mchabot
Member
Hello all,
I have a 75 gallon 48" long and I have a lighting question. I realize that this has been discussed ad nasuem on here but I was hoping to get a nice condensed discussion about my particular setup. Currently I have two 48" PC fixtures with 4 bulbs each and reflectors that were given to me with my setup. Each fixture has 2 65W actinics and 2 65W 10000k whites. I just looked into buying new bulbs for the first time and I'm a bit shocked to find out that I need almost $250 worth of bulbs. It wouldn't bother me if there was some longevity but I've read from a few people on here that they need to be replaced every 6 months. Is that true? Should I put the $250 towards something better? If I upgrade I would be looking at either T-5 or Metal Halides and really need suggestions on which fixtures to consider. I want to be able to keep any type of reef creature and I don't want to spend money on a light that may limit me in the future. If I upgrade I also want a fixture with built in moon lighting because I want a setup that will last me a long time. Please forward questions and post all your opinions so that this newbie can avoid making a dumb decision. I also don't want to buy a chiller just yet so please keep heat in mind when making your suggestions.
Thanks,
Matt
I have a 75 gallon 48" long and I have a lighting question. I realize that this has been discussed ad nasuem on here but I was hoping to get a nice condensed discussion about my particular setup. Currently I have two 48" PC fixtures with 4 bulbs each and reflectors that were given to me with my setup. Each fixture has 2 65W actinics and 2 65W 10000k whites. I just looked into buying new bulbs for the first time and I'm a bit shocked to find out that I need almost $250 worth of bulbs. It wouldn't bother me if there was some longevity but I've read from a few people on here that they need to be replaced every 6 months. Is that true? Should I put the $250 towards something better? If I upgrade I would be looking at either T-5 or Metal Halides and really need suggestions on which fixtures to consider. I want to be able to keep any type of reef creature and I don't want to spend money on a light that may limit me in the future. If I upgrade I also want a fixture with built in moon lighting because I want a setup that will last me a long time. Please forward questions and post all your opinions so that this newbie can avoid making a dumb decision. I also don't want to buy a chiller just yet so please keep heat in mind when making your suggestions.
Thanks,
Matt