Help with upgrading T5’s

[Shilpan Patel]

Hey guys I have a 4 foot long, 105 gallon reef tank.
It has soft corals but I want LPS in future.

Currently for the past 2 years I’ve been running a set of 3x T5 bulbs that came with the tank. (Used to be 4 but last year one socket cracked and I’ve been running on 3).

The aqua one fixture is starting to crack and corrode and I want to get rid of it and upgrade my lighting. The thing is I don’t know anything about lighting, what’s good and what isn’t for Softie and LPS and a tank my size. My tank is deep though it’s 70cm deep.

Any advice on the kind of lighting to look into? I’d prefer something that allows me to keep a lid or a mesh on since I have fish that jump. Also it would be awesome to slowly dim the lights as sunrise and sunset approaches. I don’t like the sudden lights off for my fish to be honest.

All I really know if you can get T5’s and you can also get LEDs

 

[dwest]

Hey guys I have a 4 foot long, 105 gallon reef tank.
It has soft corals but I want LPS in future.

Currently for the past 2 years I’ve been running a set of 3x T5 bulbs that came with the tank. (Used to be 4 but last year one socket cracked and I’ve been running on 3).

The aqua one fixture is starting to crack and corrode and I want to get rid of it and upgrade my lighting. The thing is I don’t know anything about lighting, what’s good and what isn’t for Softie and LPS and a tank my size. My tank is deep though it’s 70cm deep.

Any advice on the kind of lighting to look into? I’d prefer something that allows me to keep a lid or a mesh on since I have fish that jump. Also it would be awesome to slowly dim the lights as sunrise and sunset approaches. I don’t like the sudden lights off for my fish to be honest.

All I really know if you can get T5’s and you can also get LEDs

A hybrid solution might be good. You can put 4 t5 bulbs in now, then later down the road you may or may not add led.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/48-h...MIotiZ8pic3QIV6pztCh1lsQKqEAQYASABEgIPp_D_BwE

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Thank you for your advice I will look into that!

 

[WV Reefer]

Hey guys I have a 4 foot long, 105 gallon reef tank.
It has soft corals but I want LPS in future.

Currently for the past 2 years I’ve been running a set of 3x T5 bulbs that came with the tank. (Used to be 4 but last year one socket cracked and I’ve been running on 3).

The aqua one fixture is starting to crack and corrode and I want to get rid of it and upgrade my lighting. The thing is I don’t know anything about lighting, what’s good and what isn’t for Softie and LPS and a tank my size. My tank is deep though it’s 70cm deep.

Any advice on the kind of lighting to look into? I’d prefer something that allows me to keep a lid or a mesh on since I have fish that jump. Also it would be awesome to slowly dim the lights as sunrise and sunset approaches. I don’t like the sudden lights off for my fish to be honest.

All I really know if you can get T5’s and you can also get LEDs

Definitely check out the Aquaticlife T5 hybrid. You can choose several types of LED lights to add to the fixture. It is very inexpensive compared to most lighting for a tank of that size. You can hang it from the ceiling or from brackets on the back of the stand or wall. I have one on my 4 foot long 75 gallon tank.

 

[Shilpan Patel]

What do people do if they need to keep a lid for jumping fish?

Currently my T5’s which came with my tank are under a lid (aqua one 400 reef starter pack)

 

[WV Reefer]

What do people do if they need to keep a lid for jumping fish?

Currently my T5’s which came with my tank are under a lid (aqua one 400 reef starter pack)

Do you have a lid or a canopy?

Most people use mesh lids to keep jumpers in and let the light through.

 

[Shilpan Patel]

Ohh ok mesh lid. Thanks I vaguely remember a brsTV investigates episode which said something about them NOT stopping too much light.
Time to get the craft scissors out haha!