Lights 101 ???? (1 Viewer)

[alstang1]

Is there an article around that can help me better understand what would be the best setup for a 75 G tank that will have a moderate to heavy load of corals, as well as a few tangs?

I have Vic, and Eddie helping me try to figure out what I need, but I somethimes understand stuff better after reading it.

I plan on buying/ordering lights this friday or Saturday. Unless I find a hella deal, I will probibally go the DIY route, so that will leave me open to many options.

Thanks in advance for any ideas info, input.

Al

 

[Guest]

Ok, you say corals, but which kind of corals will dominate your tank? This is no coral better than another, so if you wanted a tank full of mushrooms that would be fine, and your lights would be cheap, or if you want one dominated by SPS, you going to need to look at going for the more expensive MH.

If you want mixed, then Devious deal is a good one, I think 175s should be good for a mix tank with the SPS close to the top. If you go with Devious then you might need to get some supplimentation like vho or t5s actinics just incase you like the 10k better than the 20k look.

 

[alstang1]

It will mostly be populated with the ones the wife says..... "wow, Al, that one looks nice. Lets get it"

Al

 

[SeanB]

You may want to check out the Coralife 48" PC 4x65. This would allow you to keep all but the most light hungry corals.

I got mine at Captive Reefs. If you follow the link, they are the ones about at the bottom of the page for $199.00, model LT-ES53106. I've yet to find a better price on these. By the way, if you decide to get your lights there, use the coupon code "AquariumAdvice" for another 6% off.

 

[Guest]

Al, you might want to bring her around and see which way her taste go. I am lucky in that Stefanie actual likes SPS. But likes some LPS and softies to.

 

[FireEater]

It will mostly be populated with the ones the wife says..... "wow, Al, that one looks nice. Lets get it"

Al

Can we please trade wives for like a few week?

Mark

 

[Guest]

If you even remotely think you will want to keep light-demanding corals in the future, go ahead and spring for a metal halide setup. A 75g is not a very tall tank (standard is 20"), so a dual 175w setup would do nicely, and you wouldn't have as many issues with heat or keeping lower light corals. I used to use a 250w DE setup (nearly the same output as a 400w) on my 75 and it was overkill, and the heat was an issue.

If you are going with fluorescents, I would look at T5 or VHO. IMO power compacts (PCs) are not worth messing with - they are inefficient and the bulbs don't last very long. If you are starting from scratch, T5's are the way to go - they are as bright as VHO's but they use less energy and the bulbs last longer. The initial cost is slightly higher, but you will make that up just from the electricity savings alone over the first year.

Another good option is VHO's - tried and true technology, and widely available. My advice would be that if you are buying used, look for a good VHO setup (you won't find much T5 stuff used yet - too new). If you are starting with new equipment though, T5 is the better deal. A 4 bulb VHO setup will run you about $225-250 new, and a 4 bulb T5 setup will run you $330 new, but like I said, you will make up that extra $80 in the first year just in electricity savings, and you replace the bulbs every 24 months instead of 18 months.

 

[Guest]

It will mostly be populated with the ones the wife says..... "wow, Al, that one looks nice. Lets get it"

Al

Can we please trade wives for like a few week?

Mark

I can see it now - The First Annual MARSH Frag and Wife Swap :-o

 

[Guest]

That's to d*** funny.

 

[Guest]

It will mostly be populated with the ones the wife says..... "wow, Al, that one looks nice. Lets get it"

Al

Can we please trade wives for like a few week?

Mark

I can see it now - The First Annual MARSH Frag and Wife Swap :-o

Hey now boys!
Be nice... all wive's have thier good and bad points.. cept me of course.. all good. Ha! Now Hubby's on the other hand..hmmmmmm... any good thier these days?...

It's Me Stefanie!

 

[alstang1]

If you are going with fluorescents, I would look at T5 or VHO. If you are starting from scratch, T5's are the way to go - they are as bright as VHO's but they use less energy and the bulbs last longer. The initial cost is slightly higher, but you will make that up just from the electricity savings alone over the first year.
If you are starting with new equipment though, T5 is the better deal. A 4 bulb VHO setup will run you about $225-250 new, and a 4 bulb T5 setup will run you $330 new, but like I said, you will make up that extra $80 in the first year just in electricity savings, and you replace the bulbs every 24 months instead of 18 months.

Ok looking at the above info, is it possible to do a DIY setup and build a 2 bulb setup for T5, and then in a few months when I have more money, build another 2 bulb setup? If I go that route, what would it cost for each 2 Bulb set?

Thanks

Al

 

[Guest]

you can get t5s indviduals they are under 30 a piece and each has its own ballast (its a all in one setup) refelctor and you can daisy chain them together (if you can find that piece) i have them now but am going back to vho's cuz i dont like the actinics. Aquatic Center has them.
i might sell you some of mine they are only a couple mons old.

