LED light help

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Metrontech

What should I do?

LED or HALIDE?

Well that's going to depend on who you ask

But personal opinion aside, what are you going to keep eventually? Where is the tank and will heat be an issue? If so, how will you deal with the heat issue? Is it a fixture or do you need to build a canopy/hood?

[Metrontech]

So it's in our basement and heat isn't an issue so far

In using a dual Ho T5 right now

I want to keep soft coral:

Leathers
Plate coral
Enenemies
GSP
Currently have Red blasto (growing successfully)
Bubble
Hammer coral

Mike

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Well that's going to depend on who you ask

But personal opinion aside, what are you going to keep eventually? Where is the tank and will heat be an issue? If so, how will you deal with the heat issue? Is it a fixture or do you need to build a canopy/hood?

[reefwars]

prob a bit extreme but your getting the right idea , on 4ft you would need 2 x halides. 250w at the most but 150w would do just fine too.

softies dont need a lot of light to survive but they will grow fast and do quite well under stronger lighting and then your also not limited to what you want to keep (your taste now could change in three years )

[rishu_pepper]

Originally Posted by Metrontech

So it's in our basement and heat isn't an issue so far

In using a dual Ho T5 right now

I want to keep soft coral:

Leathers
Plate coral
Enenemies
GSP
Currently have Red blasto (growing successfully)
Bubble
Hammer coral

Mike

Plate, blasto, bubble, and hammers are not softies, but LPS. Anemone (if enememies ) is not a coral. HTH.

Though I've never used T5HO, I have had experiences with 150w MH and LEDs (Hydra52) and have found the LEDs to be more productive with my corals. JME, YMMV. My new build I'm going back to LEDs, this time with Ecotech Radions.

I used to try to pinch pennies in the hobby but I changed my stance eventually as I want the best for my tank's inhabitants. Not to say you can't keep a tank with a small budget, in fact many are successful with the basics. I'd rather buy once cry once though.