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Do 40W, 24" Fluorescent Lights Exist?

jimscott

Tropical Fish Enthusiast
I'm trying to get more light on my Petiolaris Complex and I have essentially a terrarium setup. It's 24" and comes with a ballast that has the capacity of 2-20W bulbs. Does anybody sell 40W bulbs for a 24" fixture?
 
The only way I can see getting more light in that size space is getting different fixtures to run a new type of light tube. A 24" long x 10" wide 4 tube T5 HO fixture would give you 8000 lumens or a fixture with 2x 65 Watt 22" long PL (U shaped compact flourescents) would give you like 10,000 - 12,000 lumens but both options requires new fixtures or buying a kit and making a fixture. If I were going to upgrade I'd do the T5HOs cos the replacement tubes are way cheaper than the PL fluorescents and there are way more options in the T5HO bulb range. I imagine some of those high PAR coral tubes would put great colors on CPs and stuff!
 
Wow Swords,
I would have said exactly the same thing!
Couldn't agree more!

(Actually, someone in the area was trying to sell one of those "U" tubed fixtures recently, so I am thinking you might find either one used too, if cost is a problem. But indeed, I would go T5HO straight tube model, as Swords already brought out about, cost and availability of tubes.)

Good Luck!
 
LOL! Josh, that went way over my head! If I can't get it preowned, who sells them?
 
LOL. Lumens is the amount of light intensity and T5 High Output /Power compact Lights put out about double the amount of light of regular fluorescent tubes but don't use that much more energy. PAR is Photo Active Radiation and is partly responsible for the crazy glowing colors in photosynthetic corals and the specialty tubes at the fish shop would probably do some real wonders for CPs that color up under tubes like pings and dews.

I know there are other places to get T5HO fixtures but if you want the most inexpensive "pull out of the box with bulbs included and fire it up" this is the cheapest place to go for T5HO fixtures I have found: High Tech Garden Supply.This is a link to their most modestly priced units which include your choice of 6500K (daylight/grow)or 3000K (warm/bloom) bulbs or a combo of bulbs with your plug and play fixture:

http://www.htgsupply.com/growlights.asp?categoryID=1&subcategoryID=107&typeID=71


There is a 2 ft PL fixture available on the page I linked to so you can see the difference between T5s and PLs. I've bought all my T5s (six 4 ft fixtures so far) and a really nice 16" diameter hang on the wall oscillating fan from HTG supply. Paul's a good dude, answering questions fast and getting your stuff out into the mail the next day usually and doesn't put "HYDROPONIC GROW LIGHTS" in six inch green letters along the side of your box like some vendors do - making the neighbors all suspicious! LOL
 
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Short answer. Yes they do make T12 24" tubes that run at more than 20w, ie HO (highoutput) and VHO (veryhighoutput). BUT they won't work in a fixture designed for the 20w version.

I would be looking at the T5 HO 4 tube fixtures probably.
 
Do you know who sells them, offhand?
 
Do you know who sells them, offhand?
If you mean what retail outlets like Home Depot or Lowes sell these type of high output fixtures? They aren't available there. Other than fish shops or Hydroponics stores (for a high premium) you're better off ordering online. I posted this link above to the most inexpensive source I know for T5 HO setups that are ready to hang and plug in right out of the box again its:
http://www.htgsupply.com/growlights....=107&typeID=71

The T12 VHOs that Tony talked about you'll likely need to get from a marine aquarium supply like http://www.marinedepot.com/lighting__index-ap.html

T5 HO are a lot more common and easy to get replacement tubes for but I have ordered from both these companies and had good purchases.

A lot of folks here have bought T5 fixtures from http://www.contractorlighting.com/high-bay-c-32.html But I have no experience with them, they seem expensive. A cord is an additional cost, no free bulbs and not a slimline fixture. Theirs are about twice the depth of my mine. Also I believe these guys only carry 4 ft fixtures.
 
