Enough Lighting

[lpsluver]

Do you think that six T5's (of the right color combination) in a standard 90 would be sufficient lighting for a BT Nem? I currently have 4 and would upgrade to six if the general consensus was yes. I have a pair of Ocellaris that are looking for a host now that their Elegance has waned away.

 

[gasman059]

sure Bob.

 

[lpsluver]

Based on the overwhelming reply I got to my post I decided to move forward and upgrade my lighting. I just ordered 6 of the new Aquatinic T5 retrofit reflectors. They are 2 inches wide (the smallest out there) and 98% reflective (the highest out there). I will be replacing the Nova Extreme retrofit reflectors I have and installing 2 more lights for a total of 6. That's going to be a lot more light, I hope (from 216 to 324 watts).

 

[loyalrogue]

No need to upgrade the lighting just for the BTA.
Entacmaea quadricolor is not a species with high light requirements.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with upgrading your lights.
You'll have the full selection of every sps to choose from with a 6 bulb T5 setup with individual reflectors.

Btw, how does the Aquatinic reflector compare to the TEK II reflector?
I know the TEK II has 29 bends and claims to increase the light output by over 300%.
I had a hard time finding any information on Aquatinic.

 

[lpsluver]

2" vs. 3". Go to their vendor forum. There is info there. I also called them and talked with one of their people. The size and the new reflector material did it for me.

 

[ReefWreak]

That'll be a ton of light and you should be able to keep just about anything anywhere with 6 T5s with good reflectors.