T5 Watt/Gallon ratio?

chun3rd · Dec 17, 2007

Hi, i am planning to upgrade from my PC to T5. I have a 20 gallon tank 20" deep. JUst wondering if i do get the T5. how many watts should i get and how many lamps? any good brand recommended??

nahtanoj · Dec 17, 2007

watts per gallon doesn't really apply. it depends on what you wanna grow, with a 4 bulb setup you could grow about anything. get individual reflectors per bulb for the optimum light par.

pookstreet · Dec 17, 2007

I agree with Jon. The watts/gallon rule is over rated in most cases. Different kinds of lights put out different light intensities. How many bulbs you can run also depends on the footprint of your tank. 4 bulbs might be a tight squeeze over a standard 20 but 3 is definitely doable. Also keep in mind that using an IceCap ballast will overdrive the T5 bulbs by about 30-50%, I believe, without really shortening the bulb life.

afelder · Dec 18, 2007

If you do go with overdriven t-5 bulbs get a fan to cool them. This will keep the bulb life from being shortened. Although it will be a difference of 18-24 months and a year.

T5 Watt/Gallon ratio?

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