*another* lighting question....wattage?
- Thread starter Amy83820
- Start date
Amphiprion
Premium Member
Well, it depends. Assuming you have individual reflectors, there is most likely more light coming from the T5s. Realize that wattage is simply a measure of how much electrical energy is actual drawn in to power the lamps--it doesn't really have as much a direct correlation to the brightness, which is the amount of light per given area.
If only lower light corals are being kept, a Tek T5 setup would probably be overkill in my opinion. They are sweet though!
I think good PC lighting at about 5-8 watts per gallon and within 3-4" of the water surface should suffice for all but the most light demanding creatures.
ReeferMonkey
Premium Member
Please don't take this as a personal attack, but I tend to not agree with either of the above statements. A 4 bulb Tek setup is going to be bright but it's not going to be overkill for low-light animals, especially if a few bulbs are actinic or blue+. A 6 or 8 would definitely be overkill.
Watts per gallon (WPG) is a very, very bad way to evaluate your lighting setup. It fails to take aquarium shape or light penetration into account - and these are the two most important factors in evaluating lighting in marine reef aquariums.
I've had PC, MANY of my friends have VHO, I've had T5 (briefly) and I've had a few MH systems. I will never, ever, ever buy a PC system again. In some situations (small nano tanks, mainly) they can sometimes be a good option but by and large I find there to almost always be a better choice.
Amy,
216W of T5 will definitely be brighter than 260W of PC. You can vary your bulb configuration to get the look and intensity that works best for you. If you do decide to go T5, just make sure you get a fixture with individual reflectors, as that is the main advantage of a T5 system.
Also, take a look at the up front and life cycle costs of MH as compared to T5 - depending on which fixtures and options you choose, the end result can be pretty close. A lot of the time it boils down to personal taste (and finances
)<<< I will never, ever, ever buy a PC system again. In some situations (small nano tanks, mainly) they can sometimes be a good option but by and large I find there to almost always be a better choice. >>>
Yes, there is definately always something better (and more expensive) out there. I agree that using the watts per gallon is not the best way to calculate proper lighting in most cases, however it's a good starting point for PC fixtures IMO. I also think that PC lights in general get an unfair bad rap when they are usually sufficient for many tanks that don't require state of the art mega lighting. I've seen quite a few larger tanks using only PC's that flourish and also look great. Perhaps one reason PC lights are frowed upon by many is that they need to be used quite close to the water surface to be effective, and I see some tanks where they are as much as 10-15" or more from the surface which really cuts them down.
Yes, there is definately always something better (and more expensive) out there. I agree that using the watts per gallon is not the best way to calculate proper lighting in most cases, however it's a good starting point for PC fixtures IMO. I also think that PC lights in general get an unfair bad rap when they are usually sufficient for many tanks that don't require state of the art mega lighting. I've seen quite a few larger tanks using only PC's that flourish and also look great. Perhaps one reason PC lights are frowed upon by many is that they need to be used quite close to the water surface to be effective, and I see some tanks where they are as much as 10-15" or more from the surface which really cuts them down.
ReeferMonkey
Premium Member
In situations where cost is an issue I think the WorkHorse ballast fills the niche nicely. www.diyreef.com and www.championlighting.com are good starting points for rigging your own DIY system.
Similar threads
