60 gallon lighting

[swfishfan]

I understand that for a reef system you should have 1 watt per 3 gallons, i currently have a ho t-5 retrofit kit, with 1 10k bulb and 1 actinic buld at 54w each... i have a friend who just got out of the hobby and is giving me his setup which is a 2 12k bulb and 2 actinic bulb with individual power switches and the fixture comes with 4 2w led lights, so now that i have explained what i have, will this fixture at 216w allow me to keep most corals?

 

[scsinet]

1 watt per 3 gallons? I'd say that your references are saying 3 watts per 1 gallon, but IMO that's not even enough. I'd suggest 5 watts per gallon.
With 216w of T5, you would be able to keep all soft corals and most LPS corals, but not SPS, clams, or anemones.
Really though watts per gallon isn't a good way to measure a system. Reflector efficiency and such can have such an impact that PAR becomes the measurement of choice, but if you don't have a PAR meter (which most people don't) then best guess is usually the best you can do.
With T5, you want each lamp to have an individual reflector, use new lamps, and you'll get the most you can from a given wattage. So if your 216w setup has this, then you'll do better than if you use old lamps or large common reflectors.

 

[swfishfan]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
1 watt per 3 gallons? I'd say that your references are saying 3 watts per 1 gallon, but IMO that's not even enough. I'd suggest 5 watts per gallon.
With 216w of T5, you would be able to keep all soft corals and most LPS corals, but not SPS, clams, or anemones.
Really though watts per gallon isn't a good way to measure a system. Reflector efficiency and such can have such an impact that PAR becomes the measurement of choice, but if you don't have a PAR meter (which most people don't) then best guess is usually the best you can do.
With T5, you want each lamp to have an individual reflector, use new lamps, and you'll get the most you can from a given wattage. So if your 216w setup has this, then you'll do better than if you use old lamps or large common reflectors.
Sorry, i did mean 3 watts per gallon, but i think your right i have heard 5 watts before, i really want to drop money on a good setup but if i can get one for free why not right?
Now i have been on here for about two years and i have seen your posts and i respect your opinions scs, so the question i want to ask you is, another poster put me up to an idea of running both fixtures? is this possible with teh retro fit i already have and the newly aquired lights? the retro fit is a single bulky reflector which i have haning on my canopy?

 

[scsinet]

Well you can run as many light fixtures at one time as you want, as long as you've got room over the tank to cram them all in.
If the commercial fixture precludes the idea of building a canopy, then you'll have to build some kind of something to hold the retro kit of course.
Oh, and thanks for the compliments!

 

[swfishfan]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
Well you can run as many light fixtures at one time as you want, as long as you've got room over the tank to cram them all in.
If the commercial fixture precludes the idea of building a canopy, then you'll have to build some kind of something to hold the retro kit of course.
Oh, and thanks for the compliments!

I see what you are saying, so i need to some how move the retro-fit so hit hits the tank aswell and set the commercial over i see what your saying, and what if i cut a little off the bulky reflector would that affect any?

 

[swfishfan]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
Oh, and thanks for the compliments!

The person thanking anyone here should be me, some of your post's of course along with others have made my slatwater fish hobby a lot less stress building,, but you are welcome.

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by SWFISHFAN
I see what you are saying, so i need to some how move the retro-fit so hit hits the tank aswell and set the commercial over i see what your saying, and what if i cut a little off the bulky reflector would that affect any?
Retros are just a bare reflector, lamp, and ballast. They don't come ready to just place over the tank... you need something to hold them. Usually, you sc-rew them into a canopy or something, but if you have a canopy, you may not be able to fit the commercial fixture in, so you may have to engineer something to make it work.