opinion/advice on lighting..

[d12sprint]

hi im newer into the "reef" part of the fish hobby and was wondering if IO could use any T5HO light or does it have to say "aquarium on it?? i found this link (http://www.prolighting.com/t5hibayli.html) where thy have T5HO lighting fixtures and they ar considerably cheaper.. i have 4ft 60 gallon tank and would like to have a variety of coral. i just wanna make sure i have the correct lighting before buying coral thats going to just eventually die.

thank you for your time and any conrtructive help would be appreciated

 

[Misled]

First,

TO

About the light. You "can" use it but, there are a few problems with it.
First and more importantly is the endcaps. They're not suitable for damp locations, for that matter, neither is the fixture.
Second, the T5's you see for tanks normally have individual reflectors which provide better reflection and cooling to the fixture.
Third, aquarium fixtures have fans to keep the bulbs and ballasts cool. This lengthens the life of the bulbs and the fixture.

My opinion, spend the extra and get a fixture made for a tank. It will pay for itself in bulb life in a couple years.

 

[d12sprint]

cool thanks just making sure.. i currently have a aquaticlife 48" 2 bulb T5HO but im looking into upgrading to the 4 bulb

 

[Misled]

Get the 4 bulb. Use it and the 2 bulb. That will give you more light and the ability to use some different bulbs to come up with a color that may be better looking for you.