High Tide Aquatics

Hybrid lighting sizes

Y

yngplo

Supporting Member
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Hi everyone,

I’m considering buying a t5 hybrid light and I just wanted to ask, if my tank is 36in long, should the light I order be 36in long too, or can it be a 24?

Also, with t5’s, how high should they be set up for an appropriate amount of coverage over my tank?
I have a 50 breeder.


Thanks!


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I was running an aquatic life hybrid over my 36” tank for quite a while, and was happy I had the 36” version. IME, T5 reflectors are not designed to throw light axially to the bulbs, so you probably won’t get good coverage at the sides if your fixture is much narrower than your tank. It also depends a lot on what you want to grow and how your rock work is arranged. I think I had mine at 6” above the water surface with good results.
 
+1
While it's not absolutely critical you get the same size fixture, you'll "only" have a less bright 6" on either side, when that 6"x 2 is 1/3rd of your total tank you'll want to use that area, and hence want light there, will you get more light spill? yeah but not as much as you'd think as Corallus states most light from a T5 reflector just doesn't go that way. I thought about doing 3' bulbs on my 4' long tank for exactly the same reason you're thinking, but decided for 4' bulbs granted most of it was economics, for like an extra 5% cost I get 33% more lightbulb which also means more light in the tank, so win win. Now with my lagoon I have the same fixture, but the lagoon is almost 6' wide and there definitely is darker areas on the side, but it's something I deal with with a high fixture. off the surface.
 
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