Brand new and eager .. WOuld this be enough light?

shortbusldtang

shortbusldtang

Member
Right now I have this shitty light (Satellite 48" 65w x 2 smartpaq ) and was thinking of a way that I would be able to add to this and maintain the 5 watts per gallon that is recomended for reef........... Well I wanting to do this while on a budget :( If I added this light would it be enough? I'm figuring about 390watts! I have a canopy so i'ts important to get lights that will fit and also have power cords that are going out the bak and not the sides. This light meets that>
CURRENT 48" 65W x4 Satellite Aquarium PC Light w/LUNAR
Do you think for my first tank this would be ample and get me by for a couple years? Remember this is an 80 gallon high tank..... (keep hard corals up top and soft mid range and lower) ? ? ? What ya think. I"M NEW HELP lol
 
C

cmaxwell39

Guest
You would be able to keep softies and lps under that light. You would not be alble to keep sps corals or clams. For the money you may want to look into a T5 fixture. The Nova extreme pro is moderately priced and would allow you to keep a much greater variety of corals.
 
shortbusldtang

shortbusldtang

Member
Or buy the extreme pro and get rid of the satellite i have now. ? The one I was thinking about buying... *(dual sat. which is 4x65 is over a hundred less... Is there a reason why buying this with four bulbs is going to be any dif than the six bulb extreme pro ?
 
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cmaxwell39

Guest
The T5's are a much stronger lignt than the powercompacts are. I had power compacts on my tank when I started and I switched to the nove extreme (it was right before the pro came out so I just have the regular nova extreme) and the difference in light output is phenomenal. If you get the Nova Extreme Pro I would get rid of the power compacts all together.
 
shortbusldtang

shortbusldtang

Member
So even though the wattage is the same... you are saying the t5 is going to do way more? I would be gettin less wattage out of the nova extreme than if i went with the satellite dueal 4x65 T5 dif type of wattage or what. Thanks for your help. I hate sounding ignorant about it.. sux to get started in this hobby..... lots to learn lol
 
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cmaxwell39

Guest
Watts is simply a measure of how much electricity the bulb is consuming. It has nothing to do with how much light the bulbs are producing. That is measured in lumens or par. The way I understand it Lumens measures the total light output of a bulb where par measures the light a bulb produces that a coral can actually use (somebody correct me if I am wrong here).
So basically even though they consume the same amount of electricity, T5 give you a better par rating-- in other words they are more efficient. HTH
 
shortbusldtang

shortbusldtang

Member
That has helped a ton. :) So you are saying I would probably be good to go with this model>? Current USA 48" Nova Extreme Pro 6x54w T5 Aquarium That is only 316 It goes for $377 to my door..... Or the 48" Current USA Nova Extreme T5 8 x 54 watt 4 lunar $475 to my door.. Both are kinda exspensive for my taste but I do wanna be happy and not have to buy again. You think the smaller one of these two would be ok by itself in an 80 gallon tall or would I be better off saving up for the bigger one ....
 
aninafish

aninafish

Member
I completely agree with cmax.
If you have the room to add both you might as well but go with the pros. I have the extremes and am upfrading to the pros soon. They are great
 
C

cmaxwell39

Guest
I would go with the pros. You can continue to run the fixture you already have, but there is probably no need to. I have the 8-bulb extreme on my tank. It is a decent fixture, but if I were buying lights today I would purchace the pros. The pros were not available yet when I bought mine which is why I have the regular nove extreme.
 
shortbusldtang

shortbusldtang

Member
So it looks like i'll be going with one of these... question is this The pro is only offered from what I see in the 6x54 The regular nova extreme has an 8 x 54 Still go with the pro or pay hundred more for eight lamps and go with older extreme ?
 
C

cmaxwell39

Guest
Go with the pro. The reflector in the pro is contoured around each bulb rather than having one reflector that goes all the way above all the bulbs. This individually contoured reflector will put more of the light the bulb produces into the tank rather than allowing it to bounce around in the fixture. The pro is the way to go.
 
shortbusldtang

shortbusldtang

Member
So you think that the pro 6x54 giving off 316 would be plenty of light by itself for this 80 gallon *high* tank? If so i'll be off and shopping.... I don't think i have the room to run it and my original sat...
 
C

cmaxwell39

Guest
It should be. How deep is your tank? I read somewhere how deep t5s will penetrate, but I can't remember what it is off the top of my head. As long as the tank isn't over 24" deep I think that you will be all right.
 
tjone752000

tjone752000

Member
Originally Posted by SHORTBUSLDTANG
http:///forum/post/2563097
That has helped a ton. :) So you are saying I would probably be good to go with this model>? Current USA 48" Nova Extreme Pro 6x54w T5 Aquarium That is only 316 It goes for $377 to my door..... Or the 48" Current USA Nova Extreme T5 8 x 54 watt 4 lunar $475 to my door.. Both are kinda exspensive for my taste but I do wanna be happy and not have to buy again. You think the smaller one of these two would be ok by itself in an 80 gallon tall or would I be better off saving up for the bigger one ....
you should check this one out
http://www.***********.com/ps_ViewIt...s~vendor~.html
 
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