Adding T5?

[Roy 9121]

I have a 55 gallon reef tank with mostly LPS and soft corals. My current lighting is a Aqua Illuminations Hydra 52 LED system. I've been thinking of trying to add some SPS and was wondering if i should add a T5 lighting fixture?

 

[mcarroll]

Is that a 55 Gallon, as in 48"x12" footprint?

If so, sell or repurpose the Hydra (which is just a bad fit for a long, narrow tank) and invest in LED strips for this tank.

Look at light like the Current USA Orbit Pro and Orbit IC as well as GHL LIghtbar2. (Just two brands out of the many options.)

 

[Roy 9121]

Is that a 55 Gallon, as in 48"x12" footprint?

If so, sell or repurpose the Hydra (which is just a bad fit for a long, narrow tank) and invest in LED strips for this tank.

Look at light like the Current USA Orbit Pro and Orbit IC as well as GHL LIghtbar2. (Just two brands out of the many options.)

No, my tank is 36"x15" and 24" deep

 

[mcarroll]

Hm. 15" is still pretty narrow to try and service with a single light....

"Ideal" mounting height for a fixture with 90º lenses would be about 7.5" off the tank.

This avoids dumping large quantities of light outside the tank, but effectively only lights about half to two-thirds of the tank.

You would be much better off with multiple smaller Hydra's.

In terms of switching, only the Orbit Pro can really get the 24" depth you have, and I'd suggest two of them.

Only one if you are going to add on to the Hydra vs switching.

Having said all that, let me take a step back.....

Do you use a light meter so you actually know how much light you're putting in your tank now?

If not, stop what you're doing and get a light meter right now.

At minimum, a lux meter like the "LX-1010B" I use is only about $15, delivered, and works quite well.

If you can swing a PAR meter, so much the better. But don't go without!

After you order something (and while you wait on shipping), you can also download a free lux meter app to your smartphone to play with.

Not all apps are 100% compatible with every smartphone camera, so do a little experimentation to make sure you're getting good readings before you start assuming anything. (i.e. measure a known quantity like sunlight)

Sorry this post reads like a giant list.

 

[reefwiser]

Yes just buy you a good T5 fixture with Coral+ and Blue+ bulbs and you will be just fine and you will make your life simple and happy. No need for a Par meter with T5's no settings to adjust just concentrate on keeping your water chemistry good.

 

[mcarroll]

A PAR meter isn't a requirement, but I wouldn't reef at all without some kind of light meter.

A lux meter costs about as much as lunch, so there's really no excuse to do without.

 

[Roy 9121]

Hm. 15" is still pretty narrow to try and service with a single light....

"Ideal" mounting height for a fixture with 90º lenses would be about 7.5" off the tank.

This avoids dumping large quantities of light outside the tank, but effectively only lights about half to two-thirds of the tank.

You would be much better off with multiple smaller Hydra's.

In terms of switching, only the Orbit Pro can really get the 24" depth you have, and I'd suggest two of them.

Only one if you are going to add on to the Hydra vs switching.

Having said all that, let me take a step back.....

Do you use a light meter so you actually know how much light you're putting in your tank now?

If not, stop what you're doing and get a light meter right now.

At minimum, a lux meter like the "LX-1010B" I use is only about $15, delivered, and works quite well.

If you can swing a PAR meter, so much the better. But don't go without!

After you order something (and while you wait on shipping), you can also download a free lux meter app to your smartphone to play with.

Not all apps are 100% compatible with every smartphone camera, so do a little experimentation to make sure you're getting good readings before you start assuming anything. (i.e. measure a known quantity like sunlight)

Sorry this post reads like a giant list.

I think I'm in good shape for what i have now. Plenty of coverage, everything is doing great. I just don't know if the LEDs are sufficient for Acropora or other SPS. That's why I'm considering the T5 addition.

 

[mcarroll]

If you're happy with the investment and aesthetics, then yes, you're fine for stony corals, generally speaking.

What you need though, is a light meter so you can gauge where the bright areas are vs the dim areas. So ditto post #6.

You will see dramatically different levels under the fixture vs the edges of the tank.

 

[Roy 9121]

If you're happy with the investment and aesthetics, then yes, you're fine for stony corals, generally speaking.

What you need though, is a light meter so you can gauge where the bright areas are vs the dim areas. So ditto post #6.

You will see dramatically different levels under the fixture vs the edges of the tank.

I agree, I'm looking at par meters now.