Newbie lighting question?

[mx51]

Hey guys I'm sure you have had this question a million times,but here it goes anyway... I am a complete newbie to salt water aquariums i ordered a 75 gallon reef ready tank and now i am ready to get lights. I am not sure if i should go with t5's or LED's. Or maybe something different? I want a reef setup, so any and all help will be greatly appreciated. I just don't want to waste my money, if i don't have to. If something other then LED's would be better i could use the money elsewhere. Again thank you in advance and sorry about the book...

 

[BigCountry74]

48" tank? I would prob go with a 4 or 6 bulb T5HO.

You could go leds. But there is such a good market for T5HO 48" fixtures I would prob lean towards that for now.

I have a 6' tank so I went LED. There is not a good market for 6' light fixtures...everything was so $$....lol

 

[Hal]

I'd take a serious look at the T5's. They should work fine for your tank in terms of par, and the cost is right. IMO, LED's are still too expensive unless you're one of the fortunate ones for whom money isn't an issue. I think if you wait a few years LED's will drop significantly in price.

Personally, I am in the middle of setting up a 6ft tank and decided to use Metal Halides. I really like the intensity of the light, as well as the shimmer lines. The price isn't too bad either. I plan on trying the $20 bulbs from 1000bulbs.com; if they work, it will be a big cost savings. In the interest of full disclosure, I had MH's on my old 4 ft tank so I know what I'm getting.

 

[kieffer_5]

LEDs at very cool but they haven't been around very long so it's hard to say they are the best. If I were you I would go with a 6 bulb tek fixture which is t5

 

[Playa-1]

I would stick with t5's for the time being. It's going to do what you need it to do and the price is right.

 

[mx51]

Thank you so much for the imput guys. Yes my tank is the 48". I have a couple friends into reef tanks one is stuck in his ways and knows nothing about LED's and the other is a build it yourself kinda guy,LOL. I have watched some videos on the EcoTech marine Radion xr30 LED's and thought they look just amazing. But i guess i was wondering if they are worth the money at $750.00 a piece and i think i would need 2. Or if T5's would be a better option?

 

[mx51]

If i go with T5's I'm not sure what brand to go with? Is ATI 48 inch 6x54w Dimmable sunpower T5 high-output fixture w/ controller a good light? I am not going to setup my tank with water until i have everything for it, so i want to do it right the first time if you know what i mean.LOL. Thank you for any input guys...

 

[Playa-1]

That looks like a sweet lighting system. I wouldn't rule out a MH and T5 combo unit either. The high end LED systems are pretty cool but the price is really high and the technology is evolving really fast. The DIY seems like an affordable option. I would even consider a MH and LED custom DIY build There really are a lot of things to consider before diving in to an expensive lighting system. You should likely take a step back and weigh all your options carefully.

 

[saltfishnut]

lighting

lighting

I got 2 new 48" ge sunshine 40 fluorescent T12 bulbs. The light output is 2250 lumens/color temp 5000k/cri 90. Will it be ok for soft corals. I was told I can use this typ of light but I need make shore I got the right s ones.

 

[mx51]

This may be a dumb question but what is MH and DIY?

 

[gbru316]

This may be a dumb question but what is MH and DIY?

MH: metal halide
DIY: do it yourself

 

[mx51]

MH: metal halide
DIY: do it yourself

Awesome thank you bud, like i said i am completely new to this