8-Bulb ATI T5 for 180 SPS Reef?

Tft12 · Jul 22, 2018

I have been looking at lighting options for some display rearrangements that I'm doing. I think I've been through all of my LED, MH, and Hybrid options and now I'm looking at T5-only fixtures. Two questions:

1) The tank is 72"x24"x24" and pretty much only SPS. Will a 60" ATI 8-bulb T5 fixture provide enough light for this system? I would probably make LED strip additions far down the road but I would like to know if the 8-bulb ATI fixture alone can support a full tank of SPS with these dimensions.
2) What would be your preferred bulb combination?

joseserrano · Jul 22, 2018

I have a buddy who did this and has great success. Bulb combo will be your personal preference

cracker · Jul 22, 2018

I have been thinking about t5's for my 180 also. I have this same light 48" over the 75 & really like it. As for bulbs I use the ati recommendations .

dragon99 · Jul 22, 2018

Definitely enough light. Since you are only going 24" depth, you can mount the T5 a bit higher and get good spread to the sides.

Bulb combo...so many options. I'm running 3 B+/3 C+. If I have two more slots I'd probably add 2 actinic.

Tft12 · Jul 22, 2018

I have an additional question. In the past when I ran MH or T5 it was on glass tanks. My current tank is acrylic and has only had LEDs over it. I recently purchased a used DE MH fixture for this system and recommendations are to mount MH at least 12" above acrylic tanks due to heat concerns, but because the reflector was so great there was so much light spill that it really made the tank unpleasant to look at (no canopy + high mounted MH with really good reflector --> blasted in the face with a lot of light). So, what is the suggested safe mounting height for an 8-bulb T5 fixture above an acrylic tank?

BoomCorals · Jul 22, 2018

T5 and MH over acrylic is no concern for heat so long as you just run a fan that blows between the tank and light. The one instance I know of where a tank failed happened for many reasons beyond heat from a halide.

Also if you only get a 60” fixture, you lose 6” on either end of the tank where you can keep sps. I’d go two 36” fixtures.

Tft12 · Jul 22, 2018

BoomCorals said:
T5 and MH over acrylic is no concern for heat so long as you just run a fan that blows between the tank and light. The one instance I know of where a tank failed happened for many reasons beyond heat from a halide

I won't have a fan blowing across the top of the tank.

BoomCorals said:
Also if you only get a 60” fixture, you lose 6” on either end of the tank where you can keep sps. I’d go two 36” fixtures.

I had considered that too - 16 bulbs is a lot to change.

jda · Jul 22, 2018

If you can live with the darker ends, then this will work great. I have a 7 foot tank with a 6 foot light (MH) and after a few years it drove me crazy and I purchased clip-on MH for the ends - for me, the halides were already 12" from the end of the 6' foot fixture and you will not have this problem with the T5s. To be fair, the ends will be darker, but only half as dark... you can use this area for some dragons, deep waters and even some montis (if you are into those). There are really nice SPS that can do well with the lower light.

Just can just use a Vornado fan from Home Depot (or the like) in the warm months if it gets bad... just on-off with a light timer will work fine. Even some systems with a lot of LED need some wind across the top... especially with acrylic where the bracing holds in a lot of heat.

If somebody forbid me from using MH over a 180, this is exactly what I would get with probably 2x GE 6500k or other daylight bulb, 2x True Actinic and maybe 4x Blue Plus. I might even get a 10 bulb ATI. I like a lot of light.