lighting

K

kellys120

Guest
I'm looking at updating my lighting. I have a 75G tank with a normal two bulb flourescent hood with one 50/50 and one 10,000k bulb. I don't want to spent a fortune. I have been looking at updating to a 48" 216W T5 HO AQUARIUM LIGHT FIXTURE. What is everyones thoughts.
 

indy2009

Member
What do you have in your tank at present? Are you planning on adding corals that require higher lighting? All depends..
 

1snapple

Active Member
if your going with corals I would go with a 48" 250w 14k MH fixture w/supplimental T5's or LED's
 
M

mulligry

Guest
Correct me if I'm wrong but won't that cost a ton of $$$. Is there anything wrong with the 216w HO light fixture like he suggested? I only ask for clarification because that is exactly what I am getting for my 55 gallon and was under the impression it was enough...now i'm nervous.
 

tangs rule

Active Member
Money is a relative thing - if you plan to one day buy any corals that require more light than your fixture can deliver, then you may have to upgrade again or supplement it with another unit to increase output.....Most SPS and some LPS may not do well with an output below 4watts/gal and prefer somthing above 5. Nothing worse that spending hundreds on a bunch of SPS or other high output desiring corals and watching them waste away under insufficient light.....A tank deeper than 18" usually requires ALOT of light and metal halides do about the best job in depper tanks - or multiple VHO units....Also remember that any salt accumulation on a light unit lense RAPIDLY reduces output...
It's just a matter of what your future plans for are for the tank - but If I wanted acropora, seriatopora, stylophora, or espically Pocillopora - i'd probably suggest ALOT more light....I run twin 250w HQI and more than 250 watts compact florescent over a 100 gal tank - over 700 watts worth - and i'd not run anything under 500 in my tank and expect much of my SPS collection to survive...
 
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