300g 2'X2'X8'long lighting advice

[megatsea]

I am posting for a friend...where should he look for such an odd designed mixed reef tank...(limited fish) ? The tank is built, now ready for lights.
He had salt water experience previously, but not reef...tore down his 300 g fresh water tank and rebuilt for reef....
Thankyou!

 

[tjsailosullivan]

It really depends how much he wants to spend on the lighting. If I could do it all over on my 230 reef, I would really consider LED lighting. The new generation of LED lighting is getting better and better with PAR values suitable for a reef tank. One brand I have been looking at is Aqua illuminations or Panoramic Exotic. You should be able to google them for more info. You will never have to replace bulbs for the life of the tank (10 years or so) and by the time they are ready to be replaced some new technology should be available by then that would be even better for coral growth.

 

[megatsea]

I will pass along the info-thankyou! Every bit of feedback is valuable.
Happy New Year, too.

 

[dave.m]

Read nineball's thread (1350 gal) as he has tried various LEDs and gone with MH. Review to see his findings.

Dave.M

 

[TJQ]

Nineballs thread convinced me to go MH + T5 for my currently being built 300G (96x24x30) --- I had seriously considered LEDs, but I don't think they are quite there yet.

 

[megatsea]

Info passed on...thankyou!

 

[tjsailosullivan]

megatsea
You might want to read this article from Dr Sanjay Joshi. It might change you mind a bit when it comes to LED's for a reef tank. Some good background.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/2/aafeature2

 

[noobtothereef]

fyi 2x2x8 is 240 gallons

 

[megatsea]

Thanks again for replies. My friend keeps calling it his 300 g tank...gave me the dimensions but never calc the volume....anyways he just bought out a 2 large established tanks to tear down and use...and will start out from there. I will read your posts again and pass on everyones feedback.
Thankyou again

 

[thatguy559]

go with 2 lifi seashine plasmas. i got one on my 4' tank with incredible par and coverage and growth

 

[Clay]

fyi 2x2x8 is 240 gallons

I was going to post the same thing.

Thanks again for replies. My friend keeps calling it his 300 g tank...gave me the dimensions but never calc the volume....
Thankyou again

(96x24x24)/231 = 239.38 = ~240g

 

[Neogenocide]

I'm currently running LED's over my 46g bow.....and will be building LED's for my 180g upgrade which is about to come online. I absolutely love everything about the LED's except the lack of red. I've toyed with Red LED's but didn't really like what I was seeing so I tore them back out. There was just too much red spotlighting in those small arrays and the amount of red that one LED put out was WAY too much for that tank. I'm sure I'll be switching some stuff around but overall I'm more than satisfied with cost, coral growth, and color that I won't use anything but. I'm even running them over my frag tank. I may even try supplementing with T5's, but I really don't want to go down that road.

Scott

 

[megatsea]

Great replies, thankyou.