T5 HO Lamps Effective Range???

enomadra

enomadra

Member
Hi,
I am planning on setting up a tank that will be 30" tall. I have tried almost all the light options their are out their except for MH and T-5. I know I like the look of the PC lights and that I don't like the look of VHO. I am told that the PC lights will not penetrate a 30" tank enough for me to keep anything I want in the tank. VHO is out because I can't stand the look the lights give off, and I am not planning on running a chiller or I would go with MH lights. So my question is will 4 - 54 watt T5 lights with reflectors running on an ICE CAP 660 ballast (I am told this over drives the lights to run more at 80watts per light) be able to penetrate my 30" tank so I can keep all my coral and inverts healthy?
If not do you have any suggestions?
Animals to be kept:
1. Rose Bubble Tip Anemone
2. White Sebae Anemone
3. Frog Spawn
4. Hammer Coral (Branch)
5. Goniopora
6. Plate Coral
7. Bubble Coral
8. Open Brain
9. Zoo's
10. Candycane Coral
11. Mushrooms
12. Star Polyps
Thanks for your help,
Mike
 
007

007

Active Member
Items 1, 2 wont make it because their wouldnt be enough light. 5 just won't make it no matter what light you put it under.
 
007

007

Active Member
after a more careful look at the list, the plate would be out as well because it would have to go on the bottom of the tank, and the T5 just wont penetrate th water enough to get sufficient light at the bottm. Anything with a calcerous skelton would have to be placed at the top of the tank. Anything placed at the bottom of the tank would have to be a soft coral and would probably not do very well.
The only lighting that will do well on a 30" tank is MH.
 
nas19320

nas19320

Active Member
I ran T5's for a while and kept every category of coral, Softies, LPS, and SPS's. I finally went with MH as I really wanted to do more SPS's.
 
enomadra

enomadra

Member
OK one more question:D I got this tank for free so I am trying to make this work, so what if I did a 6" sand bed to make the distance to the bottom 24"?
 
007

007

Active Member
It would help, but not really all that much.
Why don't you want MH again? Heat is not going to be an issue at all if you have it set up properly. All it takes is a little planning and foresight and you will be just fine and never question if your corals are getting enough light.
 
enomadra

enomadra

Member
Yea Heat was one of the big factors, plus I am trying to keep the monthly cost down (power bill) I figure if I go MH I will need the two MH plus two T5 for Actintic 03. I would be at 608 watts :scared: . Where as if I can get away with the T5 only lights I will be at 320watts (that is assuming that I over drive the 54 watt T5's with my ICE CAP 660 Ballast), much easier on the pocket booke each month.:D If it is going to be an issue with the tank that I have I will sell it and get one that is only 24" tall. I don't want my corals to be starving for light because they are down too deep:happyfish
 
enomadra

enomadra

Member
OK I can accept that. So now how about this. Would running two of the double ended MH lights 150watts each with two 96 watt PC actinic lights work better than the T5 setup I was going for? And all of the lights , 150watt MH and 96 watt PC would have mirror reflectors.
I thought I heard that the double ended MH bulbs would give more penitration throught the water:notsure:
 
007

007

Active Member
You would be able to keep almost anything you wanted, and never have to worry about lighting.
I think that is great setup . . . the only thing that I would do differently is use either T5 or VHO instead of the PC. You will get MUCH better coloration with those than with PC.
 
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