

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