Lighting ?

[syncere]

Do a lot of 24'' 4 bulb fixtures give good coverage front to back on a 20L? Would a 6 bulb like the ati sunpower or powermodule be overkill? Don't know if it would be wiser to go with MH or T-5's. Not sure what I would do as far as MH but the Tek 4 bulb fixture is what I am currently set on getting. What kind of a difference besides price would these options give me:

1.) IceCap 250 MH
2.) Tek 24" 4x24
3.) Current Sundial "30 4x24
4.) ATI Sunpower 24" 4x24 or possibly 6x24

I have an idea what I want to do but would like to get some feedback if possible on the different options I could have with any of these fixtures. I do plan on keeping a good number of sps, lps and possibly a clam. So I do know that they do need a good amount of lighting and don't know what is too much light. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Marc

[Kristy]

Your T5 options listed are all very similar... sorry I cannot offer much opinion on the different brands, but that 4 x 24 configuration should work out great for you. I wouldn't do the 30" fixture on a tank that is 24" wide... only because I think it looks a bit sloppy for the light to spill out, if that makes sense.

A 250w MH seems like overkill for a 20g and will lead to heat, evaporation issues. I think you'd be happier with any of those T5 options.

[alton]

I use 4 x 24w T5Ho's on my 29 with good growth on my SPS.

[justahobby]

I wouldn't worry about coming up 6" short, that's only three inches on each side. You may decide you want sun coral later on and wish you had shade For MH a 250w would be major overkill unless you are wanting to use it to light up the rest of your room as well.

[Big_Pun]

i used to have a 4 bulb t5 setup from sunlight supply it was great and cheap, sunlightsupply.com

just looked sorry i guess they dont sell the cheaper fixtures they used to have, just the TEK fixtures now

[syncere]

Thanks for the responses. The current would actually be the only fixture that would fit on my tank though since it is a 20L and 30" long. I wasn't sure how much coverage I would get with the other fixtures hanging. So I guess the 250 MH would be out of the question huh. Would the 6 bulb ATI be too much light?

[justahobby]

With 6 bulbs you could raise it up or leave a couple bulbs out until the coral acclimate.

[syncere]

Well been debating over the ATI and Tek for a while now. The biggest difference I see is the price. Have not seen many tanks though with the ATI over a 20L. Not worried with either choice because surely each will have it's own advantages and disadvantages.

The price range is not too big of a deal at the moment as I have just been looking at different lighting since I purchased my tank. Reading everything I can about how each light works and the benefits each offer. Thanks again and hopefully will get this thing up and running shortly.

Thanks,
Marc