Help choose my lighting

[powderhound]

So, I'm upgrading to a new tank, 54x30x25 about 170 gallons. Undecided on lighting. I currently have a 8 bulb sunpower on my 120. Will that cover 30 wide tank. Also debating setting up 2lumen bright reflectors with radium bulbs, 250 watt. Or a nice giessman spectra with 2x250 and 4 t5s. Not really into LEDs except for supplemental

What would you use?

 

[psykobowler]

Jason, 30" is still good. You won't have any shadowing with the ati. FYI, my utility bill went down from the average $550 to $380 this month with the addition of the LEDs. I only run the 400watt radiums for 3hrs per day and LEDs at full spectrum 5 hrs per day.

 

[sfbayview]

I say keep the T5's and add a led bar I have a custom one from buildmyled.com ... very well built ... My tank is 120g, 60inch L tank and has about 180 watts of led ...

I may add a 4 bulb t5 ho soon and add some more sps ...

http://www.buildmyled.com/20000k-reef-spectrum-xb-series/

 

[powderhound]

Do you have a pic of the led bar itself? Wondering if I can attach it somehow to the ATi fixture

 

[sfbayview]

Here is a pic off the BML website ... I think It would be very easy to attach attractively and have seen others here on RC accomplish this ... It is actually not very heavy considering how large the heat sink is ... Also I would go with a higher angle beam I have the 90 but the 75 may work better if the light is higher off the water with your t5's

 

[s_luark]

Reefbrites are super easy to mount to the ATI. I would keep the current fixture. And mount two xho reebrites.

 

[psykobowler]

I vote for the buildmyled. Are you going to put a hood? The buildmyled also has the hanging kit. You can just hang everything in the hood.

 

[powderhound]

Thanks it is all going in a canopy. Those look nice, I'm going to look into them.