Lighting formula

[Explicit]

The day of tank purchase if fast approaching and the amount of reading I've done is mind boggling lol. With regards to lighting, since we are getting a smaller tank then we first though we now have extra money for other goodies. Should I consider trying out LEDs or go with a more standard t5 setup? Also what is the formula for wattage on a tank?

 

[marcah]

try to keep the lighting at least 4 watts per gallon and up.. t-5's are great for tanks under 18inch or so.. anything over that you might like to look into moving up to MH.. for instance I have a 45 column that is 28 inch deep , so I needed to step up to MH.
l personally dont know alot of people that have had alot of luck growing under LED's but others might say different..other then that I would make sure you have plenty of water movement in the tank, more or less depending on what you are thinking of putting in..

 

[little_fish]

+1 for the 4 watts per gallon idea, but not all watts are the same. T5 and metal halide are the best you can get. I really dont know much about LED, a few members just upgraded to them, so i dont know much about long term performance.

Are you getting a standard tank and building from there? If so these are great lights and will let you keep anything you want
Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

If you are getting the biocube, then i would get the metal halide lid set up (i dont think they come with T5 lights, and power compact lighting is quiet terrible).

 

[Explicit]

That's actually one of the fixtures I was looking at. I am building a tank from scratch as it a little more customizable and I really don't need the built in filter unit that comes stock on biocubes. Anyone have positive experiences with LEDs?

 

[little_fish]

I dont think anyone here has had the LED long enough to talk about their long term growth potential, but they might be able to link to some articles done about it.

Hopefully one of them will chime in soon!

 

[Explicit]

Lol t5s it is! Thanks!

 

[Northstar24]

LED's are capable of growing coral, but do your research, as the market has been saturated in the last 6-9 months with a lot of products

Here is an older article from Advanced Aquarist that looks at the first generation AI module, which was significantly upgraded last year

Product Review: Aqua llumination's LED Lighting System: An 88-watt Sun for Your Reef Tank — Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

 

[Bifferwine]

Parrotchute had LEDs over his last tank. He was very happy with how they performed.