What factors to consider when lighting a reef tank?

jayjay5531

Member
I have a 36 gal FOWLR but I'm just barely starting to think about reef tanks.
I'm kind of overwhelmed by all the information about each kind of light. What factors do I need to consider? I know it depends on the specific corals I want to keep etc., but in general..?
It seems like important factors are maximizing wattage, getting the right color temperature (K), and minimizing heat. Am I missing anything or is that basically what I'm supposed to look for?
And do you have any guidelines for how I should address those categories? It seems like metal halides are very hot, but they have the most wattage. On the other hand, PCs and fluorescent tubes seem to be in a variety of different color temperatures, but they don't have a high wattage. How do I achieve the optimum balance between all of these considerations?
Sorry for the abstract question. Thanks for your help!
 
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smallreef

Guest
I'd stay away from pc and regular t5 tubes....
My personal favorites are t5 Vho fixtures, LEDs, or MH.... There are pluses and minuses with each option, but those are the top 3 types of fixtures....
 
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smallreef

Guest
It's finding what is best suited for what you want to achieve versus cost...
I went from a really nice 6 bulb t5 fixture to the new evergrow/reefbreeders led units and I love them....
I have a lot of soft corals and lps, and 2 clams.......no sps...though some people do use these fixtures for sps too...
 
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smallreef

Guest
The layout I chose I used 27 whites (3 different k levels), 2 different nm blues for 18 of the LEDs and 3 reds, 4 uv, and 2 green
 
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