DavidA717
Soon to be Reef Expert
are 216watts of T5s be enough to have just about any corals i want in a 55 gallon tank?
T5 bulbs
- Thread starter DavidA717
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ReefKeeper
TalkingReef Live co-host
you could probably KEEP a lot of corals, but would they thrive and grow is the real question here. IMHO, i dont think that a lot of SPS corals would thrive under that.
watts per gallon is not a good way to estimate lighting. halides are a much more intense light than T5's are. so 250w of metal halide penetrates the water way more than 250w of T5 lighting. i guess i would say if you want SPS corals ... go with halides.
just my opinion, and many will probably disagree with it. i run halides and i keep ANY coral that i want under them.
watts per gallon is not a good way to estimate lighting. halides are a much more intense light than T5's are. so 250w of metal halide penetrates the water way more than 250w of T5 lighting. i guess i would say if you want SPS corals ... go with halides.
just my opinion, and many will probably disagree with it. i run halides and i keep ANY coral that i want under them.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I kept SPS under T5s and so does Yote. I ran 216 watts in my old 55 gallon tank. Nothing in my tank grew as fast as SPS. I've heard from a lot of people that SPS grow extremely quickly under T5s. I bought a one-inch frag of birdsnest, and about two months later it was the size of a softball. Incredible.
yote
In Memoriam
I'm with Biff.I have 432 watts of T-5 over my 75.
My SPS have nearly tripled in size since March.
My SPS have nearly tripled in size since March.
reeffreak
Reef pro
I say a 216w T5 fixture with individual reflectors will allow you to be unlimited.They key here is IR which doubles the light output.
ReefKeeper
TalkingReef Live co-host
i did not know that !! i stand corrected.
reeffreak
Reef pro
The back part of T5 bulb is wasted without individual reflectors IMO.It just makes so much sense to take that light and reflect it back into the tank.
