Lighting advice on upgrade

[revrick3]

I have read each of your advice and have purchased a new T5 system to add to my current. What I have now is a 90 gl tank with 120 lr. zoa and couple soft coral with 6 fish. I have a T5 with 2 10,000 bulbs at 54 watts each and 2 actinic at 54 watts each. I also have a Compact fisture with 2 64 watt 14,000 bulbs and 2 actinic 10,000 bulbs, Will this do for my tank, some of you said the PC system with 264 watts just wasnt enough so I added the T5. Can this work, had to do some retorfit to my canopy to get it to all fit. If this wont do what next guys. thanks. Also posted on new member board, need all input I can get. Should I consider replacing 2 of the actinic with 10,000 and only have 2 pc actinic?

 

[fishfreak1242]

Are the T-5s individually reflected? If they are then you should be fine with softies. If it were me, then what I would do as for the bulb setup is have 2 of the T-5s with around 10,000K bulbs, then the other 2 T-5s with around 18,000-20,000k bulbs, and then the PCs with actinic bulbs. That would be super cool because then you could have a real night to day thing going if you time everything right, and it would work with your setup. But if you wanted to get SPS then you would have to get stronger lights.

 

[revrick3]

The T5.s are not individually reflected, they are under one reflector, I had considered changing the 2 actinic T5's and leaving the 2 PC actinics, Thanks for the advice. If I change these will this give me enough light to keep my zoas and soft coral, later an anemone. The light came from aquatrader and was a bargain so I can afford to chang the bulbs.
Originally Posted by fishfreak1242
http:///forum/post/2834955
Are the T-5s individually reflected? If they are then you should be fine with softies. If it were me, then what I would do as for the bulb setup is have 2 of the T-5s with around 10,000K bulbs, then the other 2 T-5s with around 18,000-20,000k bulbs, and then the PCs with actinic bulbs. That would be super cool because then you could have a real night to day thing going if you time everything right, and it would work with your setup. But if you wanted to get SPS then you would have to get stronger lights.

 

[fishfreak1242]

Originally Posted by revrick3
http:///forum/post/2835016
The T5.s are not individually reflected, they are under one reflector, I had considered changing the 2 actinic T5's and leaving the 2 PC actinics, Thanks for the advice. If I change these will this give me enough light to keep my zoas and soft coral, later an anemone. The light came from aquatrader and was a bargain so I can afford to chang the bulbs.
Yeh for a 90 gal you are going to need individually reflected bulbs. They will be much more powerful and you will have alot more success.

 

[revrick3]

Originally Posted by fishfreak1242
http:///forum/post/2835031
Yeh for a 90 gal you are going to need individually reflected bulbs. They will be much more powerful and you will have alot more success.
Is it possible to get another reflectror to retrofit this one, I just purchased it new. It is from Odsyea at aquatrader.

 

[fishfreak1242]

Originally Posted by revrick3
http:///forum/post/2835069
Is it possible to get another reflectror to retrofit this one, I just purchased it new. It is from Odsyea at aquatrader.
Sure if all the reflectors will fit.

 

[wangotango]

Look at the Aquactinics retrofit reflectors. They're comparable to the Icecap and I think are slightly smaller.
-Justin

 

[revrick3]

Originally Posted by WangoTango
http:///forum/post/2835154
Look at the Aquactinics retrofit reflectors. They're comparable to the Icecap and I think are slightly smaller.
-Justin
Okay guys, I have tried to follow all your leads, my tank is 90 gl. 22 inches deep and as of now I have a T5 4 bulb with 2-10k at 54w each and 2-18k at 54w each under one fixture. The other light is a PC with 2-actinic at 64w each and 2 10,000 at 64w each. This gives me a total of 472watts. Is this going to work with zoas, soft coral and anemone along with fish. I have gotten so many different views on lighting it gets confusing.

 

[gatorwpb]

For zoos and soft corals, even LPS it should be fine and the actinic and bulb mix you have will be very attractive for colorful lps like hammer or frogspawn.
But you have to think of anemones like SPS and clams, they need strong lighting. Otherwise they will likely wither away and die.
You could get lucky and find one that will stay at the top of your rock work near the lights and be happy. But the odds are not in your favor on this.