what type of lighting?

[MamaJones]

Here's what I'm trying to do...find out what type of light is best for us.

We are starting a 90g standard 48x 18x 24. We will have coral, fish, and other inverts.

Is the Nova Extreme T5 fixture with Lunar the best choice for us? and is 216watts the right choice. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...2&pcatid=12772

Or the Sundial T5HO, or is the new Nova Pro the way to go?

Price is important so is value. I'm not hooked on T5, I just read that MH are hard to cool. T5 seems more energy efficent, too.

I've read through several other threads, but I'm no terminology whiz. I read that Doc thought T5 was best. Biff has 14K which interests me b/c I only see 10K for sale.

We are looking to buy ASAP

[RyanG]

Welcome to the eternal debate of aquarium lighting. They all have the pros and cons. Metal Halides shine to deeper depths and make a nice shimmering effect. T5s leave no shadows use less energy and run cooler. They can also be customized to get the most appealing colors to YOUR eye. Given the hot nature of the lower Midwest I would go with T5s myself unless you have plans for a chiller or a remote(cool basement) sump. Reeffreak is your guy to talk to about T5s wish I could be of more assistance. Probably the Nova Extreme Pros or another similar fixture with individual reflectors.

[fatman]

Coral, fish and other inverts is still pretty vague yet to be making lighting decisions. A 90 gallon tank is a deeper tank than what most SPS corals would like below about mid depth if lit by T-5 lighting, and that is with good lighting supplied by a fixture with individual reflectors for each bulb. Even 150 watt HQI halides are only recommended for depths to 18 inches for most SPS corals. However, only the minority of people ever get the SPS bug so bad that good T-5 lighting isn't adequate in most cases. However T-5 lighting with out individual reflectors is not much better than cheaper power compact flourescent lighting fixtures.
However, if you find yourself already staring at the SPS corals a lot at your LFS store you might still want to consider halides over T-5's.

[Bifferwine]

I don't think the 216 watt T5s over a 90 gallon tank would be sufficient. Watts per gallon rule is very general, especially when you talk about T5s, but you still want at least 4 watts per gallon.

T5s would work fine for that tank, I think, but you'd just need more than what you were looking at. For example, a 6 bulb fixture with reflectors or an 8 bulb fixture without reflectors would be better than a 4 bulb fixture.

Halides would also work for your tank, as they penetrate deeper than T5s, which lose effectiveness deeper than 18 inches or so. Halides do get hot, and you need to replace their bulbs every 6 months (vs. once a year for T5s). Replacement T5 bulbs are also a fraction of the price than replacement halide bulbs.

If it were my tank, I would use T5s on it, but either a 6 or 8 bulb fixture.

[reeffreak]

Decide on what corals interest you the most before deciding on lights.

Everybody is correct about T5 not penetrating so the most light demanding corals(mainly sps and clams) will need to be place near the top of the rock work.Besides that,they have so much benefit like cooler running and long bulb life.The Nova Pro's with individual reflectors are the lowest I would go on a tank that size and depth.

Also check out the Tek light from Reef Geek.You choose your own bulbs which will give you better colors and more light than slimpaq bulbs in the Nova Pro's.It will run about $40 more than the Nova after adding bulbs.

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_...unlight_Supply

[MamaJones]

good ideas, pick the corals...save up for better lighting.......

I definitely want T5s.

I don't really like the idea of Halides b/c our house is already hard enough to cool.

maybe we'll have this tank setup by the time the kids move out

[d.french]

another local reefer here in st. louis area has a 6 bulb retro kit with individual reflectors on his 90 gallon tank and he keeps lps, sps, ricordea, zoos, rbta and all are doin awesome. the lights are mounted in a canopy with 2 built in cooling fans.

[kimoy]

the watts per gallon rule is really more of a metaphor, I believe that the PAR value of the lighting is more important than watts per gallon. JMO

[fatman]

I find the PAR in my 10000K HQI halides start dropping at about 7 to 9 months, but that the PAR in my 6500K are still good at over 14 months. I do not presently have any other K value halides for a comparison. For commercial use when SPS corals are being housed and grown I would only recommend halides, for the general home reef tank with the average mix of fish, corals and other invertebrates, few would benefit from halides versus T-5's when heat and economy is a concern. When it comes to large tanks or commercial propagation of stony corals T-5's are not a cheaper lighting source and are often inadequate for the requirements.