Lights and Corals

Z

Zswift

New member
So I am looking to start out with some T5 lighting. Talked to Paul when I got some clownfish form him and he suggested to go with Reefgeeks T5 retrofit kits.
http://www.reefgeek.com/product/48_...tput_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_Sunlight_Supply

Is this probably what I should get? I have a 55 gallon, it is your typical 4' by 13" etc etc.
And I cannot exactly understand all of it, but do I also need to purchase some form of mounting kit? I would prefer not to hang anything from the ceiling.


And on the coral side, once I get my lights up and running, and some new power heads, what is a good place to start with corals? I saw a combo pack for around $100 at Liveaquaria for several soft corals. Good deal? or look for bigger individual pieces at first?

Thanks for the help!:reading:
 
If you can build yourself some form of canopy for the tank the retrofit will be a cheaper option then buying a prefab fixture. If you aren't very good at do it yourself then the prefab fixture may be a better option for something that mounts to the tank , It is considerably more expensive for a fixture.

I would look for frags locally , a lot of times you can find people locally selling softy frags for around $10 each. That way you can find out what you like before investing too much and you actually get too see the coral in person.
 
Locally on the frags! Most all of us sell frags of all kinds. On the lights it depends on what you want to keep. I run a retro t5 on my set up but 6 bulbs. The 2 bulb retro you are looking at is quality but to keep any hard corals you will want more bulbs. I would suggest the 4 bulb at least or talk to ghellin on DIY LEDs. Leds in the long run are cheaper since you dont have to change the bulbs out every year. IMHO

Chris
 
Concur with Chris said. If there is a particular coral you want, then just post a WTB request. I've asked for a few and have always been pleasantly surprised with what's availability locally. Plus, seeing other people's setup is always beneficial. As for the LEDs, x2 on what Chris said. They also produce less heat, save on energy, and give a more vibrant color.

James
 
Zach,

One thing you will learn in this hobby is to do your research. There are many options on virtually every aspect of the hobby- its up to you to figure which one best suits your purpose.

As far as lights go, my personal choice is T5s for simplicity and ease. In the long run LED may be cheaper, but requires significant upfront investment. In addition, you would have to likely build the set up yourself as well.

From what you have told me, I would still suggest T5s. I think Retros are great value for money. Ideally you need 4 bulbs over your system, but you can get a 2 bulb kit for now, and upgrade by adding another 2 bulbs at a later date. That would be the way i would go. I like the service of ReefGeek, I usually buy from them.

By doing that you can get some of the lower light loving soft corals and learn reef keeping practice with those before doing an upgrade and getting more light demanding, and harder to keep, corals.

One last piece of advice- I have always found it to be way cheaper to do it right the first time, than keep throwing money at something to get it right.

you have my cell number if you have any questions,

P.
 
Paul is totally correct. I couldn't have said it better myself. Research, research, research. Don't be afraid of how long it takes before you set up your first tank. I spent about a year looking up stuff for mine, and couldn't have been more pleased with the results as well as the knowledge I gained

And for what it's worth, I went with T5s as well. Extremely pleased with them, but would like to dabble in LEDs in the future. Regardless, I think I'll still be sticking with T5s.
 
Going with a two bulb kit. What would be the best two bulbs if I only want to have a kenya tree, mushrooms and zoos for now? I talked to reefgeeks and they suggested a Coralife bulb? Thoughts?
 
I pefer ATI brand or Giesman, but if ATI I would run a Aquablue and a Blue + really depends on color preference. The more bulbs you end up with later the more options for color temp. I run close to a 20k look.
 
I use (12) of the the 48" two bulb kits from ReefGeeks. They are great and easy to assemble. Mine have been going strong for over 2 years.

I can't imagine why ReefGeeks would recommend a Coralife bulb for their T5 Retro kits... they sell all the good brands mentioned above. When I changed out my bulbs last year , I went with all ATI, except for a few GE 6500K for more "white" in the tank. The ATI Aquablue+ is the predominant bulb above my tank.

If you want to visit to see how they look, drop me a PM here.

LL
 
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I ended up getting ATI blue and a 12k I think. I cannot remember exactly, but was on the phone and we talked about it and they suggested the bulbs as mentioned.
 
Okay so my T5 retrofit fixture came in today. So I opened it up to see how it looked. I was looking through everything, but I can't find any instructions. Are they pretty easy to set up? I have a techie friend who is supposed to help me with them tomorrow but I like directions, and not trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together and hope it works.
 
ooops...sorry, posted the above while still in my business suit...

In general the ballasts have the wiring- but I do remember in the past also seeing how to wire the caps in a diagram.
check the website of the vendor, or the ballast maker for details.

P.
 
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