looking for the correct lighting

ATM

Member
Im putting some star polyps in my FOWLR. My goal is to make them grow all over the rock to make it look like grass.

To do this Im looking for the correct lighting. I dont want to break the bank on this either. My tank is 72" long ( 172g bow front)

thanks
 
It doesn't take a whole lot of light to make start polyps grow like a weed. I'd suggest looking into some T5 systems that will fit your tank. A couple 175w/150w/250w MH retrofits would work as well.
 
Is this the only coral you want to put into the tank? Star polyps don't need much lighting, PCs would suffice, but if you think you might want to add more corals down the road and maybe convert to a reef tank at some point, I would look at a T-5 system. Does the tank have a canopy?
 
yes the tank ( oceanic tank w/ canopy (plastic) has a canopy but I'm looking for a system..... Halides are to powerful since I dont plan on making this a complete reef tank
 
are T5s the minimum lighting need but at the same time enogh to light my tank up and look nice

thanks
 
I'm running 4 130w pc's on my tank and my starburst (star polyps) are during great. Rarely do they not open. I think the day after I got them they were fully opened, then they closed a week or two later, that lasted about 2 days and they've never looked back. Open everyday and look awesome. Just be sure to have a good amount of flow in your tank. Not direct, but they shouldnt sit still like grass in your lawn either. lol
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10457064#post10457064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ATM
are T5s the minimum lighting need but at the same time enogh to light my tank up and look nice

thanks

You could do PCs but the bulbs will need to be replaced more often, I don't think they look as nice, and you'd spend more on electricity with PCs over T5s to get the same amount of usable light. So, in the long run T5's would be cheaper IMO.
 
how about this
http://i2.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/ac/c5/e421_1.JPG


# Aluminum body is lightweight, heavy duty and rust proof
# Accommodates ultra efficient, high output T-5 lamps Included 4 x 39w 10000k blue and 4 x 39w 10000k white
# Two switches and 1 power-cords Cool operation and NO noise
# 2.5 inches high
# Mounting Leg : Included
# save electronic
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10457135#post10457135 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ATM
Peter
I think t5s are they way to go, what wattage would you do?

thanks

3-4 80w T5 bulbs would be good. You would have to stagger them a little to get full coverage or just leave the ends dimmer since they're only 60" bulbs and you'd also have to build a canopy (pretty easy if your a tiny bit handy). The 60"+ T5 sytems I'm aware of are pretty pricey. Also, any PC fixture from a decent manufacturer would be around $500.

Check out the SLS retrofit 80w T5s at reefgeek.com, linking to them never seems to work for me...

You could get 3x80w for a little over $300 and 4x80 for a little over $400.
 
I need a complete set up since my canopy is plastic

how about the system I mentioned several post ago? how do they look
 
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Not great... You want a unit with individual reflectors. A full fixture of decent quality for T5s or CF larger than 48" is going to run you $500+. At that point you may just be better off hanging a couple MH pendants over the tank.

If you really want cheap check out the Odyssea fixtures, but I'm by no means suggesting them.
 
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