90g lighting

Doug · #1 08-06-2009, 10:59 PM

If your sure sps are not in the future then 6 would be fine. Eight would give you the punch and flexability for other corals. You could always run more bluer bulbs for now. I ran a 6 bulb {not Tek} over my 90 and it was plenty for most all corals, except sps from midway down.

And the are "quiet" because they dont have any active cooling. IMO, I would not run them without some form of cooling fan, even with them having no protective cover shield.

Carmen · #2 08-06-2009, 11:44 PM

I went from a 4 bulb to a 6 and I would think you would find a 4 not quite enough. Adequate if $ is a concern for sure but near the bottom is quite dim. I too do not have SPS but found even some softies did not seem "happiest" at the bottom under 4 bulb. You can see some comparisons in my pic thread although pictures don't seem to really capture the brightness well.
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45688

c_scherer123 · #3 08-06-2009, 11:56 PM

I wasn't aware that they lacked the fans...
*sigh* and here I thought I was close to ordering.

The Odyssea doesn't look bad, but a few reviews give a bad reputation for bursting into flames...

Is there a way to add fans to the Tek? I can get computer fans almost for free, is there a way to add them to the light?

Or can anyone suggest a light fixture which has a fan, is fairly reliable, and doesn't look bad hanging from the ceiling.

Doug · #4 08-07-2009, 01:00 AM

All they need is a fan somewhere blowing down the length of the bulbs. With no cover over the bulbs, this works fine. My friend cooled his 8 bulb Tec this way. Perhaps some dont even fan cool them, if they are hanging in the open??? I would not but maybe others do.

I really like the look of the ATI @ a couple of our sponsors. Thats what I would purchase myself if doing T-5,s again. But then they are much more moola.

Myka · #5 08-07-2009, 01:41 AM

For softies, I would think that a 4-bulb Tek would do the trick for you provided you are careful to pick bulbs with high PAR value. If you really like a bluer look then you may want more bulbs since blue lamps have less PAR. Be sure to replace T5s every 8 months too. I currently have 4 T5s over my 90, and they are only 36" (fixtures from a different tank), and they do a decent job of lighting the tank. I just use them for supplementals so they have blue lamps in them, and even then they are fairly bright.

lorenz0 · #6 08-07-2009, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug

I really like the look of the ATI @ a couple of our sponsors. Thats what I would purchase myself if doing T-5,s again. But then they are much more moola.

ATI is an amazing fixture. The reflectors and ballasts are way better even compared to a modified TEK. Don't get me wrong TEK is still a "good" fixture and you get what you pay for. I am running a TEK right now with dreams of upgrading to a ATI which i wish i purchased in the first place.

Like Myka said a 4 bulb with the right choices in bulbs will be a great option for softies. With my 6 bulb and current bulb choice i would have to hide softies in dark corners just to keep them happy. I even have issues with LPS and they have to be lower in the tank.

Keep in mind, the SPS bug will catch on