I am using a DIY kit form these guys
http://www.ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm


DSC_00090001-1.jpg
 
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  • #10
I bought A set of 2x 55 W and 2x 98 W PL fixtures like this from these guys:
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-x-55-Watt-Pow...656?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45ee8826c8

This is just the ballast, two heavy duty waterproof cords that run to the U shaped bulbs you can place away from the warm ballast, you have to make a fixture to hang the bulbs from. I used two rounded pieces of ducting cut lengthwise, one per tube. Ghetto lookin' but it works! I like the premade fixtures best though. Pull out of the box and plug in! :D
 
  • #11
If you're handy with electricity and wiring, you might try: overdriving fluorescent lights. They warn that you could burn down your home, which is true.

I've used this method and it is a bit tricky and somewhat complicated, but I grew up doing things like this. My dad, and grandfather usually did similar things, so I have a long history of tinkering. Anyway, that's my excuse. If you do try this, be careful, don't get hurt. I'm just providing a link that explains how it is done.
 
  • #12
Joseph: LOL! I think I'll pass on this one!
Josh: I'll check your suggestions. Much thanx.
 
  • #13
jimscott, 55W PL lights set-ups can be DIY-ed easily. If I can do it, you can too! (wanted to include photos for the DIY set-up but can't find them at the moment)

The only "problem" I find is that PL lights tend to be hotter than T5s (what I am using now)...the heat can't dissipate as quickly because of the twin-tubes design. But if a little more heat is not an issue for your growing area (a little more is too much for my climate), the 55W PL will fit perfectly into a 2-ft growing area.
 
  • #14
I just use two standard 24" T12 fixtures. At six inches or so they give plenty of light for Drosera, Dionaea, Pinguicula and Sarracenia seedlings. I get a 100-200% factor reading on Barry's Light Calculator. My plants color up better under lights than they do outdoors. Flowering is no problem. I have used a mixture of warm and cool white tubes but all cool white works just a well.
 
  • #15
I just use two standard 24" T12 fixtures. At six inches or so they give plenty of light for Drosera, Dionaea, Pinguicula and Sarracenia seedlings. I get a 100-200% factor reading on Barry's Light Calculator. My plants color up better under lights than they do outdoors. Flowering is no problem. I have used a mixture of warm and cool white tubes but all cool white works just a well.

I have two - FTOT12 bulbs in the fixture. Is that the same thing as what you are describing? I have them ~4" above the plants and they just don't color up well. I get better color from the gro rack, with the same bulbs, combined with what shines through th glass doors. The grow rack is ~1' away grom the glass doors.
 
  • #16
The dual; 55 watt power compact systems I am running do run hot. Tank is normal in excess of 90 F daily. But for petiolaris complex plants that seems to be just fine. Initially I had issues with plants not being as red as I would like needed to mix the bulbs up a bit. Almost thinking that the addition of one 10,000 K bulb added more blue range and perhaps more in UV spectra. So far again guessing that the red colors are related to the plants making anthocyanins in response to getting sun/UV burnt....
 
  • #17
It's four tubes of Phillips (green end caps) F20T12/CW ALTO tubes. 62 CRI/4100K.

Grown under lights:
Drosera anglica 'HI' Kanaele Bog
P4240106copy.jpg


Dionaea (clockwise from upper left) Hosford Bog (Florida), 'B52', 'Cupped Trap'. They've been outdoors for several weeks to start their dormancy so new growth hasn't had time to color up. I never get color like that on 'Cupped Trap' outdoors.
<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o182/Not_a_Number/Dionaea/?action=view&current=PB230025.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o182/Not_a_Number/Dionaea/PB230025.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
  • #18
The dual; 55 watt power compact systems I am running do run hot. Tank is normal in excess of 90 F daily. But for petiolaris complex plants that seems to be just fine. Initially I had issues with plants not being as red as I would like needed to mix the bulbs up a bit. Almost thinking that the addition of one 10,000 K bulb added more blue range and perhaps more in UV spectra. So far again guessing that the red colors are related to the plants making anthocyanins in response to getting sun/UV burnt....

Heat and light are perfect! Where do you get them and how much do they cost?
 
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