Okay. A couple questions for the pros!
First let me start by saying that I am getting ready to set up a 90g reef, that I am going to be keeping LPS and Softies only in, and want to know what lighting to put on there. I've been told a strictly T5 setup will be perfectly fine, and to be honest, I want to try it out. I just don't know enough about the bulbs and bulb combinations to just order something and "wing it"
So, with that said, what do you guys think will be the best for my tank? To my knowledge the tank is just a standard 90g, 48" long. would a 48" fixture be the way to go, or would a 36" work out better if I centered it in the middle of the tank?
And secondly would be the amount of bulbs and combinations and placement of these bulbs..So what would be a nice amount of bulbs to put on the tank that would give me a modest growth rate, and nothing out of control? 4 or 6? Not only that, but I like the hint of blue look to my tank. Nothing too blue, but nothing too white either, so what would I do to make that happen? I like my corals to fluoresce, so how do I achieve this with T5's? My original thoughts were to just have a set of actinics to just use for at night when I like to just sit and watch the tank, or even have a DIY LED strictly blues set up and integrated with my T5's to keep them on constantly...or is there a way to keep them fluorescing by using only T5's?
And lastly, bulb placement? I know this is essential because when I built my LED system for my nano tank I spent days making diagrams of how to place them in order to maximize growth, overall look, and best spread of certain colors of lights. I am just not sure on how to do this with T5's..
I think that covers it as far as what I'm looking for, and if you need any additional info don't hesitate to ask! TIA
-Jordan