 

[Guest]

Ok looking at the above info, is it possible to do a DIY setup and build a 2 bulb setup for T5, and then in a few months when I have more money, build another 2 bulb setup? If I go that route, what would it cost for each 2 Bulb set?

Definitely. You can easily fit up to 6 T5's over a 75g. Each ballast fires 2 bulbs, so the retrofit kits come in pairs. A 2-bulb setup is $169 and a 4-bulb is $329. Shipping is like $8. Here's the best place to buy them from:

http://www.reefgeek.com/products/category_indexes/1-15_lighting_sls_-_t5_retrofits.html

The price includes your choice of bulbs. There are 5 bulbs that are widely available (really there are more, these are just the most popular):

1. ATI 6500K - Daylight bulb made specifically for aquarium use

2. GE 6500K - Cheaper daylight bulb, made for industrial applications, but many people use them for aquariums. They are supposedly a little more green in color than the ATI.

3. ATI Aquablue 11000K - Very nice white bulb with a slightly bluish tint

4. ATI Actinic 03 - the T5 actinics basically suck. I tried 2 and I could barely tell they were on. Supposedly they get better after a few months, but I wasn't that patient, so I switched to the alternative, which is...

5. ATI Blue Plus - a blue bulb that is a very good substitute for the actinic, and fluoresces corals like crazy.

Getting the right mix of bulbs is a tricky thing. When I put together my system, the thinking was that the 6500K bulbs had the most output and would help your growth the most, so I put a couple of them in, and then mixed the rest of the bulbs to offset the yellow cast and give a nice overall appearance. I ended up with 2 of the 6500K, 2 Aquablue 11000K, and 2 Blue Plus.

However, there have been some threads recently on RC saying that this isn't true. Just like the age old debate about 20,000k metal halide bulbs (like the Radium), there now seems to be some indication that the bluer bulbs in fact put out more usable light for the corals, just not in a spectrum we can see well - so they LOOK dimmer, but in fact the corals are getting more light than it appears.

The latest reports from some German reefkeepers (who pioneered the use of T5's) is that the best coral growth is obtained by using 50% Aquablue 11000k bulbs, and 50% Blue Plus. That might be a good place to start with your bulb selection.

 

[alstang1]

I need to know something quickly if so. I HAVE to get SOME kind of lighting on my tank by Sunday. Once I make an initial investment, I am stuck in that direction due to cash. I have found some fair offers thus far, but no heart-stopping offers, so I am still exploring all posibilities.

Al

 

[Guest]

If you're starting from scratch, i'd go MH's and add supplement later (NO, vho, or T5). I don't find T5 to have sufficient output to sustain large growths of sps, but their coverage is a huge advantage... no self-shading issues. Then again, that's the exact reason supplemental was invented.

 

[Guest]

you can get t5s indviduals they are under 30 a piece and each has its own ballast (its a all in one setup) refelctor and you can daisy chain them together (if you can find that piece) i have them now but am going back to vho's cuz i dont like the actinics. Aquatic Center has them.
i might sell you some of mine they are only a couple mons old.

I looked at the ones at Aquatic Center, and they are not T5HO - they are normal output (NO) T5's. The difference is night and day - get the T5HO's from ReefGeek and you won't be disappointed.

Now the actinics I agree are not so good - but did you try the blue plus? They rock - I like them better than the URI Super Actinics. They don't have that purple tint like the URI's, and I have several corals that fluoresce under them that didn't under the URI's.

 

[Guest]

i have 10 t5s on my 75g well 9 one burned out.
you need lighting so bad why? i didnt read all post.
are you doing corals now.

 

[alstang1]

Mike,

After reading the above, it sounds like t5 is not quite as expensive as earlier stated. If I have $250 to play around with, were could I go to get enough of what I need to keep my tank healthy until I get more cash?

My wife wants at lease one light to make her new corals flores, so that is a must. Also she wants seperate switches, and she is the boss.

Any help is appreciated. I will be headed to reefgeeks now to see what I can find, even tho I do not know what to look for.

Al

 

[Guest]

how do i get in touch with him?
i may have a vho set up for sell

 

[Guest]

If you're starting from scratch, i'd go MH's and add supplement later (NO, vho, or T5). I don't find T5 to have sufficient output to sustain large growths of sps, but their coverage is a huge advantage... no self-shading issues. Then again, that's the exact reason supplemental was invented.

Are you saying this from experience, or did you just read it somewhere? The general consensus is that T5 will sustain SPS and even grow a little, but the growth rates will not be near what they will with MH.

I think this guy would disagree with you about T5's and SPS

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=421647