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Post by lindsey1984 on Jan 5, 2013 19:36:46 GMT -5
Hello All,
I was just curious what you would all recommend for lighting for my 55 gal tank for growing corals. What is too little and what is too much when it comes to wattage, t5 t8 t10 ect when you're looking for your tank? I figured this would be a good topic for not only myself but for many others as well. Thank you!
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Post by lindsey1984 on Jan 5, 2013 20:37:59 GMT -5
I've also seen other lighting like metal halide, ive seen grow lights is there anything I should know about that? Are these kinds of lights sufficent I've seen lights on ebay that people use as their aquarium lights but they look like maybe outside lights to light a parking lot? Any thoughts on this or recommendations? Thanks again  |
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Post by scoobnoob on Jan 5, 2013 22:10:53 GMT -5
You want to pay attention to the spectrum of light and aim for 10000k (white) and 14000-20000k blue. Some of the others are good for algea growth a 6500k is awesome for sumps but probably wouldn't want it over your tank. I prefer the 14000k because I like how it makes the coral glow and the blue isnt too much.
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Jan 6, 2013 10:34:13 GMT -5
I've had the best overall colors and growth using a 14,000k spectrum. 10,000k with some supplemental actinic lighting like LED, T5 or VHO will make the colors pop and still give really great growth from the white 10k bulbs as well. I use two, 250 watt 14k metal halides over my 4ft 120 gallon. A couple 150w or 175w halides would be more than enough to grow basically anything photosynthetic that you could want. A four bulb T5 setup or even a higher output power compact setup would work great too. Theres a ton on great LED setups on the market as well that many people seem to really like as well.
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Post by gotareef on Jan 6, 2013 11:22:09 GMT -5
it basically depends on what you can afford. you need to figure total cost of the light.
6 bulb t5 fixture $225 for fixture 324w and $200 for bulbs every 8-10 months
2x150w mh with 2xt5 actinics $250 for fixture 408w about $150 for bulbs every year
led 2x120w (for a 55g the lights would be dimmed down to around 60% so about 75w each) $360 for 2 fixtures 240w and new fixture 5-10 years
most go with led because of cost. and if you get a bigger tank you can just turn up the power on the lights instead of buying a new fixture
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Post by lindsey1984 on Jan 6, 2013 11:33:15 GMT -5
Thank you all SO much! I really had no clue what to even look for!
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Jan 6, 2013 11:37:00 GMT -5
I get my 250w halides for $55 each. Usually can get a 10% off deal on them too, so I pay right around $100 a year just for bulbs. So not too bad really.
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Post by oceangirl2009 on Jan 6, 2013 12:56:36 GMT -5
I switched to LEDs because I didn't want to deal with changing bulbs every 8 months (which depending on what you are using adds up quite a bit!). I figured for the cost of changing out 3 bulbs, I could buy an LED fixture and then not worry about changing bulbs ever again. I did quite a bit of research this summer before pulling the trigger in September, and no matter what you look up there is no one consensus. Many people prefer T5s, some metal halides, and others LEDs and you'll find everyone has valid arguments for each type. So I would suggest reading up on each and deciding what you prefer.
For arguments sakes, I bought my LEDs from reefbreeders.com, they have excellent reviews and a 2 year warrantee on their products. They were also very helpful in helping me to choose the right fixture for my tank and it was cheaper than building it myself so you can't argue with that!
Good luck with your research!
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Jan 6, 2013 13:17:03 GMT -5
I've been debating on trying LED's but we'll see how some of the new fixtures last over the next couple years before I decide. Plus the technology is changing so much lately. The three units I'm definitely interested in though are the AI vega's, the maxspect razors and the ecotech radions. Its just like buying a new truck though, they all have their pros and cons. Hardest part is finding what works best for you.
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Post by gotareef on Jan 6, 2013 13:33:54 GMT -5
I will say +1 for the reefbreeders lights if these were around when I built mine ($120 each) I would have bought them the nice looking fixture and warranty is worth the $50 compared to building them yourself
also if you spend the extra $$ you can have them controllable by an apex to get the extra features the more expensive led units have. like thunder storm settings, 365 day daylight and moonlight cycles........
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Post by lindsey1984 on Jan 7, 2013 18:07:43 GMT -5
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Post by simplymaineseaglas on Jan 7, 2013 19:40:14 GMT -5
I currently have that fixture.... just remember that added to the cost of the fixture, you're going to need to replace the bulbs right off the bat. The bulbs it comes with are bottom of the line and are going to create an algae issue for you.
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Post by lindsey1984 on Jan 7, 2013 20:16:06 GMT -5
ugh, really?! How much would that cost? Man I just want an affordable light good enough for corals! *sigh*
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Post by simplymaineseaglas on Jan 7, 2013 20:52:26 GMT -5
It was between $20-$27 per bulb... it depends on which brand and type of bulbs you choose.
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Post by gotareef on Jan 8, 2013 9:13:00 GMT -5
$190 for the light $150 for new bulbs for $20 more you would have 2 led fixtures sitting over your tank and never have to replace bulbs
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