T5 for this tank?

[Mark426]

I am adding a small SPS only tank to my office. Its display area is 28L x 14H x 10W. I have a G2 Radion Pro I was planning to use but have been thinking about an 24" ATI T5 fixture instead. A four lamp fixture is all that will fit over such a narrow tank. I run a Radions supplemented with T5 over my tank at home and its worked out nicely for the last couple of years.

Two Questions:

Do you think a 4 lamp 24" ATI Sunpower would provide enough PAR for the high light lovin' SPS frags I will be transferring from my home tank or should I keep with my original plan of the Radion?

Second. I have no experience with just using four lamps and do you think its possible to get a nice color mixture and with such limited number of lamps.

Thanks Reefers,
Mark

p.s. Couldn't decide if this post should go here or in the lighting forum..hope I don't get spanked :uhoh2:

 

[Scotty1772]

I use the 6 bulb ATI Sunpower and the SPS love it.

 

[Mark426]

Thanks for the feedback Scotty. Still 4 lamps are not 6 even in such a small and shallow tank. I am sorta thinking it would be more than sufficient but not sure I want to gamble. Hopefully more folks will sway me one way or the other.

 

[Realposition]

On only a 14" deep tank it will be bordering on to much light IMO

 

[PaleHorse]

Not enough light

 

[ontop27]

I'd say more than enough as well.

 

[kaserpick]

I'm running 4 T5's over my tank currently. They're 39w (36"), so they've got a little more punch than a 24w. My tank is 12" tall, and the SPS seem satisfied.

With good placement and a low hanging height for the fixture, you should be able to supply enough light. Would more be better? Maybe, but I don't think it's necessary.

 

[Mark426]

Thank to all who replied. Now..... decisions ...decisions. Use the Radion I have or sell it and get a new ATI.

 

[knukles55]

well I love t5 but for a office I think LED would be more apealing and less heat than t5

 

[Mark426]

well I love t5 but for a office I think LED would be more apealing and less heat than t5

I agree. I love my Radion but in my limited experience T5 grows and colors SPS better than LEDs and the opposite is just as true for softies and LPS. Don't get me wrong, the Radion and similar LEDs are awesome. So...that's my dilemma. Like you said appeal, fan noise and heat is why I am leaning towards the Radion. Still daydreamin' though.

 

[Peter Eichler]

A 4 bulb ATI fixture with 2x blue+ and 2 x coral+ will get you nice colors and plenty of light. That would be my choice for the best SPS color.

 

[Ztrain]

For a rainbow monti as my only coral with a few anemone what would you guy's suggest for 4 ATI bulbs? I see 5 colors up there and trying to decide which to get. I'd like to avoid the blue look if possible as long as I'm getting enough of the proper spectrum for the Monti and RBTA. I've seen a lot of people using the Blue+ instead of the true Actinic. I've also not seen a lot using the Coral+ or the purple bulb. I wish they would add to their description a blurb about what the lights are used for what livestock.

 

[tripdad]

A 4 bulb ATI fixture with 2x blue+ and 2 x coral+ will get you nice colors and plenty of light. That would be my choice for the best SPS color.

I run this mix and it does fine for growth and has a nice look also, not too blue but not yellowish at all.