Newbie help on lighting

oldenred

oldenred

New Member
I am new to this and slowly getting my system ready. One thing that I am not sure about is how much light I will need. My tank is a 80 gallon, 4' L x 17.5" W x 20" D. I plan on putting T5 lighting on it and have a variety of corals and fish. Will 4 bulbs 48" be enough for this? If so should I do 2 blue and 2 white or what is the best aproach to this?
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Hey there!
Best approach...take things slow and do your homework. Sounds like you're on the right track with that. When deciding on lighting for your system it's a good idea to visualize the end goals of what you want your tank to be. Fish only system or Reef tank? Fish only systems don't require much light at all so it's more about personal taste. Reef tanks can be another story and the types of reef systems you're going for is really what you'll want to figure out before you make a purchase. Hard coral tanks require the most light, mixed reef systems and soft coral tanks you can generally get away with a little less.
So my question to you would be, what are your goals for your system?
Oh and welcome to the site, BTW!
 
oldenred

oldenred

New Member
I am planning for a reef tank system with a mix of everything that can be compatible. Some hard corals, soft corals anemones ect. I have been doing a lot of homework on those things and think I have a fair grasp on it but I am still a long way until I get to actually put fish in the tank and start building it up. Mainly I want a TON of vibrant and brilliant colors. Just not real sure on how much light I need and the best colors to bring the best color for the tank and healty life of the system. Thanks.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Cool.
A 4 bulb T5 set up might be a little bit too limiting for what you're wanting to do. You may want to consider looking into a 6-8 bulb T5 set up that has individual reflectors for each bulb. That's going to give you the higher intensities for some of the hard corals and anemones. LED lighting is another good option, but quality LED lighting is by far what I'd consider cheap right now. Metal Halide is always a good option and a metal halide/T5 combo fixture can also produce great color and growth as well. Each type of lighting can have their own particular draw backs or benefits.
 
oldenred

oldenred

New Member
Being that my tank is only 17.5" wide it will only fit 6 bulbs and that's only leaving an inch on each side of it. So I will have to look into that option. LED is out of my price range for time being and I am trying to avoid having to buy a chiller which is why I am trying to stay away from MH. What colors and how many of each should I get, space em every other one? Or keep it one solid color?
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Yeah, you should be able to fit pretty much any 6 bulb T5 fixture on your tank. This would give you the ability to run more of a variety of bulbs to get a wider range of color out of your tank.
Most folks choose to run a combination of blues and whites. Some of the nicer looking tanks with run blues, whites and maybe throw in another bulb that gives off a purple or pinkish color which helps make certain colors really pop.
I know there are some lighting guru's here that may be able to advise a really good color combination. Hoping they will chime in here for you soon.
 
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