whioch lighting would be better?

Go with the first link.The Nova Extreme Pros.
The individual reflectors are supposed to make T-5s even better.
 
I agree. I know individual reflector help out alot more, but MH is the best choice.:mrgreen:
 
It's a close call which would be better. Those nova extreme Pro's are really nice fixtures. Not sure if the individual reflectors (even though they arent true IR's but kind of just parabolic shaped reflectors for each bulb) or the extra 2 bulbs would help more... Thats a tough question. I think I would go with the nova extreme pro, i have the regular one right now with 4 bulbs and its nice, but the pro is a really nice fixture.
 
Another advantage of the less wattage, better fixture would be not having to replace 2 extra bulbs once a year or so. Also electricity costs would be less with the pro series.
 
If your going to go with T-5's then get a fixture with an individual reflector for each bulb. Your only limit will be that you will get better SPS coral growth in the top half of your tank than your bottom. But then you will probably get better soft coral growth in the bottom of your tank than the top. Every different lamp size , reflector and lamp type has its differences. But bang for your buck is best at the moment with T-5's fixture with individual reflectors for tanks shallower than 18 to 24 inches and 48 inches or shorter in length if your tank is to be a fish tank, mixed reef tank or reef with fish tank. Reeffreak is probably the most informed on T-5's within this forum.
 
The Nova Pro is the version I would go with even though they don't have lunars built into the fixture.Individual reflectors or in this case pseudo-IR trump having lunar lights.The theory is 6 bulbs w/ IR doubles or nearly double the light output because the light from the back of the bulb isn't wasted-it is being reflected back down into the tank.
 
I know this might not be the appropriate thread, but Dana Riddle has a partial list of SPS that do well at low light intensities and a list of soft coarls and LPS that do well at high light intensities. Not a complete list, but enough to add some color and difference to some tanks. It is on an Advanced Aquarists archived magazine issue.
 
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This is probably not the most appropriate thread but there is an article by Dana Riddle about lighting intensity that gives a listing of some SPS corals that do well with low intensity lighting and some soft corals and LPS that do well under intense lighting. It could make some surprising changes to some coral arrangements and additions to existing tanks.
 
ok so i might go with the choice yall have given me

UNLESS someone can show me an even better one 400$ or less (not counting shipping) any links would be appreciative

thanks a bunch
 
I would go with thr Tec as recommended by reeffreak. For a little bit more it is a lot more light in the way of performance. Can not beat individual parabolics on a long horizotal tube.
 
Will it fit inside a canopy?
Its a complete fixture so most likely it will not fit unless you do some serious modifications.You can get a retrofit kit to mount inside a canopy.The Tek has a retro if you go that route.

Yes,I recommend the hanging kit or tank risers.I can't really answer the evaporation,there's to many factors involved.All I can tell you that it runs cooler than other flourescents-PC and VHO as well as MH.
 
Evaporation, regardless of the seeming inconvenience it might seem to cause is a good thing for nearly all reef tanks. If it was not for evaporation there would be a lot more overheating in reef tanks. It actually requires a lot of energy for water to turn from a liquid to a vapor. That energy is in the form of heat energy. If evaporation was not happening all that heat energy would instead be building up in your tank by causing a rise in temperature of the whole of the tanks water. There would be a lot more chillers (refrigeration units) needed by reefers if not for the fact that a good percentage of reefers actually have fans blowing air across the waters surface to encourage evaporation in order to lessen heat. I use fans to encourage evaporation so that I can replace more water daily with water containing calcium (Kalkwasser). For a 75 Gallon tank with 5 watts per gallon lighting expect 1 to 1.5 gallons evaporation per day in temperate climates and double to triple that or more in warmer climates such as the South West and parts of Texas and there abouts.
 
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