Is this lighting suffient enough - Orchid Board

sunhair · #1 09-21-2011, 02:15 PM

I've a question in regards to lighting. I currently have Lc's and Blc's.
My question is I'm thinking about setting up an orchid tank out of my old 29 g aquarium that I have sitting here collecting dust I have t5 HO lighting they are from my old reef tank the brand I have is Current USA Nova Extreme 2 Bulb T5 HO 10K/460nm they are 460nm 1 x 24W T5HO 10000K 1 x 24W totaling 48 watts measuring 30" x 5.25" x 2" One of the blubs is an Actinic Type. I just want to be sure I'm not going to fry my chids before using this type of lighting for them.
Has anyone else used this brand for their tank lighting or I should be asking is this T5ho sufficient enough?

littlefrog · #2 09-21-2011, 04:03 PM

I think it sounds like more than enough. Can you run it with one bulb at a time, or do you have to have them both in for the ballast to fire? If you can run one, I'd start there. Only way to know is to do it... Reef lights are bright! You of course remember that corals need a lot of light, and water absorbs a lot of light... So, without the water you are pushing pretty hard on even a very high light orchid.

The T-5s will kick out a lot of heat, so be sure that your tank isn't completely sealed. And you will need to keep up on your humidity.

sunhair · #3 09-21-2011, 04:41 PM

Thanks for replying! Sadly it has to have them both in for the ballast to fire up which is a real stinker. the tank wouldn't be completely sealed I have one of those glass tops that I can open and the back has some opening too. I also plan on rigging up comp fans as many as I can to help with air circulation. Hubby will be doing that part.

littlefrog · #4 09-21-2011, 04:53 PM

Might work just fine... I would suggest running the setup without plants in it for a few hours or a day and measuring the temperature in the tank, just to get an idea. It will be hotter once you add plants, since the foliage will absorb light.

Anyway, give it a shot, but don't start with your best plants. You might want to invest in a misting system or even something as simple as an inch or so of pebbles at the bottom that you can keep wet, just to get the humidity up, especially with lots of fans.

And, you can always take away light... Window screen between the fixture and the tank would cut your light a bit. If you need to. Might be that the fixture is perfect for your tank and you just need to add plants. Better to find that out the cheap way than the expensive way, in my opinion.