Lighting Guru's Need Opinions!!

[hillbillyreefer]

Newb here again. I've been reading about lights forever, the more I read the more confusion ensues. I think what I want to buy are t5ho lights. Don't want to go halide. I know I need individual reflectors and personally I like colors more in the blue spectrum. Thinking one 10k and one 14k bulb. Might even go with a 4 bulb setup I'll listen to your recommendations first.

The tanks this light will go over are first a 24lx17wx12h then it will be moved to a 33 gal, 36lx12wx18h. Soooo, probably 36" fixture,or 30" if recommended by members, overlap will be fine until I get the larger tank setup. Now for the best part, stocking, yup you guessed it, SPS.

Next question where to buy, what brand. If I'm really good the SWMBO said I can make a road trip to Edmonton on the weekend.

Let the discussion begin!!!

Thanks for the help,

Brad

[jasond]

Hi Brad. I am by no means a Guru, but I can offer my two cents. I just recently set up my 60 Gallon (36in wide) and went the T5 route. This is the light I have:

https://diyreef.authsecure.com/shop/...a101a31460a6ab

I am really happy with it so far. I dont have any SPS right now, but from what I have read people do successfully keep SPS with T5. I like this light for the following reasons: Fans for cooling (which are fairly quiet), acrylic lens cover, looks clean, and cheaper to run than MH.

If you are going to keep strictly SPS though, I would imagine it will be suggested to go the MH route. The water shimmer MH gives is awesome, you just have to deal with heat & higher electricity cost. Either way you have a ton of options!

I would go 36in and have some overlapping till you move to your bigger tank.

Anyways thats my experience, hope that helps,

Jason

[sharuq1]

Tagging along. What light people?

[mark]

if you have the patience to read through this thread, it has a couple of opinions on T5 bulb combos

[banditpowdercoat]

Originally Posted by mark

if you have the patience to read through this thread, it has a couple of opinions on T5 bulb combos

Sorry, any chance I could get the 'Cliff Notes'???

[Reefer Rob]

ATI Powermodule

[Nicole8ca]

Originally Posted by jasond

I like this light for the following reasons: Fans for cooling (which are fairly quiet), acrylic lens cover, looks clean, and cheaper to run than MH.

Jason

I often here people say how much cheaper T5's are to run than MH. Is it significant? If anyones able to quantify that for me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Nicole

[Reefer Rob]

Originally Posted by Nicole8ca

I often here people say how much cheaper T5's are to run than MH. Is it significant? If anyones able to quantify that for me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Nicole

Not necessarily cheaper, but a cooler, more even light distribution. The down side is that the light looks flat and unnatural IMO. My last tank was a 72G bowfront with 336W of T5 HO lighting, and I had plenty of light for SPS all the way to the bottom. That same tank would have needed 2- 250W MHs if I went that way, and I don't think I would have had the same light penetration from what I've seen of halides (I now run 400W MH)

Originally Posted by jasond

These lights look awesome, pricey but awesome. If I was to upgrade, that would be the road I would head down!

I'm sure we've all said something like this at some point, and it's a good lesson for someone starting out. We buy something to get us started, only to to have to "upgrade" in the future to be able to get the results we want. Better to buy the good stuff first and save yourself a lot of money.

You might as well know now, this hobby is expensive!

[hillbillyreefer]

Has anyone used the "new" Glo t5ho from Hagen. Not sure if the unit has individual reflectors or not. Not sure on the pricing either. Any comments would be appreciated.

The Tek light looks pretty sweet!!

Thanks for all the links guys. I've been reading bits and pieces of the RC one,
thanks Mark.

Brad

[mark]

Originally Posted by hillbillyreefer

Has anyone used the "new" Glo t5ho from Hagen. Not sure if the unit has individual reflectors or not. Not sure on the pricing either. Any comments would be appreciated.

I picked up a couple of the GLO T5 ballasts used and have no complaints. Then again I have nothing to compare them too plus only using one of them to supplement MH and do dusk/dawn with actinics. The water proof end-caps are nice and hardwired back to the ballast. Have reflectors but weren't part of the GLO but still considering either the TEK2 or Icecap SLR as a little narrower than the one I'm using now (would allow me to add another bank of T5s in my hood). Reflectors though really don't seem an issue as if going the retro route, they just snap directly onto the bulbs and not that bad for price.