Is there a lighting guide or calculator?

[Pastiche]

I'm still in the planning stage, but I found a sweet glass 100 gallon bow front I'm planning around. The dimensions are 48½ x 22½ x 25½.

I hope to keep hard and soft corals, clams, some small fish, and maybe one or two medium fish. So I think the next step is to figure out some lighting.

There's a hood for about $500 that has 2 x 150w MH plus 2 x 54w T-5 and 4 x moonlights. There's another with 2 x 175w MH plus 4 x 54w T-5 and moonlights, but it's about $800. I'm not sure if there's a watts per gallon calculator, or if it's too dependent on depth.... I do like the MH plus T-5 option though, for the brightness of the MH plus the actinic T-5s to bring out the colors.

What's the best way to figure out lighting requirements?

Thanks, all!

 

[Reefmedic79]

Who makes the lights you mentioned? Link?

There is no calculator, and you are correct that depth plays a big part. I know the big mogul MH lights use to cover approx. 4sq ft. My guess is the fixtures you mentioned are HQI bulbs which cover a little smaller area, but is more dependent on the reflector used.

Personally, I think the cheaper of the two fixtures you mentioned would be plenty enough to keep anything, dependent mostly on where you place the organism in the tank, but more light can be beneficial, although it will contribute more heat to the tank.

 

[Pastiche]

Here's the first system I was looking at... I'm not sure if I was looking at another vendor, or the price changed, b ut it's showing up as $700 today.

http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=80502&cat=1536&page=1

Here's the second system:

http://www.aquacave.com/CEBU-SUN-48...ting-System-by-Hamilton-Technology-P2797.aspx

Would more light be better sincer the price is a lot closer than I thought? Also, other suggestions are good as well...

 

[whosurcaddie]

http://reefbreeders.com/photon48.html

Less heat no need to change bulbs same price fully controllable = no brainer.

 

[Dr. Reef]

Here is a link to a guide i wrote while back. its mostly to do with flow but it also touches the light factor as well. its a broad general guide with many variations but for most part it hits the spot for LED lights. For MH and T'5 etc its always been a good rule of 3 to 6 watts per gallon for a reef.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21679014#post21679014

 

[scubaprashant]

If I could go back in time, this is what I'd tell myself...

Find a local club with a forum and talk to people who have been in the hobby for a while. Ask to see their setups and ask them what their challenges (if any) have been with their lighting.

There are many people who use the cheapest fixtures out there (regardless of MH/LED/T5/PC) and do just fine with their tanks. The halide/t5 combo is awesome, but for me, the annual bulb replacement cost and higher electric bill wasn't worth it for me.

If you are interested in fixtures, check out aqua medic. I think petco even sells them online and are having a huge sale on them right now.

 

[Pastiche]

The LED option is suddenly very interesting, whosurcaddie. Thanks for the link! Do they have the ability to penetrate to the bottom of a of a 24"+ tank? Would you say the technology is mature by now?

Thanks for the info, bnumair. That's what kind of rule of thumb I was wondering about.

That's a good idea, scubaprashant, I'd really like to see what an LED light setup looks like!

 

[Tuton]

The ecotech marine radion is supposed to be the best out there:

http://ecotechmarine.com/products/radion/

Now I personally don't have them but if I could do it over again I would....

 

[Reefmedic79]

The LED option is suddenly very interesting, whosurcaddie. Thanks for the link! Do they have the ability to penetrate to the bottom of a of a 24"+ tank? Would you say the technology is mature by now?

Thanks for the info, bnumair. That's what kind of rule of thumb I was wondering about.

That's a good idea, scubaprashant, I'd really like to see what an LED light setup looks like!

LEDs with proper optics can easily penetrate a 24"+ depth. The technology is mature in the fact that corals survive and grow under them. I think there is still room for improvement though.

Many quality LFSs use LED fixtures over there coral tanks, to give you an idea in person as to what they look like.