6 bulb or 8 bulb ATI

[jonnyu]

So I have a deep blue rimless tank. I'm planning on going sps dominate tank. I was thinking of going with a 6 bulb and using two e5 blue pop T5 bulbs and 4 regular bulbs. I currently have giesemann infinity light but it's way over kill at 350 par at the bottom. So looking to have around 150-200 at the bottom. I'm thinking maybe the 8 bulb will be over kill.
Here is a quick pick of my reef bar I recently started building

 

[Big E]

If that's a 75g I'd go with the 6 bulb Sunpower.

 

[glaukos]

I'd personally go with the 8 bulb,if cost isn't an issue.
Light is never enough(especially if you give time to your corals adjust to it) and if it's too much at some point,you can go with a lower par t5 combo.

Just to be clear,ed's opinion is a better way to go.
I said what i'd do according to my personal criteria:beer:
Just to give my 02 cents.

 

[rovster]

Keep your Infinity! Its not too much light.....carry on......:wildone:

 

[cFloor]

I agree with rovster as u have an excellent fixture.
Depending on the dimensions of your tank front to back is how I would decide on a 6-8 bulb ati.

 

[kyle.nagel13]

I don't know enough to comment on the light, but I'm absolutely jealous of your bar.

 

[jonnyu]

Keep your Infinity! Its not too much light.....carry on......:wildone:

Lol I wish but at 350 par at bottom is a little much

I don't know enough to comment on the light, but I'm absolutely jealous of your bar.

Lmao

 

[scrapz]

350 par on the sandbed of a sps tank is perfect!

 

[rovster]

Lol I wish but at 350 par at bottom is a little much




Lmao

What bulbs? Maybe use some lower par bulbs? That said 350 at the bottom is serious. How did you measure it? Either way, most sps can handle that. I am surprised that fixture packs that much punch! Did you measure the halide and t5 seperately?

 

[jonnyu]

What bulbs? Maybe use some lower par bulbs? That said 350 at the bottom is serious. How did you measure it? Either way, most sps can handle that. I am surprised that fixture packs that much punch! Did you measure the halide and t5 seperately?

I used two different par meters and got the same results. Tank only 20" tall so that kind of kills it. I measured with mh and t5 on. Last par meter used was the Neptune/Apex one

350 par on the sandbed of a sps tank is perfect!

Yes, for sps only. Everything else gets cooked or looses color

 

[Myka]

FYI, I have a 6-bulb dimmable ATI on a 36 x 21 x 21" tank mounted about 5" above the water surface. I get 310 μmol m-2 s-1 on the sand (sand is less than 1" deep). I have to keep LPS in the shade under the rocks (literally) or off to the sides/corners where there is less PAR. I'm not sure what the measurements of your new tank will be, but if it's 24" wide I'd be inclined to use an 8-bulb and dim it or use lower PAR bulbs if need be just to get good spread once the corals grow in.

 

[mcfa2403]

+1 with what Myka said. Also in the bulk reef supply 52 weeks of reefing video series they spend 5 episodes on just lighting and they are incredibly informative. I highly recommend finding them on youtube and watching before making your decision. They show par distributions and spectral graphs and talk about how par changes between fixtures they are really great.

 

[GSMclowns]

For your tank, 6 bulbs setup is a perfect match.

 

[jonnyu]

So went with 8 bulb

 

[scrapz]

So went with 8 bulb

Nice. I would have done the same.

 

[Art13]

I went with an 8 bulb over my 4 foot 135 so i could grow sps on the sand, lol. I put a favia on the bottom back corner and it started to bleach, have to put any lps under rocks.

 

[jonnyu]

I went with an 8 bulb over my 4 foot 135 so i could grow sps on the sand, lol. I put a favia on the bottom back corner and it started to bleach, have to put any lps under rocks.

That what I didn't want. Lol well went with 8 bulb. Because my wife thinks I should put a larger tank. She wants a 60-66" tank. I picked up a 60" ATI and going to install this week. It's going over my 48" tank. If we like the size think I'm just going to order a custom rimless tank. If not I will trade light it for a 48" one

 

[Myka]

Did you get the dimmable ATI? You never did say how wide the new tank will be.

 

[rovster]

That what I didn't want. Lol well went with 8 bulb. Because my wife thinks I should put a larger tank. She wants a 60-66" tank. I picked up a 60" ATI and going to install this week. It's going over my 48" tank. If we like the size think I'm just going to order a custom rimless tank. If not I will trade light it for a 48" one

Lol, don't say I didn't tell you about the bigger tank!

 

[jonnyu]

Lol, don't say I didn't tell you about the bigger tank!

I know man I should have listened