Light Help

[lochelle]

I have been reading and reading and reading..and reading more..and I am still clueless..well not exactly clueless..just overwhelmed..there are just so many choices..

I want to get a light that will allow me to keep whatever i want..i know metal halides are the best for that..i am just weary because of that amount of heat they produce and the wattage they use..i am trying to "green" my house as much as i can..

My tank is a 75 gallon..dimensions 48 1/2"L x 18 1/2"W x 21 1/8"H with a plastic center brace..so my questions are..what lights do y'all recommend for this tank? Are there any T-5 or LED lights that are strong enough?

Thanks in advance for any and all help. I have learned soooo much from reading this forum.

Also if y'all have any recommendations for skimmer, heater, and anything else that would be great too. :o)

 

[daugherty]

mh light are not always the best to get but watt for watt mh or t5 or led are all the same if you have a 250 watt of mh that is the same wattage as 250 watt of led or t5 lights but you can use less wattage with t5 lights of led if they are good bulbs. i would look into a 8bulb t5 light maybe a tek would do you good they have them at bulkreefsupply.com or a cheaper light is a nova pro and that is a 6 bulb t5 light that would be great for a 75. or check out ecoray.com and get two of the 112led lights.

 

[daugherty]

i have a octo 800s skimmer on my 75 and it has been a great skimmer

 

[little_fish]

+1 daugherty

 

[Bifferwine]

T5s would be better for a 75 gallon tank.

I would go with Daugherty's suggestion and get the 6-bulb Current Extreme Nova Pros. They have individual reflectors, and a 6-bulb setup with individual reflectors is better than an 8-bulb setup without. The Nova Extreme Pro will allow you to keep anything you want.

 

[lochelle]

y'all are awesome..

so there are like a million places that sell aquarium supplies online..are there any places that you recommend..or i guess more importantly..any places not to buy from?

 

[Juiced19]

I would go with aquaticlife T5 6x54 watt fixture. Yes its 529.99 but its a good quality.

 

[BL1]

If you're looking for the Nova Extreme, this was one of the cheapest places I could find Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

 

[elysium]

I can't answer your question.

I wanted to go green with my hydroponics and switch to LEDs but so far those I know that tried the switch are finding they do not grow plants as well as promised/expected. I'd want to ask someone who has had them for a while how their coral is doing. I can say I love our Current Nova Extreme pros.

So bumping you back up and hoping the right answer comes your way! :)