Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
Replace T8 with T5 Compact lighting
- daz_1971 (daz_1971)
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I'm just new to all this and just posted a thread the other day in the new section, so please no laughing if this question is stupid..

I have only have a 60x30x30 tank(very small) 54 liter or 14 gallons I think.. It has 15w T8 lighting that came with the hood.. My goal was to have cardinals but also nice plants... it seems that this lighting might not really be up to the job!if I wanted to get plants that are not low light.
With this in mind I was thinking when the funds permit.. to replace the T8 with something like an interpet T5 compact lighting system and hook it up with an triplus 16\" 36w blub as I think I might get this in without getting a new hood and having to do any serious work.
This would give me alot more light than I currently have.. I know it's not the 3-4watts per gallon that you should have,(only 2.6watts) but was thinking it might give me more choice of plants. But I heard that these lights can run very hot.. do you think I could run into problems with them? The way the hood on the tank is done I only have a 20\" lenght that I can run the light in... I think they come with fitting brackets but I'm not sure...
If anyone has any advice for me on this I'd be greatful
Thank You
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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I have a 54l tank with only 18w T8 on it. Java fern and moss and a couple of crypts in it.They grow like mad. You could also use some Anubias nana.
It's really a question of what plants you would like to grow and how much money you want to spend on the lights
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- KenS (Ken Simpson)
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Another problem with the T5 compacts is that they generate a lot of heat. That could be a real problem over a small tank.
Regards,
Ken.
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- daz_1971 (daz_1971)
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Do either of you have any experience of T6 lights? I was looking around the web and found information about them.. It said that
they give out 40% more light than T8 and you don't have to change anything.. not sure myself but just thought it might be another idea to increase lighting if needed..
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- KenS (Ken Simpson)
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Ken.
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- daz_1971 (daz_1971)
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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BTW, T5s produce less heat than T8s. I have them over some of my tanks and you can touch them without getting burnt.
Before you change any bulbs make sure that you can get bi-pin end caps that conform with IP67
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- KenS (Ken Simpson)
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Ken.
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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Never used the compacts. Always thought they were just bend T5s rather light CFC bulbs. Good to knowHolger - you're right, T5s generally run cooler. However, the compact T5s do run very hot and are known to have over heating problems in confined spaces. Especially at the higher voltages.
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- KenS (Ken Simpson)
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I've just installed my 3rd set of buls in 10 months. These bulbs give great light when they're working, but that doesn't last for long.
I wouldn't recommend them.
Regards,
Ken.
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- adriano210 (adrian kraszewski)
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you can install two of them in juwel hood they have great lumen outpoot and they easy to install ( with black cable ties) they are not so hot as t5
and 20e for each set is verry god price
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- KenS (Ken Simpson)
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Ken.
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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- adriano210 (adrian kraszewski)
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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quick question if you don't mind. The T4 units I have seen in Woodies come with a warning not to use them where there is a risk of water splashing. Do you have a website for the tanks where the same lights are installed. Would love to try them out on a planted tank I am setting up.
Thanks
Holger
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- KenS (Ken Simpson)
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Ken.
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- adriano210 (adrian kraszewski)
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if you are afraid to try i have something better for you,
in woodies you can buy compakt bulb suit to use as a replacment of linear halogen 150w
cower will be a halogen flood light enclosure (10e) and bulb cost 25 6500 k colur temp. and about 100 w power they goog and waterproof and nice efekt when tank is open

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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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- Pauly (Paul Mulvaney)
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as you can see, upgrading your lighting can be very expensive! Have you looked into getting one of those clip on spot lights, the ones used for the nano aquariums?
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- apistodiscus (apistodiscus)
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Those Arcadia units aren't even big enough for my tank. Nope, definitely a DIY job
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- adriano210 (adrian kraszewski)
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