Lighting a 55 gallon reef?

[LagginPotato]

I'm going to set up my first reef tank and it's going to be a 55 gallon containing fish, inverts, lps corals, mushrooms, polyps, and maybe some soft corals and sps corals. I really don't know anything about lighting so if someone could just list me a link to a good lighting system that;s not too expensive that would be great. Also if I were to switch to a 120+ gallon later on could I use the same lighting i'm using now? Thanks.

 

[Rogue sub]

Depend on your definition of expensive

 

[LagginPotato]

Depend on your definition of expensive

Probably under 150 dollars

 

[Rogue sub]

Look for something used then a t-5 set up will get you there. Check here and craigslist.

 

[Ryan2013]

What type of lighting are you looking for? Metal halide? LED? T5? There are a lot of different pros and cons to each that I'm sure others will weigh in on. Also, cost is relative to each type. Cheap LEDs can be as much as moderate halide and t5 fixtures. However, LEDs typically cost less in the long run. I ordered my LEDs from reef radiance.

 

[LagginPotato]

What type of lighting are you looking for? Metal halide? LED? T5? There are a lot of different pros and cons to each that I'm sure others will weigh in on. Also, cost is relative to each type. Cheap LEDs can be as much as moderate halide and t5 fixtures. However, LEDs typically cost less in the long run. I ordered my LEDs from reef radiance.

Which will give the best color to the tank, corals, and fish?

 

[Ryan2013]

Halides can grow just about any photosynthetic coral or anemone. Personally, I really like the color they give to the tank but their heat transfer and high draw on electric push me away. LEDs give great color so long as you go with full spectrum. LEDs have a greater initial cost but you will save money in the long run because the draw less power and you don't replace the bulbs. I've seen beautiful tanks with both lighting types. It's more a matter of preference and how much you have to invest upfront. If you're thinking about LEDs, I ordered 3 of the DM-155e fixtures from reefradiance.com after shopping around for almost a year. They had the lowest price on a dimmable full spectrum fixture that I had found and they offered a 3 year warranty.
Browse around the lighting forum here at reefcentral and I'm sure you'll find everything you need.

 

[nanoreefer1000]

DIY leds

 

[that Fish Guy]

Which will give the best color to the tank, corals, and fish?

Best light for Fish = T5HO
Best light for Coral = Blue LED

I have this Light on my 55

http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticL...xtures-AquaticLife-AK01035-FILTFIT54U-vi.html

But it is 3 Times what you are looking to spend.

You are going to have to look for a T5 Used.

You might be able to get one Cheap from someone that is switching to LED.

 

[zachts]

I'm partial to LEDs, and for simple, durable light, I like these fixtures, they are dimmable, you can customize the color if you want, and they require no fans for cooling.

They are more expensive than your budget, but factor in that you never need to buy a replacement bulb and after 1 year the cost would be the same, not counting the possible energy savings.

http://www.buildmyled.com/14000k-reef-spectrum/

You could add a second one for a larger tank latter.