20L lighting...PC vs T5

[hobbzz]

I'm setting up a 20L and have some lighting q's. It will be a mantis tank (a shallow water species that lives in high light shallow reefs) with some zoos, shrooms (probably ricordia f.) lps and maybe a few low light requirement sps. I don't want MH because of heat and cost (this is a budget tank with mostly leftover parts I had laying around). I was thinking a 30" 130w pc aqualight or some T5's, but I know nothing about T5's as I have only used mh and pc. For my needs, with such a shallow tank, would I see much of a gain going from pc to T5? Or would T5 be overkill in a 12" deep tank considering what I'm keeping? Also what are some pros and cons with T5's compared to pc's, like bulb longevity and intensity. Thanks!

 

[GSMguy]

t5s are not overkill
they last twice as long as pcs an they are three times more intense.

do you have a hood
there are no 30inch t5 fixtures.

 

[hobbzz]

I don't have a hood but I could build one in a day so that's no problem. I thought I saw a 30" T5 from championlighting.com but I could be wrong...
What about vho?

 

[DeepBlueSea]

I'm building a 20L and just made a DIY canopy and installed the ICECAP 660 T5 24" retro kit from....

It is very very bright to the eye and can't wait to get this thing up and running and stocked with some live stock...

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9916842#post9916842 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hobbzz
I don't have a hood but I could build one in a day so that's no problem. I thought I saw a 30" T5 from championlighting.com but I could be wrong...
What about vho?

vho is okay but t5 is the best for color choices and bulb cost, energy usage, and output/par

you could do a 2 bulb tek retrofit with the tek 2 reflectors pretty cheap. and you would have plenty of light for sps if you want them.

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9916863#post9916863 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DeepBlueSea
I'm building a 20L and just made a DIY canopy and installed the ICECAP 660 T5 24" retro kit from....

It is very very bright to the eye and can't wait to get this thing up and running and stocked with some live stock...

that would work too but that might bleach your ricordia and zoas that would be allot of light for them

 

[hobbzz]

Yeah I guess I'll go retro, the 30" T5 I saw was only 50w total so it was probably for freshwater...

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9917097#post9917097 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hobbzz
Yeah I guess I'll go retro, the 30" T5 I saw was only 50w total so it was probably for freshwater...

thats the coralife its normal output without a reflector. not very much light at all.

 

[hobbzz]

Like this? http://www.specialty-lights.com/960080.html Are they that efficient that 48w will be enough? What about Current? http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=21730&cat=692&page=1 Are they a good brand? The search being disabled is obviously killing me here, thanks for the patience. :lol:

 

[DeepBlueSea]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9916870#post9916870 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
that would work too but that might bleach your ricordia and zoas that would be allot of light for them

I agree.... that 4x24"T5 4" off the water surface with only a 10" deep water column is going to be quite bright and a little too bright for some live stock...

Planning on SPS/clam dominant aquarium.... after a few years and with good growth I can place some lower light level items along the base of rock which get "broken" light from the SPS branches....

At least it worked for me the last time around... However that was in a 20" tank with 4"+ sand bed running 2x 400w MH w 4x110VHO's... That was a bright tank....

 

[hobbzz]

So would 2x24w (48w total) be enough? Also how high above the water surface should I mount them and would it be fine to use a glass top?

 

[DeepBlueSea]

All depends what type of live stock your attempting... Reflectors being used... and placement of corals....

I'm going 4" above water surface and I do NOT use a glass cover for a few reasons...

1. Evaporation is key to maintain temp and adding additional calcium supplementation in top off water... glass top diminishes evaporation.

2. Salt spray, creep, mist whatever you want to call it on the glass will diminish light entering the tank.

 

[GSMguy]

glass top no
bulbs 4 to 8 inches off the water.

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

What kind of mantis are you planning on keeping. Certain manti, such as the Peacock, fair badly in intensely lit tanks. If you are keeping one I would definately not go with an IC T5 setup, would opt for a lesser intense T5 24" or a PC.

 

[hobbzz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9922325#post9922325 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aninjaatemyshoe
What kind of mantis are you planning on keeping. Certain manti, such as the Peacock, fair badly in intensely lit tanks. If you are keeping one I would definately not go with an IC T5 setup, would opt for a lesser intense T5 24" or a PC.

Probably a wennerae or another shallow water species like that. Wennerae are frequently found in reef flats in only a few feet of water ...