Lighting Guru's Need Opinions!!

[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

[nikon187]

36" 4 or 6 bulb Tek light

[jasond]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

ATI Powermodule

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

[albert_dao]

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!

Too bad they are a myth :P

[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!