Need help understanding lighting systems

tbcseod

tbcseod

Member
Ok, I'm still pretty new to salt tanks (7 months or so now) and I am up to my 3rd tank (180, 125, and 90G) a friend of mine has invited me to a frag swap this weekend (My 1st one) and I am certain I will be coming home with something that will die if I don't upgrade my lights.
Here lies my troubles - I have been told to try and get 2.5 or better watts per gallon - but after reading through different threads I keep seeing where "This type of bulb is brighter than that type of bulb" ect ect leading me to belief that the 2.5 or better rule might not be true

As I understand it Power compact (PC) lights are expensive and need frequent changing and are not the most efficient.
T5 lights are a happy middle ground in that they are nearly as expensive to set up as PC's but require less bulb changes - though they are brighter than PC's as well (dose this mean that you need less watts for the same size tank

T8 bulbs are regular old florescent lights (What I have now hanging over my tanks (2 bulbs on both my 125 and 90 and 4 over my 180). As I recall each tube is like 23 watts.
Lastly is MH - these (from what I have seen) are clearly out of my price range right now and likely more than over kill for beginner corals that I would be attempting to raise.......
So here is my question, What kind of wattage should I be looking at/for - I am thinking I will put anything I get in the 125g tank as it is the most established and I really hate the lighting set up that is over it currently anyway. Its 6' by 18' deep and 23"(?) tall.
I wish I knew what kind of stuff I might be coming home with but I really have no clue - easier stuff to care for
maybe a leather or some zoo's?
Thanks in advance for any guidance in this

~TbcSEOD
 
fishfreak1242

fishfreak1242

Active Member
Originally Posted by tbcseod
http:///forum/post/2651534
Ok, I'm still pretty new to salt tanks (7 months or so now) and I am up to my 3rd tank (180, 125, and 90G) a friend of mine has invited me to a frag swap this weekend (My 1st one) and I am certain I will be coming home with something that will die if I don't upgrade my lights.
Here lies my troubles - I have been told to try and get 2.5 or better watts per gallon - but after reading through different threads I keep seeing where "This type of bulb is brighter than that type of bulb" ect ect leading me to belief that the 2.5 or better rule might not be true

As I understand it Power compact (PC) lights are expensive and need frequent changing and are not the most efficient.
T5 lights are a happy middle ground in that they are nearly as expensive to set up as PC's but require less bulb changes - though they are brighter than PC's as well (dose this mean that you need less watts for the same size tank

T8 bulbs are regular old florescent lights (What I have now hanging over my tanks (2 bulbs on both my 125 and 90 and 4 over my 180). As I recall each tube is like 23 watts.
Lastly is MH - these (from what I have seen) are clearly out of my price range right now and likely more than over kill for beginner corals that I would be attempting to raise.......
So here is my question, What kind of wattage should I be looking at/for - I am thinking I will put anything I get in the 125g tank as it is the most established and I really hate the lighting set up that is over it currently anyway. Its 6' by 18' deep and 23"(?) tall.
I wish I knew what kind of stuff I might be coming home with but I really have no clue - easier stuff to care for
maybe a leather or some zoo's?
Thanks in advance for any guidance in this

~TbcSEOD
Your correct in saying that you can't really go by the 2.5 or more per gallon rule. PCs arent that expensive for the fixture but they do get costly with the frequent bulb changes. T-5s would be probably be the cheapest route due to bulb changes but they are a bit expensive for a good fixture. You would want to get a fixture with individual reflectors such as a Aquatinics, TEK or Nova Extreme Pro. They also produce very little heat. For MH they would not be overkill at all for easy corals and would allow you to keep whatever you want with the right setup. They give off a shimmering look in the tank which is what they are known for, but produce much more heat than t-5s. It all really comes down to personal preference and your budget. In the end, t-5s are cheaper, but do not look the same at Metal halides.
 
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