I'm new to the hobby of reef keeping and I have a biocube29 right and I'm ready for an upgrade..I have a 110g. Tall tank so it 48" x 18" x 30".. A 30 g. Sump with a g2 skimmer and mag 9.5 return pump.. Now I'm looking for a light setup that would have good par at 30" deep I currently have a rapid led fixture that I have from a friends tank.. But not quite sure on how I like them since I'm still getting the feel for coral!! What would be a good setup/fixture?
Need help please!!!!
- Thread starter shollback
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Eric B
Well-Known Member
This will depend mainly on your budget. Also do you want to stay with led or switch to t5 or halide. There are plenty of great fixtures that have a broad price range so I would pick a light type and then based on your price range do some Google searching and then pick a few different ones and then search the forums for pros and con's and then make your decision. One note is that with halides and t5 fixtures bulbs will need to be changed versus led lights should last year's.
I'd like to start with a t5 fixture then when money comes mess with the LEDs but I'm not sure if a 48 in 6 bulb would be good par at 30" deep.. If so I'd like the look of a 6 bulb
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Aqua blue special
Blue+
Blue+
Blue+
Blue+
Purple+
Aqua blue special
Blue+
Blue+
Eric B
Well-Known Member
If that's your route then the least bulbs I would go with would be a 6 bulb fixture but you may want to also look at a 8 bulb fixture to give you better par. I would also maybe swap 2 of your blue+ out with something more in the daylight spectrum but I'm no t5 expert so not much help sorry. I'm more into led and halide fixtures.
Eric B
Well-Known Member
Do they have lenses on them??? If not you might be able to add lenses like 90 degrees and use those! I have 90 degree lenses on led's over a tank that's 32" deep and they do fine with par readings throughout the water column and no trouble growing corals at the sand bed.
Eric B
Well-Known Member
Then par should not be an issue with them just have to mount them higher above the tank to get the proper spread so it doesn't look like light beams shinning into tank! Good luck and just play with the height until you get it so it looks like a blended color. I believe my friend runs 60 degree optics on his led's and they are about 12" over the water or maybe a little higher. He has a tank at least 30" deep and his par is over 200 on the sandbed and has a mixed reef tank.
