please help me with a lighting question

[krazekajin]

I have a LTA in my 29g. I have a 50g that I want to set up. But I do not have MH lights for it. Can I retrofit my canopy with PC or VHO and still keep my anemone alive? Does anybody have one under lights other than MH that is thriving. I want long term success not only a month.
I believe my tank would be 18in deep.

 

[mscarpena]

How many lights are in the canopy that you want to retro fit. If it is a single one then no it would not survive.

 

[krazekajin]

How many do I need.
I have nothing in my canopy right now. I am thinking about adding a retrofit.
What wattage of PCs will allow my LTA to do good?
How many watts of T5 or T8 would I need to allow my LTA to do good?

 

[mscarpena]

Go with 4 VHo's or T5's. Pc light bulb are very expensive and color on them is not as good.

 

[krazekajin]

are vhos or t5s all the same watts? or do I need four bulbs of a specific wattage?
What color or kelvin of the bulbs will help growth on my anemone and possibly later some easy to grow SPS?

 

[mscarpena]

Go with 2 10,000K and 2 actinic. The wattage depends on how long your tank is. 36 inch VHO's are 95 watts and 48 inch are 110. The T5's at 36 are 39 watts and at 48 inches they are 54 watts. I would go with T5's. Cheaper and use less electric saves you on energy bills. I have never used them, but they are supposed to be great. Look on ***************.com and the Finnex fixtures are supposed to be really nice. I think I am going to switch to T5's. Some people I know are getting rid of meatl halides and using T5's for acropora and montipora. Let me know how you like them.

 

[krazekajin]

Thank you Mscarpena for all of your help.
Can someone give me a run down on the difference between t5s and VHOs?

 

[mscarpena]

Check out **************.com and ***************.com. They have some explinations. They are both flourecent fixtures. just different diameter bulbs and different wattage rating. I am told that even though the wattage on the T5's are much lower they produce more light and last 2-3 year before you need a bulb change. I have heard they lose only 5% of there spectrum and intensity over 3 years. I don't know how much I trust that though. I would change ever 18-24 months. I have a coral life PC light that I am going to take apart and make into a T5.