40g Breeder - Lighting Options

[tallreefguy]

So, I'm setting up a 40g breeder tank, to be plumbed into my current setup in the garage, but I'm tossing around the options of lighting -
I'm thinking either
6-bulb ATI T6HO fixture (is 8 bulb too much?)
or
Kessil a360Wide pendant (possibly 2) with 2-4 T5's on the side.

My main 180g runs 3x400w halides w/ 2 T5's to supplement.

I'm trying to stay away from halide because I want to see how SPS color changes under different lighting schemes.

Any thoughts / opinions?

 

[oseymour]

I'm running 2 A360WE on a 50 breeder. You will need 2 because of the center brace. I love the coverage, just recently started adding SPS to the tank so nothing to report yet.

 

[tallreefguy]

If I did kessil, I would eventually get 2, to help with shadowing. But that's also why I would have supplemental t5's also.
I think the A160 would not be enough power, even with 2. I could be wrong, but that's what I'm figuring.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I used to use a 6x39 watt T5 on my 40b, plenty of light. I now use a Maxspect 16k 180w Razor on my tank and love it.

 

[oseymour]

If I did kessil, I would eventually get 2, to help with shadowing. But that's also why I would have supplemental t5's also.
I think the A160 would not be enough power, even with 2. I could be wrong, but that's what I'm figuring.

I'm glad I went with the 360. I don't think the 160 would have been powerful enough. I'm also considering supplementing with t5. I would need to get something that looks nice over the tank as I don't have a canopy and the tank is in my living room. I wife loves how elegant the kessils look over the tank.

I just added a birds nest and monti frag yesterday.

 

[tallreefguy]

I used to use a 6x39 watt T5 on my 40b, plenty of light. I now use a Maxspect 16k 180w Razor on my tank and love it.

Did you notice any differences as far as the corals go? How did they respond to that change?

 

[tallreefguy]

I'm glad I went with the 360. I don't think the 160 would have been powerful enough. I'm also considering supplementing with t5. I would need to get something that looks nice over the tank as I don't have a canopy and the tank is in my living room. I wife loves how elegant the kessils look over the tank.

I just added a birds nest and monti frag yesterday.

That's good to know, so I'd have to do the 2x 360's if I went that route.
I wonder how the Kessil A360w compares to the Razor

 

[tallreefguy]

Has anyone had the 8-bulb fixture from ATI on a 40g breeder? That's what I want to do, but I'm not sure if it would cook my sps frags.

 

[Bill Nye]

I think an 8 bulb will be too wide. I have a 36" 6 bulb sunpower on my 50b and it has perfect coverage.