Juwel Rio 240 Lights

[craig855s]

I have at home a rio 240, with 2 bulbs in of god-knows-what-age and im wanting to get quite a few plants (couple of dozen,but only things like anubias,java ferns,etc) but i want to get as much wattage as i can from my light unit. Im unsure what wattage bulbs i have at the minute (the markings have faded from the tubes) but the tubes are quite fat and obviously 4ft long (does that make the t8?t5?)

Can i just buy some 4ft bulbs that are rated to a high wattage (and suitable for "enhanced plant growth and fish colour" aswell as being the correct T#) or do i need a new lid bit for my tank?

 

[Nick16]

plant growth tubes are a thing of myth. i was speaking to an ex worker at GE (light bulb making company) and he said the tubes they sell at say £3 (in pinker colour), the shops they sold them to, sold them for £15 as plant grow tubes.
Most dubes will go, get a nice day light or a warm or skywhite. (Head over to lampspecs, dont go paying £15 for a tube from an lfs)

anubias and JF are low light plants. SO you only need about 1-1.5 wpg. (aim for around 60-80 Watts)
remember upping the lighting is no good if you dont up your co2 and fert levels. I fear you are not dosing these and so upping your lighting is no good if the other 2 parts of the triangle are limiting factors.
just get some brand new £4 bulbs for the tank and you should be fine.

 

[boeingtech]

so are you saying i could go to any place that sell's the light tubes and that is fine i have a jewel rio 240 with the standard lighting and to be honest i haven't change the bulb's for 18 month's at least i was told by someone you should change them once a year.

 

[craig855s]

I've researched google a little bit and found reflectors meant for the juwel tubes so im gonna get a set of them and a pair of new bulbs (standard wattage which is 36W T8 i think) and im also going to start dosing liquid carbon and liquid ferts or root tabs to enable echinodrus and simple crypts to grow

I dont wanna go spending hundreds on advanced systems but i do want healthy live plants

 

[craig855s]

Oh,and you mention "heading on over to lampspecs" to get a tube from there for less than the LFS, the 4ft 36W tube costs over 15 quid before delivery from lampspecs for the 1000k ones, less for the "grolux" model though,and even less for the 5000k ones...


hmmm,which to go for?

 

[Haych]

I've researched google a little bit and found reflectors meant for the juwel tubes so im gonna get a set of them and a pair of new bulbs (standard wattage which is 36W T8 i think) and im also going to start dosing liquid carbon and liquid ferts or root tabs to enable echinodrus and simple crypts to grow

I dont wanna go spending hundreds on advanced systems but i do want healthy live plants

i have the vision 260 (dunno if length is the same) and i have been advised for brightness get a 36-38w

i was also advised that i should get a "marine" one, its not just for marine just brighter. you can use standard bulbs from somewhere like B&Q but they encourage algae growth whereas the marine wont.

the marine one is £20 though

and you do need T8, as T8 is 8mm, T5 is 5mm, but to change the T model you need to change the I bar