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Lighting a 60" x 30" tank (1 Viewer)

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Erin

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Need ideas for lights. Tank is 5 ft long, 30" wide, and 18" tall. It has 2 glass braces across the top (front to back)

Tank will be mostly LPS/
mushrooms.

I'd prefer to use T5's or T5/led hybrid and might need to go with 3 smaller fixtures placed front to back (e.g. three 24" AquaticLife hybrids).

I do already have an ATO Sunpower 60" 8 bulb fixture but worry that I'll have too much light spill at the ends and not enough coverage in the front and back.

I won't have a canopy so DIY lighting really isn't an option.

Ideas/advice about specific lights and mounting options appreciated.

TIA! :)

Edit: Even though I'd prefer to use T5's, I'm also open to all-LED options
 
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Regg

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I would add some led bars to the t5 since you have them already and you like t5
 
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Erin

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I would add some led bars to the t5 since you have them already and you like t5
Have you had a 5 foot tank with a 5 foot fixture? Was there a lot of light spill?
 

RR-MAN

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T5 and led good option - if you are worried about light spill You can build an aluminum housing and skin it with wood hanging canopy ( all found at HD).

You can hang it with some simple hooks from Home Depot should not weight too much. Mine was 8 ft by 4 ft so it was hanging from joists. 😊
 

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Erin

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T5 and led good option - if you are worried about light spill You can build an aluminum housing and skin it with wood hanging canopy ( all found at HD).

You can hang it with some simple hooks from Home Depot should not weight too much. Mine was 8 ft by 4 ft so it was hanging from joists. 😊
Thanks. But I can see from your picture that your light fixture is not as long as the tank... That's the part I'm concerned about with the 60" T5 I have.
I'll figure something out. Probably start with what I have and upgrade if needed.

The 8 bulb 60" ATI weighs 35 pounds...
 

webster1234

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I think you have the perfect light. A 60" bulb is only 57" long. I run the dimmable T5 8 bulb fixtures and love them. I have two 4' fixtures over an 8' tank that is 36" wide. If they made the same fixture in a 10 bulb, I would buy them in a heartbeat. I feel like I lose a little par from front to back. And there's no spillover or whatever you are calling it to speak of in my opinion. If yours isn't the dimmable, you might consider one of those as I love the sunrise/sunset affect. You won't get the hyperviolet pop and crazy colors that you get from the LED's but I can assure you, T5 will sure grow some coral, especially LPS.

I'm pretty confident my LPS wouldn't be this size under LED's.
tank today.JPG
 
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Erin

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I think you have the perfect light. A 60" bulb is only 57" long. I run the dimmable T5 8 bulb fixtures and love them. I have two 4' fixtures over an 8' tank that is 36" wide. If they made the same fixture in a 10 bulb, I would buy them in a heartbeat. I feel like I lose a little par from front to back. And there's no spillover or whatever you are calling it to speak of in my opinion. If yours isn't the dimmable, you might consider one of those as I love the sunrise/sunset affect. You won't get the hyperviolet pop and crazy colors that you get from the LED's but I can assure you, T5 will sure grow some coral, especially LPS.

I'm pretty confident my LPS wouldn't be this size under LED's.
tank today.JPG
Thank you! Your tank is amazing :)
 
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