Need Help Choosing a Lighting Solution

[Myka]

PFO was the first to offer a "high-end" fixture touting LEDs as the primary light source in 2004 I believe it was. The only thing high-end about those fixtures was the price, and that ended up being a big fail which ultimately led to bankruptcy for PFO. As far as I know, PFO still carries the broad patent and collects royalties from all the manufacturers we are buying from now. Not a bad deal in the long run.

Anyway...

Does your 65 have a center brace? If so, a single halide will create a terrible shadow.

My LPS/Zoa reef is 36x18x18" and I have to keep low PAR bulbs in the 4x39 watt fixture or I will bleach several of the LPS. Two bulbs run for 12 hours and the other two only run for 4 hours. LPS really don't need a lot of light, but many do need a lot of time to acclimate to high lighting situations. Many of my LPS used to reside in my 90-gallon tank (24" deep) where they had 2x250 watt halides. I was always cramming the LPS into the low(er) light areas and always fighting bleaching where the halides got them too much. I finally gave up and gave them a low light tank of their own. Keeping LPS/softies in a different tank than SPS is much, much easier than trying to keep them both in the same tank. Lots of people keep LPS under halides successfully, but my point is that it can actually be done easier with less light (less electricity). Another thing to think about is that SPS grow quite fast (so do many softies), and LPS generally grow slowly in comparison. There are definitely significant exceptions on both sides. My point is, fast growing SPS will be growing out of your 65-gallon tank in no time, and if SPS is really where you end up then chances are you will be looking at an upgrade when the bug really starts to get you.

For all these reasons, and all the ones I've already listed I think you should keep this tank with the KISS method (keep it simple silly) and see where your reef dreams take you. What you plan now tends to change over time. 5 years ago I said I never wanted a "high maintenance SPS tank" ever again, and look where I am now! If you stick with LPS and softies then a 6x39 watt T5 fixture could keep you quite happy for years and years and years (and you could place SPS at the top too if you wanted). If you really get into SPS you could keep the 65 the way it is and buy a second tank for an SPS tank where you could go hardware silly. I think in the next 2 years of reef keeping you're going to learn a lot, and you will get preferences that you will want to put into your next tank. Newbies tend to either get out of the hobby completely or upgrade within the first year or two.

I would also suggest that if you go T5 or halides you look in the classifieds as there are lots of good deals floating around and all you miss is a warranty. On all my lighting systems, the only pieces I bought new are the electronic ballasts for my halides because I couldn't find any used ones and I got a good Boxing Day deal. I wouldn't buy LEDs used though - they still have too many hiccups and are too expensive to not have a warranty.