Lighting Help

[lakers10]

well I have set up my tank with the help of a friend and did all the plumbing added liverock and just waiting for it to cycle it's been two weeks so I started thinking about lights and my tank is unusual the footprints are 48 long 24 wide and 31 inches tall... So what's the best lighting I plan on keeping a mixed majority of corals no clams thought a few stony.the tank is a 150g...

[z28pwr]

I would go with 250 Watt metal halides due to the depth of the tank and keep your SPS high on the tank. If you were doing clams or lots of SPS I would say go 400 watt metal halides but 250 should be fine. My wife's tank is 30" tall and it runs with four 250 watt metal halides. T5's simply cannot penetrate that deep and provide the needed par values for proper growth. Multiple people have gone from halides to T5's only to switch back after a few months when their corals stopped growing. If the tank was 20" deep then I would say T5 all the way..

[Big_Pun]

i agree with the above

[Reefer4ever]

i agree with the above poster that agrees with that poster above

[kkiel02]

Yep 250 watters unless you want to keep sps everywhere then 400 watts, but then you will need a chiller probably.

[alton]

Where else can you go to get five people to agree? If you stack your rock all the way up to say 12" from the top and kept your SPS on top, then LPS slightly below and softies on the lower part you would be fine with a 8/10 lamp T5HO light.

[tony]

2 - 250watt would be perfect for that

[lakers10]

where is the best place to buy lights?

[txg8gxp]

I have got both of mine from reefgeek. They have always had good response, and great packing of bulbs/etc.

[Big_Pun]

try hellolights.com

[snfkotara]

I found these at reefgeeks if you dont want to worry about the heat from mh. That is always my concern with the MH lighting because I do not have a chiller and not to mention the cost of running MH lighting is alot more then t-5's. This summer my electric bill was 150.00 cheaper every month for the last 3 month with running just the 1 tank with MH and the others with T-5s.


48" 8x54W Dimmable Powermodule T5 High-Output Fixture w/ Bulbs

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Manufacturer: ATI
Dimensions: 46.3" x 17.5" x 2.3" (L x W x H)
Availability: In Stock - Usually ships in 24 hours
Item #: ATI2371
ATI 48" 8x54W Dimmable Powermodule T5 High-Output Fixture w/ Bulbs complete with individual parabolic reflectors for each bulb made from silver-coated 98% reflective German-made aluminum, active cooling system w/ 4 fans, built-in electronic ballasts, controller interface with manual dimming control (automated controller sold separately), acrylic shield, two 10 ft power-cords, a sleek, adjustable "Grip-Lock" style hanging kit and choice of bulbs from any of our current selection of high-quality lamps.

Common Sizing Guideline: soft coral tanks up to 215 gallons, mixed reef tanks up to 175 gallons and SPS dominated tanks up to 145 gallons. Recommended Tank Depth: up to 30" with carefully planned placement of corals. Power Consumption: approximately 432 Watts. Warranty: 1-Year Manufacturer's Limited Warranty.

1. Superior Lighting Control: 2-channel, 0-100% dimming produces much more realistic a dawn-dusk and daylight simulation than non-dimmable lighting fixtures.
2. Seamless Control & Integration: Compatible with Neptune Systems APEX, GHL ProfiLux, Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Elite and other controllers offering 0-10V dimming capabilities. The integrated control box provides simple, easy to use integration with compatible controllers. (Controller sold separately.)
3. Unbeatable Performance: Superior design and high-end components produce 50% more light than most other equally sized T5 fixtures. Active cooling system allows bulbs to run at a more optimal temperature improving bulb life.
4. Energy Efficient: Produces up to 50% more light than most other equally sized T5 fixtures without using more energy.
5. Stylish European Design: Sleek, heavy-duty silver colored body is durable, rust-proof and only 2.3” high. All components including the T5 ballasts are enclosed inside the fixture housing. The only items external to the fixture are a small junction box, 2 power-cords and an AC-DC Adapter to power the fans.
6. Quiet, Cool Operation: Runs cool and produces virtually no noise.

Description Our Price Qty
48" 8x54W Dimmable Powermodule T5 High-Output Fixture w/ Bulbs $1,269.95

[ballardjr2000]

I used 8X54w t-5 on my 90g only 24" depth but kept a cocera clam mid way down with no problems softies and LPS no problems however i wanted sps so went with 150w MH/led

[tony]

250w will get to the bottom of that easily and you could keep anything you wanted. when i ran mine 8 hours/day i noticed zero increase in my electric bill. this was with an electronic ballast.