Hydroponics Lighting for Planted Aquariums

There seems to be little awareness among planted aquarium enthusiasts of technologies applied in another sector of the horticultural industry–hydroponics. In particular, there are many options for high output T5 fluorescent lighting developed primarily for hydroponics and greenhouse culture that show promise for use over planted tanks. Many of these are less expensive than comparable products manufactured for aquarium use and some aspects of their designs are compelling.

With the idea of updating some of my lighting, I took a trip to Paradigm Gardens (external link), a Madison, Wisconsin garden center specializing in hydroponics supplies. Their lighting section is well-stocked.

Paradigm Gardens Lighting Department

Many of these fixtures and lamps are T5 fluorescents, but they also carry High Pressure Sodium and Metal Halide lighting. Here is an interesting product that I encountered, the Hydrofarm 4′ Jumpstart Grow Light System. This light comes with a 54 watt, 6500K lamp and a metal stand that supports it as a pendant fixture. The reflector is really nice. Note the heavy-duty grounded power cord with switch.

T5 Fluorescent Fixture

The price was right too. I am planning a 55G display and I am sure that this fixture will light it up very well and with relatively low energy use. I am going to adapt the very simple adjustable hanger included with the stand to hang the light from the ceiling.

Of course, while one might enjoy great value and performance with the use of fixtures like this one, these lights are not necessarily designed for use in wet environments (as one might encounter near an aquarium). This model is bare-bones: it has no lens and no housing. I have noticed that the product packaging for some comparable products includes disclaimers advising against their use in wet conditions.