I'm planning out my new tank build and at the point of trying to decide what lights to go with. Tank is 60x30x24 and I was thinking either 8bulb ATI or 2 250w MH with 4-6bulbs retro t5 both options would have supplemental LEDs. If I go MH + t5 I was planning on running the MH for about 3hrs. My main concern is how much the tank can heat up, I really don't want to run a chiller. My current 75g has an 8bulb t5 fixture that is about 9" above the water line and will reach about 79.5 degrees so I can only imagine running MH could get the tank significantly hotter but we are also talking more water so maybe that's a factor, I don't know. Tank is going to be sps dominated, what do you all think I should do?
Lighting opinions for 187g
- Thread starter Sirhc
- Start date
Valentini89
New member
I would go with Hamilton Cebu Sun 60" MH/T5 combo, it comes with 3 single ended MH bulbs and 4 T5 bulbs. It is pricey though, so if that's an issue you may not want it. Also it can be mounted to the tank.
nycman
New member
I just started a tank that exact size (rimless, 3/4 glass, Miracles made) with three GHL Mitras LX7s. The tank is freshwater and so the fixtures are 7000s, not 7200s, but coverage is great. On my reef tank, which is 72in, I have 4 7206s, and again great coverage. The programming, the color, the options are incredible. I did a lot of research on the GHL Mitras, and am happy with my choice.
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Either of those options that you listed could handle most of the most light demanding acropora and clams.
Neither MH nor T5 need to heat the tank up much if you manage it correctly. Fans can really control the vast majority of the heat - turn them on with the lights and don't get cute and have a controller wait until the tank heats up a bit. If you get a hanging fixture and keep the top open, this really takes care of a lot of the heat, as well. The Cebu Sun suggested above can be suspended with an air gap and allow some fans to really work well. I hang my halides about four inches over the water with an open top and just have a fan blow across the top of the tank in the hot months... the rest of the time, the heat is very welcome and the heaters still run when the lights are on.
You will be into probably eight panels to light a tank like that with LEDs and they won't be as good. It is really hard to adequately light acropora tanks with LEDs without using a lot of them.
Neither MH nor T5 need to heat the tank up much if you manage it correctly. Fans can really control the vast majority of the heat - turn them on with the lights and don't get cute and have a controller wait until the tank heats up a bit. If you get a hanging fixture and keep the top open, this really takes care of a lot of the heat, as well. The Cebu Sun suggested above can be suspended with an air gap and allow some fans to really work well. I hang my halides about four inches over the water with an open top and just have a fan blow across the top of the tank in the hot months... the rest of the time, the heat is very welcome and the heaters still run when the lights are on.
You will be into probably eight panels to light a tank like that with LEDs and they won't be as good. It is really hard to adequately light acropora tanks with LEDs without using a lot of them.
Thanks for all of the replies! For now LEDs are not an option besides just supplemental lighting. I have tried led fixtures before with sps and had no luck at all with them. I do well with t5 which is why I'm leaning towards that but I hear everyone say that MH is the way to go if I want to see some serious growth.
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