58 gal + 4 bulb Tek II. add 2 x 70Mh or 2x T5 (1 Viewer)

[Metzzen]

I had a 30 gal setup before Ike and since Ike decided to make me build a new tank....I am ................ I had a 36" tek II 4 bulb before and loved it. Now I purchased a 58 gal from a board member (thanks B) and I want to add a little more lighting to the tank since it is 18" deep (front to back) instead of 12". It is also a bit deeper. Tank will be a mixed reef, softies, LPS, SPS just as it was before.

____________________________I have 2 different Ideas here. ___________________________

1. Use 2 x 70MH's I have laying around to shine on the top of the two "islands" of liverock that will be in the tank. These positioned along the back wall, above the highest part of the "islands" All SPS will be directly under the MH's with the T5's supplyin light for the rest of the tank. Water depth above islands will be between 6-8 inches so the 70W's would be enough I think. Color temp for the bulbs is a completely different matter but either 20K or 14K or somewhere in between. These would be on a 8-10 hours light sched.

2. K.I.S.S. and just add a 2 bulb T5 fixture to the added 6" of depth. I have to buy 2 MH bulbs, or a T5 fixture so I will spend the same either way. This may be the obviously "easier way" but my SPS REALLY responded well to the MH in the past, more so then the did to my t5's.

A few added tid bits. I know t5's are more efficient, bulbs last longer, make less heat, take up less space, and are cheap but as stated before...SPS love metal halides. Also the tank is drilled with a center overflow. If I used the MH I wouldnt have to worry about lighting spilling into the overflow so algea woudlnt be a problem. With the T5's, there would be alot of light in there and I would either have a lot of algea growth in there, or have to build a lid, or have a permanent overflow cleanup crew

That being said....what would you do?

 

[Metzzen]

hmmm no replies yet.....

Maybe ill have to just throw the idea around in my head some more. Still havent found a house so I got nothing but time to decide.

 

[Slayer311]

sell the 4 bulb and get the 6bulb version of the tek light so it doesn't look like an after thought?

 

[Metzzen]

Definatly a possibility. thanks for the post

 

[dheinze]

I have only had experience with T5s over my 58 so can't speak a whole lot to the T5 vs MH thing, but I will say that I have 6 T5s over my tank and I never use them all because most of my sps bleach if I do. That being said I usually have to find some shade for lps or soft corals I add which I find pretty limiting. With MH being a point source, I think it might be better for a mixed reef since there will be areas with very little light and areas with a lot of light. In a T5 tank, the only thing you have to play with is depth or shade to reduce light level for low light corals. So...All that to say I think MH with minimal T5 supps might be more versatile... But having never tried it, its all my speculation.

 

[i_am_poor]

I'd def go with T5+ MH but I wouldnt use the 70w for anything but nanos.

 

[Metzzen]

Dheinze: What bulbs were you rinning when your sps got bleached?

I_am_poor:I have been lookin into going 150 instead since half of the cost (bulbs) something ill have to buy either way.

I have also bring thinkin about maybe taking the tek fixture apart, splitting it in two, adding 2 150w mh in then building a custom housing for it all. basically a 4x39w t5 + 2 x 150MH retrofit.

 

[i_am_poor]

Umm please use DIY parts for that. The Tek is too valuable for ripping apart =)

 

[Guest]

Sell me the TEK.

 

[Metzzen]

Ill let you know if I decide to go that route Q