Planted tank lighting

With all of the different lighting options out there (T5HO, T5NO, T8, T12, LED, Power Compact), I prefer to go with T5HO light fixtures for my plants tanks. Why you ask, LED fixtures can save you money you say; Well it's quite simple really, the reason I go with T5HO is because it lets me utilize different spectrum bulbs... I always go with a Quad Fixture, which means I can choose 4 bulbs that offer different wavelengths for my planted tanks.

When it comes to planted aquariums, the lighting you choose is just as important as the substrate you choose. Because aquatic plants have 2 different Chlorophyll stages that respond to different lighting wavelengths. Chloraphyll A responds to the following wavelengths 400nm-450nm & 660nm, and Chloraphyll B responds to 460nm & 630nm. So because of this I prefer a T5HO light fixture, this way I can cover both wavelengths of light, and have a 6500k day bulb & a AquaFlora bulb.