How many T5s for 55gallon?

[Charliegrs]

Im getting to the point where I have to think about what I should do for lighting on my tank. I know I want t5s, and I plan on having mainly fish, inverts, and soft corals in my tank. No clams or heavy light requiring corals. I dont know how many t5 bulbs Im going to need though. Ive looked online, but mainly all I find are other forum threads asking the same question and getting different responses.

1. Should 6 bulbs be enough?

2. Do half the bulbs need to be white and the other half blue? Or is it more of one then the other?

3.My tank is 48" long, with a stupid plastic brace/divider on the top. Would it better to use 2x24" t5 fixtures instead of one 48"? Maybe the 2 fixtures will get the light under the divider better?

 

[Bifferwine]

For a 55, 4 bulbs will be enough, but 6 are preferable. Usually when you buy the light fixture, it comes with half blue, half white bulbs. You can buy new bulbs to replace those, and make your own color scheme. The stock bulbs that come with fixtures are usually pretty crappy.

I would not use 2 fixtures. Just go with a 48". It will be fine.

 

[Charliegrs]

Alright cool, thats the kind of answer I was looking for. Il go with the 6 bulb fixture ;)

 

[BL1]

This is one of the best 6 bulb fixtures you'll find.

48 in. Nova Extreme Pro T5 HO Lighting Fixture - (6) 54 watt lamps | T5 Lighting | Lighting Systems | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com

 

[Piratefish]

I have a 6x54 on my 55 and it is a ton of light!! All of my SPS are growing very well!