Light help?

SeymourDuncan · Aug 4, 2012

As far as spectrums and growth rate What light has the most productivity?

400watt metal halide by itself?

OR

4x54w T5 ficture w/ 2xActinics 1x LifeGlow and 1x Power Glo 48inches long

The tank is a 75 Gallon standard size tank.

I have mostly various polyps and xenia, but also a leather mushroom and some red mushrooms that are in my dimly lit refugium thriving.

I have scallops and some oysters embedded in my rock work.

I want to be able to support anything I buy. The good thing is my Rock work allows very good Lighting adjustments as far as things that need shadow, or less light.

I have both fixtures...

The metal halide is huge, its about the size of a football (the bulb) the fixture itself is 18x18inches, so its not a good fit with the T5s.

Thanks

Pappy · Aug 4, 2012

You could prob put the tank next to window and those softies will grow

Jk if you're sticking with soft then t5s will give you great growth and color. Halides are better but as far as color and what not they need to be supplemented with t5 or led for color.

SeymourDuncan · Aug 4, 2012

yeah, I have no way of moving my tank anywa haha. The only sunlight is a beam from the front door window.

The Halide is SO bright. IT makes the best flickering effect I have ever seen in a fish tank. However, you are right, I was not impressed by the coloration.
I swapped it out with the T5s today and HOLY MOLY What a difference! everything is fluorescent green now! even the lion fish looks like a whole other fish.

I Do have a lot of extra boxes of water to experiment with. I may just make a Window powered NANO as an experiment. lol.

I may just use the Halide for my grow out tank. I just moved it into my office and set up the light on a stand...I had it about 2ft above the water in the big tank or else diatom blankets would form over everything.., so i went a little higher on the grow out. Im not worried about aesthetics for these until they need sold, which then they go in the display.

I will keep the t5s for about a week or so before I do anything permanent, thanks a lot.