Coral lights

[sfin52]

Which is better

They both work great t5 will cost less but you will have to change bulbs once a year.

 

[Redandluvenit]

They both work great t5 will cost less but you will have to change bulbs once a year.

Gotcha

 

[sfin52]

You will want something like this and than change bulbs out with a reefing bulb like ATI.

These are the type of bulbs.

Search results for: '' - Bulk Reef Supply

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Its going to be around 200 for the whole set up and you'll be up and running.

 

[sfin52]

You will want something like this and than change bulbs out with a reefing bulb like ATI.

These are the type of bulbs.

Search results for: '' - Bulk Reef Supply

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Its going to be around 200 for the whole set up and you'll be up and running.

@Eagle_Steve @fishguy242 2 or 4 bulb set up?

 

[Redandluvenit]

 

[fishguy242]

hi, sorry have to be quick, hydroponic 4 bulb t 5 ,2 switch, can use 2 of the 5700 k that come with at start , need 2 blue bulbs, will come back here soon...

 

[Redandluvenit]

Don't have the plastic decor in it anymore

 

[GARRIGA]

Cost effective option is make the interior shallower by either adding more rocks to get the more light hungry corals near the top or place large ledge type rocks on the bottom and elevate the existing rocks. Acros on top. LPS in the middle and softies on the bottom as an example. Each specific coral has a range but trying to illuminate across 12” from the surface going to require considerably more wattage than 6”. For example

Light requires four times the power every time you double the distance. The reverse works exactly the same. Why many coral tanks are only 16-20” tall.

BRSTV goes nerd to the max on PAR and placement. Good learning source. Might even see lights you might want.

 

[fishguy242]

hi,can you hang a 12"x48"x 2 1/2" fixture ,
also would give t-5 a year unless a bad burn bulb "blackened" end .
grow house fixture 2 switch, 140? 2 new actinic bulbs 40$...

 

[Eagle_Steve]

hi,can you hang a 12"x48"x 2 1/2" fixture ,
also would give t-5 a year unless a bad burn bulb "blackened" end .
grow house fixture 2 switch, 140? 2 new actinic bulbs 40$...

Or if a more daylight look is needed. You can do the 6500k that come with it, a blue plus and a coral plus. Give about a 10000k look.

 

[Jedi1199]

My advice here is this, based on personal experience. Don't go cheap here. Get a good quality light with decent controls.


I started off with an LED strip light (orbit marine 48") it barely gave enough light to see the fish. Then I got a couple black box setups. They were better, but they only had a basic on/off function and very little control over color (only blue and white and honestly the white could never be dialed back enough).

I finally invested in quality. 2 Kessil a360x tuna blues. These lights are a Godsend. They are fully programable, have 6 different color spectrums to work with, have a "ramp up/down" feature as well as moonlight, stormlight, and many other features. My tank has EXPLODED in growth since adding these lights! Including SPS corals, which in the past I had zero luck with. They will last years and for around $1100 for a pair (which is all you need for your tank), well worth the investment.

 

[Jekyl]

I have Kessil on my tank and still recommend T5. They are plug and play. No spending hours/days trying to figure out the best settings. Too high, too low blah blah blah. T5 you get better coverage, no shading and don't have to wonder if your settings are correct.

 

[Jedi1199]

I have Kessil on my tank and still recommend T5. They are plug and play. No spending hours/days trying to figure out the best settings. Too high, too low blah blah blah. T5 you get better coverage, no shading and don't have to wonder if your settings are correct.

You also have no control. On/off. Sorry, that does not work for me.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

About$150 ish

Look at the Fluval Marine 3.0 44"-46"
It should be close to your price range and good for softies and leathers.

If possible, get the Noopsyche K7 V3 140w when they go on sale. Good light and worth the cost.

 

[MaxTremors]

You also have no control. On/off. Sorry, that does not work for me.

I also think that the need to replace bulbs is being undersold. They really do need to be replaced every 9 months, yes you can do it every 12, but you will see some light degradation. The point is, in the long run, T5s are just as, if not more expensive than a middle of the road LED solution. You also have to account for the aesthetics of T5s, not everyone wants a hydroponics fixture in their living room. I’m not saying to not consider T5s, they’re a great option, but you have to weigh the long term costs. Also, and this isn’t important to some people and some don’t like it, but do you want shimmer?

 

[Redandluvenit]

I'm thinking more of a led

 

[Jedi1199]

I also think that the need to replace bulbs is being undersold. They really do need to be replaced every 9 months, yes you can do it every 12, but you will see some light degradation. The point is, in the long run, T5s are just as, if not more expensive than a middle of the road LED solution. You also have to account for the aesthetics of T5s, not everyone wants a hydroponics fixture in their living room. I’m not saying to not consider T5s, they’re a great option, but you have to weigh the long term costs. Also, and this isn’t important to some people and some don’t like it, but do you want shimmer?

This is a VERY good point. One of my other hobbies is carnivorous plants. I run t-5's over my indoor plants. Every time I change bulbs, i see a noticeable setback in ALL of my plants. The instant boosted intensity of new bulbs vs. old ones in undeniable. I have never run fluorescents over my reefs, but I imagine the results would be similar. The shock of new, higher intensity bulbs, (old vs new) would be similar.

 

[sfin52]

Look at the Fluval Marine 3.0 44"-46"
It should be close to your price range and good for softies and leathers.

If possible, get the Noopsyche K7 V3 140w when they go on sale. Good light and worth the cost.

I've had those t5ho is soooo much better and she would need 2 of the almost $550

This is a VERY good point. One of my other hobbies is carnivorous plants. I run t-5's over my indoor plants. Every time I change bulbs, i see a noticeable setback in ALL of my plants. The instant boosted intensity of new bulbs vs. old ones in undeniable. I have never run fluorescents over my reefs, but I imagine the results would be similar. The shock of new, higher intensity bulbs, (old vs new) would be similar.

Its not. I've never had problems swapping bulbs 2 one week 2 the next not that big of a deal.

 

[sfin52]

Look at the Fluval Marine 3.0 44"-46"
It should be close to your price range and good for softies and leathers.

If possible, get the Noopsyche K7 V3 140w when they go on sale. Good light and worth the cost.

Those are good lights and I've catch on sale a good bargain. I have 3 on my 120 Still well over 150 price point.

 

[Jedi1199]

The SmartFarm LED lights are decent "lower cost" option. They have good controllability, and work well on my BioCube 32.

I think the mounting hardware is cheap and flimsy compared to the Kessil's. There is no way to control more than one light from the same source. Each light must be set up individually. This may be a plus or minus depending on your situation. The Kessils are wifi controlled and are linked together so I can run both lights identically from the phone app.

The SmartFarm lights are not linkable in that way. Each is individual. This may be a plus if you wish to integrate different intensities in different areas of the tank. The Kessils have that option, but you have to play with the control settings a bit to achieve that.