What type of lights??

[rutz15]

I was wondering what kind of lighting i would need to keep about anything in my tank if i wanted it....
i have a 55 gallon that is 48" long 22" deep and 12.5" wide
i would like to keep anything in the tank so i wouldnt have to worry about the corals i keep and i want to keep it relatively cheap because i dont have much to work with im 17 years old and my hole tank is self funded
thanks for the help

 

[acrylic51]

What's your budget??? Are you a DIYer? MH or T5 best bang for the buck.....Depends if you like to have fun.....

 

[rutz15]

i want the cheapest costing lights.....but i also want to keep any coral i want to...
shane

 

[acrylic51]

Are you a DIY type?

 

[rutz15]

whats that mean? lol

 

[acrylic51]

Sorry....meaning are you good with your hands??? You can get MH kits and parts and put it together and save yourself some cash instead of buying those big fancy complete units.....I like building myself......Either way T5's or MH are a good choice IMO.....

 

[rutz15]

how much do you think T5 would cost and how much wattage would it take to keep any coral i want in there

 

[rutz15]

Bump

 

[acrylic51]

Sorry T5's on good quality reflectors and such really not sure never priced them out....I know Icecap and I think SLS makes some of the best reflectors for T5's....not sure what the Icecap ballast would set you back as well....Again certain things are worth spending the extra cash on just because of customer service IMO....

 

[dawman]

Originally Posted by acrylic51
What's your budget??? Are you a DIYer? MH or T5 best bang for the buck.....Depends if you like to have fun.....

Hi , I`m looking to upgrade my lighting . I`m layed off right now and will be for about a month so cheaper the better for me but also want a good setup . I`m interested in the DIY as you mentioned .Also thought about T-5 , but not sure . I don`t know exactly the amount of wattage I will need . Any help will be greatly appreciated .

 

[matt819]

for a nice t5 retro setup with individual reflectors it's $300+, not much over that. Depending on if you go with sunlight supply (cheaper) or icecap (little pricier). The best thing to do is to get the sunlight supply unit with the icecap reflectors. This way you aren't overdriving the bulbs with the icecap ballasts, so they last longer, but still getting the increased output from the icecap slr reflectors. I think that about sums that up. I wish I could post a link to a website for you, but I can't!

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by Rutz15
i want the cheapest costing lights.....but i also want to keep any coral i want to...
shane
Sorry, but being able to keep any coral you want to and cheap don't really go together. The lights are one thing, but you also have to factor in test kits, supplements, etc, plus the costs of the corals themselves, which aren't real cheap. If I were you, I'd either get rid of the big tank and get a small Aquapod or something similar, which will have everything you need, or get a power compact setup and just focus on soft corals for the time being.