need your help on lighting

[latazyo]

well I bought a tank!

the tank is 24Lx18Wx18H...37 gallons

anyways, I am tossing around a few options...if you make a suggestion please say why

option 1. 1x175w MH + 2x55 PC actinic

on my old tank I had 1x250 MH and 2x55 PC actinic and I thought it was great

here is what the lighting looked like

option 2. 4x24w T5 MAYBE 6x24w

I am completely new to the concept of t5s and have not quite grasped the idea that 96watts of lighting is enough

I plan on keeping mostly lps, however I like softies and sps also, and would entertain the idea of a clam

advantage to #1: price, familiarity
advantage to #2: canopy that isn't 14' tall, way less energy consumption

can anyone give me a suggestion?

 

[reefnetworth]

outer orbit has MH and 2 PC 96w. its about 4" tall with no outer ballast. theyre micro-processers inside the hood. they have 24-7 capability with moonlights that are standard. i use them on two of my tanks. this will do good for both SPS and LPS. REEF-ON!!!

 

[JxMetal]

MH over 37 gallons is going to lead to a lot of evaporation on such a small tank. Heat can also become an issue in a smaller tank. Keep that all in mind. It's the reason I went with T5's

 

[Letmegrow]

Go T-5.

4 bulb Finnex or Tek.

Don't buy a cheap-o because they will come back to haunt you.

 

[latazyo]

so the set up here http://www.northcoastmarines.com/lighting_systems_fluor.htm is going to be alright?

the 4 bulb 24" finnex fixture for $135 including bulbs

 

[Letmegrow]

http://www.thereefstop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_184_106&products_id=125

There is a TEK light, I do not know enough to tell you to go with one over the other.

I would find out with what bulbs come with what fixtures, if you do not get good bulbs it makes the fixture worthless.

 

[Letmegrow]

The Reef Stop =
• Complete line of German & domestic T-5 HO lamps available

There is your answer !
The Giesemann bulbs are awesome.

The other site does not say wht comes with the fixture OR say what brand of bulbs they have available.

 

[latazyo]

the reefstop fixture doesnt come with bulbs, so I might as well buy the finnex from the first site for 135, see what the bulbs are like, and if needed I could buy the giesemann bulbs

so basically I could buy the fixture at the first place, buy the german bulbs from reefstop and use the original bulbs that come with the system for backups

speaking of reefstop, are locals allowed to just pick up the goods instead of shipping?

for bulb configuration is this pretty decent? I like 6500

2 x 6500k and 2 x pure actinic?

 

[Letmegrow]

Oops I did not see the second sentence of the page :lol:

I would go with only one 6500K, the "blue" bulbs look more like 12 -14 - 20 k bulbs, not so much like VHO SuperActinics like most people are accustomed to.

Most people go with one 65K, Two AB+'s, and the Pure Actinic bulb.

The Finnex fixture does not have individual reflectors. I do not know if that plays into your decision at all.

TRS drop ships to your residence. You can meet Mark in real life tho, just no flash photography. Trottman handles his PR.

 

[latazyo]

im not sweating the individual reflectors, I know they are superior, however its not worth the added price to me

can I put a canopy over that fixture or will it get too hot?

I think it looks silly to have a light strip on top of the tank just sitting there

 

[JxMetal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7756536#post7756536 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latazyo
so the set up here http://www.northcoastmarines.com/lighting_systems_fluor.htm is going to be alright?

the 4 bulb 24" finnex fixture for $135 including bulbs

I got that one. Mine came with a bunch of junky Jalli bulbs that I quickly replaced with Geismann bulbs and one 6500K GE bulb.

 

[sirreal63]

Re: need your help on lighting

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7754548#post7754548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by latazyo
I plan on keeping mostly lps, however I like softies and sps also, and would entertain the idea of a clam

If you want to keep high light items, you need the individual reflectors. Forget the Finnex fixture or any fixtuire that doesn't have the individual reflectors, it will not have the PAR or brightness to keep light loving creatures alive.

 

[latazyo]

how do you like the fixture?

can it be placed in a canopy?

 

[JxMetal]

I enjoy my fixture. I have a happy crocea and a RBTA that has split multiple times. I have no SPS as I don't think I can keep my params in check. I have a green lobo and frogspawn for LPS. For softies I have just about everything and growth has been really good.

 

[sirreal63]

Reefgeek also has retro kits for T5, then you can place it in a hood more easily. A T5 fixture w/o the good reflectors is just a cheap company capitalizing on the T5 craze and taking your money w/o giving you anything for it.

Get the real stuff, not an imitation.

 

[latazyo]

what if I just built it all from scratch myself

from reefgeek's site:

workhorse long 5 ballast (up to 128w) : $27
only 2 bulbs/ballast, right? so I need 2: $27

icecap acrylic standoffs/mounths x 4 : $20
moisture proof endcaps x 4 : $40

single slr reflectors x 4 : $81
bulbs x 4 : $80

total $270

they have the exact kit, except with IC 660 for 349.99 (including bulbs)


looks like the reefstop could get me two 2x24 retros for $99 each, and then $80 for bulbs

so I'd be looking at 280 from him, local pickup...might be the way to go

is reefstop on RC?

 

[akrimmel]

i beleive you still have to pay shipping as i inquired about this myself for t5 tek light. i dont believe there is away around it, he said he has to pay shippong on them due to their size so i believe there is no savings in picking it up.

 

[latazyo]

either way, same price, sort of local guy...might as well

we'll see when the time comes

maybe something will turn up used in the selling forum

 

[JxMetal]

I just saw a tek fixture on there for just over 200 the other day. It's gone by now.

 

[chadfarmer]

do not do the icecap 660 on the 24 inch t5s


i have 1 24 inch retros if you need to borrow them with indiviual reflectors (1 6500k and a actinic plus)