New 125g reef....Question about t5 lighting

[bacatit]

Hi everyone,
Just getting back into reefs....aquired a 125g w/ stand and canopy from craigslist at an incredible price! Decided on doing a reef. The tank came with 2 coralife twin t5 fixtures. How many tubes will I need to be able to keep the corals thriving? I want to have a mixed reef, maybe a giant clam and all different types of corals. Thanks.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Eight, minimum over a 125, I would believe. DIY retrofit kits are some of the best ways to go if you already have a canopy and are handy with some tools.
You could consider getting two Photon 32 LED units from ReefBreeders as well. They are not overly expensive for the quality and features. Most people are going LED now when it comes to lighting. Eight T5 bulbs will run you $240 a year, plus the cost of running 454w of light at least eight hours a day. LEDs run cool and they use less wattage for the amount of PAR they put out.
Anyways, just something to consider.

 

[acrylic51]

Are 125's 4' or 6' tanks......

 

[snakeblitz33]

A 120 stanard i believe is a four foot tank. A 125 standard is a six foot tank. At least in my neck of the woods.

 

[acrylic51]

Just curious.....Would need more than 2 of those units for coverage.......

 

[bacatit]

So the 2 photon 32 would give me enough lighting to keep whatever I wanted as far as photo synthetic corals

 

[snakeblitz33]

From what i have heard and seen from other aquarists, yes. I also talked to Logan personally at Reefbreeders and he also vouched for the results and gave me recommendations for my own system.
Acrylic, i said two. I dont understand the question.

 

[acrylic51]

Sorry might have had 2 many when I posted that, but I thought you said earlier that 1 unit......My mistake Seth......