Lighting Question

[heatherc369]

I was told to get t5 lights if I am plannng on adding corals and things.
We bought some live rock that has mushrooms and polyps on it already.
At the moment we only have compact flourescent bulbs and are researching "t5" andI still dont knoiw what that means? Is it a type of bulb? bc I thought it was a brand but i noticed diff brands have t5 bulbs? I am so lost!!!

My main question is I have found some listings on ebay and would like to know why there is a such a price difference and if the cheaper one would work? I am going to try and post the links here. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

AQUATICLIFE 4X39W 36" T5 FIXTURE with BULBS! & 3 LUNAR LEDS & TIMER Live Coral | eBay


36" 234W T5 HO Aquarium Light Hood LCD Timer Coral Reef 6x39 Fluorescent Actinic | eBay

 

[Northstar24]

Is this over a 6 foot 125? If so you're going to want 6 bulb fixtures. Get out the wallet, because reef lighting for a 6 foot tank is NOT cheap

Take a loot at this sticky, and let me know if you still have questions

https://www.livingreefs.com/lighting-101-a-t41427.html

 

[heatherc369]

Honestly I have not ever measured it but im pretty sure its 6 ft lol ( guess i should do that )

Will read and share stick with hubby tonight :)

So this listing on ebay states its a t5 6x but its so much cheaper than other listings that say teh same thing? I was just wondering if theres something I need to ask the seller, or any hidden things that would make this light so cheap? Sounds to good to be true ya know?

36" 234W T5 HO Aquarium Light Hood LCD Timer Coral Reef 6x39 Fluorescent Actinic | eBay

 

[Bifferwine]

That's only a 36" long light. That's half the length you need. You will need a 72" light. T5 bulbs are not made in 6-foot length, so if you want T5s, you will have to get a fixture that staggers shorter bulbs from side to side, or go with a metal halide setup, which is more ideal for a tank that size. Like North said, lighting for a big tank is not cheap. I used a 6 foot metal halide light for my 240, and it cost $1800. You can go much cheaper than that since your tank is smaller, but you are not going to find anything for your tank size that is the cost of the 3 foot or 4 foot fixtures.

 

[heatherc369]

Please forgive all of my stupid ?'s :(

I was thinking of buying 2 of the 36" fixtures?
Bad IDea?

(Now I know hwy my LFS said to do a FOWLR tank for now and save up $ to go reef )

 

[Northstar24]

You definitely could buy two 36" fixtures and hang them side by side over the tank.

I would not purchase that light you linked too personally. It has the right number of bulbs, but only a single reflector, so you will not get very good light output from it. There are things you can do to decrease the cost of this hobby, but if you are serious about keeping a reef, lighting is absolutely not one of those places. The fixture you listed is a no name Chinese knock off. Some of them have burst into flames starting house fires

If T5 is what you're after, then this is probably one of the best fixtures available for a 72 inch tank

Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro T-5 Fixtures

Don't make the mistake I made, I spent money on an 'inexpensive' 6 foot fixture, and replaced it a year later with something that actually worked, and ended up spending twice what I would have had I just bought the right (more expensvie) gear in the first place. This does not apply to everything in the hobby, but in my opinion it is absolutely true for lighting

Also, keep in mind that T5 bulbs will need to be changed every 6-9 months, the first set probably closer to 6 months (most fixtures come with cheap, low quality bulbs). On fixtures like the one I linked, you might want to stagger and do them in groups of 2 or 3 at time, to avoid 'photo shocking' livestock in the tank

 

[Bifferwine]

Two 36" lights would be a good way to go, if you hang them from the ceiling. That may be cheaper than one 72" fixture. :)