lighting for a reef tank

[marty7975]

I need to get a better light for my tank but I'am not sure on what to get.I'am in the process of setting up a reef tank have my live rock/sand and a couple fish.anybody think t5's will be enough dual or 4 bulb fixture,or maybe mh or the led's.

 

[SeaBee]

What type of corals are you trying to keep? I think you should go with a 6 bulb myself, the four bulb might be a little low. A friend of mine went with a Tek light, real nice, but Current makes some affordable models.

 

[marty7975]

I'm not sure on the type of corals at the moment I would like to get a light that will be enough output for different types. Or I could place the ones that need more light close to the top.The owner of my LFS is suggesting mh,I kinda wanted t5's,they don't run as hot,what if the mh fixture has a fan in it does run alot cooler.

 

[Smitty]

I agree, I would suggest a 6 bulb t5 fixture...you would be able to keep anything you want under those. If you get a mh fixture with built in fans, then yes it does run cooler.

 

[ccCapt]

I'm not sure a standard 55g tank is wide enough for a 6 bulb T5HO fixture. A 4 bulb fixture may limit what corals you can get or where you would need to place them.

As far as MH vs T5HO in heat output, if you got a MH fixture with 2 x 150w bulbs (300w total), it would run cooler than a 6 x 54w (324w total) T5HO fixture, but hotter than a 4 x 54w (216 w total) T5HO . A watt coming off a MH bulb emitts the same amount of heat as a watt coming off a T5HO bulb.

 

[marty7975]

my tank should be wide enough it's 36l 20h 18w it's not the 4foot one.I was looking at a 250 watt mh with 8 lunars and fan cooled

 

[SeaBee]

Good, the 3 ft lights are cheaper than the 4 ft ones. Since it is 20 h I think you should look at a 6 bulb, t-5 fixture. YOu can go from inexpensive right up to a lot a mulla. The t5 is easier on the light bill and cooler. Try a current brand or Tek. The Current one may have moonlights, also if you want them built in. The Tek you will need to add a led for a moonlight if you want that. It's a presonal/budget thing.

 

[reeffreak]

Here is some good to better T5-HO fixtures.The single most important feature to look for is individual reflectors.

Current Nova Pro's-6/39w
Aquatic Life-6/39w
Tek-6/39w(Also have a 8/39w)
Tek elites-6/39w(also 8/39w)
ATI sunpower-6/39w
ATI powermodule-6/39w(also 8 and 10 bulbs too)

LED(these are expensive,$1200 and up)
Aqua Illumination-3 modules(maybe get away with two if placed high enough)
Ecoxotic-two modules 17.5 in. per light.