Reef Lights for Planted Tank?

[Pittsford_Pets]

Hey everyone!

If any of you have seen my recent posts, I have a few tanks set up - some freshwater and a now 10g saltwater. Recently, I had a tank crash due to heater failure (saltwater), so I've decided to "start over".

That being said, I've been looking to downsize my saltwater tank. I only had my two clowns, a hammer coral, a torch coral, a few heads of xenia, and my green star polyps survive. It really stunk because I'm 15 and worked my entire summer to pay for that tank... I'm also applying to a local PetWorld for my first job!

I started in the reptile hobby, then branched to this, haha. My few years of experience with reptiles, my year and a half of freshwater, and now my few months of saltwater will help out with the job opportunity!

Like I said, I'm still a beginner for saltwater. So, the point of this post is to ask if this will work:

I lost my reef after a few months, so I want to start a Fluval 13.5g all in one Aquarium (totally forgot the full name, but I think you know what I mean). It comes with its own light, and I plan on using its light. I still have the T5s from the tank, and I'm wondering if I can move that fixture to my 20g planted. The bulbs are Coralife actinic and I believe a 10,000K daylight bulb, so not the best out there by any means. Are they adequate for a planted tank? I don't have the hardest plants- wisteria, dwarf sag, water sprite, Java fern/moss, and that's pretty much it...


To sum it all up, I want your opinions on the fluval tank and if the bulbs will work out.

Thanks everyone, and happy late-Thanksgiving!



- Cycled media, rocks, and sand will immediately be moved into the Fluval (if I go through with it) and the clowns will remain in the 10g to monitor while the tank cycles - which shouldn't really happen, considering it's just changing tanks.

- The T5s are under a year old and I will switch to freshwater bulbs if I get the new tank

 

[eatbreakfast]

10k bulbs are great for freshwater plants.

However, I would advise against downsizing the saltwater tank. Smaller tanks are less stable, and more likely to experience craahes.

 

[lbacha]

I ran a 10k and 6500k t5 on my planted tank for years. The actinic isn't any good for freshwater though

 

[Waters]

I agree....the 10K bulb is fine with those plants. Just stay away from the high light/CO2 plants and you will be fine.

 

[lbacha]

Twin t5's on a 20g is really close to high light you may want to just run one bulb or you will need to use CO2 and ferts or deal with algae

 

[Mohammad D. ALMUTAIRI]

I have 2 planted tanks, one 50 gallon and one is 120 gallon.
I run both with 6500K LED Flood lights they are cheap and strong 15 watts in = 150 watts out
add them to a timer and they'll work wonders for you.

 

[lbacha]

Here is my build thread for my 25g cube it started with a 150w MH went to a 70w MH then a twin T5 and is now using a Kessil w160 tuna sun. The only time I didn't use CO2 was when I ran a single bulb on the T5 fixture

lbacha's 25 gal Crypt Cube

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...t/forums/showthread.php?t=140030&share_type=t

 

[Pittsford_Pets]

10k bulbs are great for freshwater plants.

However, I would advise against downsizing the saltwater tank. Smaller tanks are less stable, and more likely to experience craahes.

It's actually a bigger tank - I switched everything into a 10g.

 

[Pittsford_Pets]

Here is my build thread for my 25g cube it started with a 150w MH went to a 70w MH then a twin T5 and is now using a Kessil w160 tuna sun. The only time I didn't use CO2 was when I ran a single bulb on the T5 fixture

lbacha's 25 gal Crypt Cube

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...t/forums/showthread.php?t=140030&share_type=t

Awesome, I'll check it out!

 

[Pittsford_Pets]

I have 2 planted tanks, one 50 gallon and one is 120 gallon.
I run both with 6500K LED Flood lights they are cheap and strong 15 watts in = 150 watts out
add them to a timer and they'll work wonders for you.

That sounds awesome. I really like nano planted tanks, but a huge planted tank would be so cool. Thanks for the info!

 

[Pittsford_Pets]

I agree....the 10K bulb is fine with those plants. Just stay away from the high light/CO2 plants and you will be fine.

Yeah, I'll probably learn a bit about CO2 at PetWorld (If I get the job) so it'll be great before I actually dive into a more complex setup.

 

[eatbreakfast]

It's actually a bigger tank - I switched everything into a 10g.

Stability is one of the most important things to have success in a saltwater tank. You started with a 20g, if memory serves me correctly, then moved them to a 10g, now want to move them into a 13.5g, all within 8-9months. This is not good for the tank inhabitants.

Larger volume also stabilizes the system from changes.

 

[Pittsford_Pets]

Stability is one of the most important things to have success in a saltwater tank. You started with a 20g, if memory serves me correctly, then moved them to a 10g, now want to move them into a 13.5g, all within 8-9months. This is not good for the tank inhabitants.

Larger volume also stabilizes the system from changes.

It wasn't my choice to move them to a 10 from a 20 - my heater exploded/overheated and totally wiped out my live rock, my fish (except these 2), coral, and sand died off.

I had a heater but it was rated for 5g, so not good enough for a 20g but better-ish for a 10. I also didn't have a lot of salt at the time. I wouldn't move them into a bad setup, and anyways, the 13.5g would be cycling for a month or two while I get everything figured out. The clowns will remain where they are until I'm 100% certain it'll be ok in the 13.5 [emoji1417]