# New toy now what k bulbs



## Terry6000 (Apr 2, 2012)

I just picked up a aqaticlife 48 inch 4 bulb t5. I hung it above my 60inch 125. It came with 2 420/460 nm, 14000k and a purple bulb. This set up would be good for coral but I don't think it would be good for freshwater.

So I would like for grow just about anything without having a co2 set up.
I am thinking 
6500k
6700k 
10000k
And maybe a roseate but I have never heard of them. Is it just a low k bulb? Do they work well?
What do you think?


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## DarwinAhoy (Mar 13, 2013)

I would do just all 6700K, personally. Go with a good brand, though.

You may still want to look into CO2. With that level of lighting, it will not only help keep the plants looking fantastic, but will greatly limit the algae present in the aquarium as well.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

with that much light there are only 2 ways to provide sufficient co2 for plants....
either you use a co2 injection system or you stock the tank heavily....
heavy stocking will also provide a good amount of natural fertilizer as well...


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## Terry6000 (Apr 2, 2012)

I know it s not injection but I am heavily airaded for filtration I have an aqua clear 110 and a whisper 60 as well as an air stone. According to aquadvisor I a, 78% stocked.


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## DarwinAhoy (Mar 13, 2013)

I would not use an airstone on a planted tank. It drives off precious CO2.


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## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

if you aren't dosing CO2, then an airstone isn't going to hurt. airstone's only add whatever air is around your air pump.

co2 is a finicky game. you'll be fine tuning it fairly often unless you get one of those fancy pH regulators. I loved having it, but now I don't really need it with the plants that I have. I still have fairly high light, but i'm not growing algae. if it aint broke, don't fix it...I will eventually start up my CO2 again with some badass plants, but as for now I'm sticking with what I got...I have a Tropheus that likes to chomp my plants(gonna eventually get rid of it even though I like it a lot).


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Well unfortunately with that much light you do need some sort of CO2. Liquid carbon, pressurized, or DIY will do just fine.


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## Terry6000 (Apr 2, 2012)

what if i dont run all 4 lights? i was thinking run 2 for X amount of time and at around noon turn the other 2 on for a few hours? or should i just run 2 of them. 


I only bought the 4 bulb model, thinking that if i was going to spend $230 i might as well spend 330 and get something i can use for a salt water tank in the future. i ended up only paying 270 for the light because the lfs took over a month to get it in.

Is the general consensus, that I should just run all 6700K with no 10k 
also i have the light hung about 5-7 inches from the water. Is that a good height?

Thanks everyone for you help so far.


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## DarwinAhoy (Mar 13, 2013)

Depends on the plants you're keeping. If you're keeping high light species, then I wouldn't try it.


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## Fuzz (Jan 27, 2012)

I understand that light temperature is so confusing to some people...but I'm going to try my best to make it somewhat easier to help. 

The Kelvin rating that your bulbs have doesn't have anything to do with how bright they are. Take a T5HO 10,000K and a T5NO 10,000K. The T5HO will be brighter. Take a 10,000K T5NO and a 6,500K T5NO. They will look slightly different, but they will both be the same brightness. 

The natural color temperature of the sun is 6,500K. That is why the plant growers usually recommend the 6,500K bulbs. 10,000K bulbs have a very slight blue color to them, but some people prefer the look over the regular daylight(6,500) bulbs.

You know those HID headlights that are really annoying out on the road?


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