<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14370234#post14370234 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by platax88
What do you guys think of this:
3 Workhorse 7 ballasts (2X80watt) = $105
6 Tek Reflectors = $150
6 Geismann bulbs = $210
6 pair endcaps = $60
I think it adds up fast
Lighting and associated costs are most definitely the number 1 obstacle for new reefers in my opinion... especially because so many of them (us?) do not buy enough to start with, buy the wrong thing, and have to upgrade because of it.
I had 8 x 80W bulbs staggered on my 270, which is a 7' tank. By staggering them, I had 2' on each side that only had 4 bulbs over them with 8 in the middle. I had my lights mounted about 2.5" from the water surface. Remember, this is a 30" deep tank. With my highest rocks about 10" under the surface, I had to be very careful about what I kept on the highest rocks in the middle. And I couldn't keep a brain in the center on the bottom (barebottom, so roughly 32.5" from the lights) because the lights kept trying to bleach it.
That's my whole story. I'm not a firm believer in the "must have more light" philosophy and I think you could easily keep SPS with 6 bulbs... especially if you like a whiter looking tank (you can get more high PAR, low K bulbs in if you have less on the actinic side). The advantage to the wider reflectors is that they do a much better job of getting light around the bulbs and reflecting it adequately into the tank. So, you lose in extra bulb output but you gain back quite a bit in taking advantage of the light you are making.
I don't want to be responsible for swaying you too much (because then you can blame me if you don't like what you do
), but I will say these things:
If you are going for icecaps there is NO WAY I would ever put more than 6 bulbs. Of course, I wouldn't go for icecaps either because they are more expensive at the outset (which can only be offset if you buy fewer of them) and I think it defeats some of the main perks of T5 lighting (better bulb life and less heat...which cost you more in long-term operating costs). I'm a grad student... you have a real job... so maybe this matters less to you.
You can probably find halides for a really good deal right now because there are a lot of people selling set-ups and/or switching to T5's as the electric company jacks the price. I don't advocate this approach, but you can get some nice shimmer lines and it's very well possible that you can get in for WAY cheaper, in which case some of the increased operating costs are immediately offset. Of course, depending on what pumps you're using and how much evaporation you're willing to tolerate, you're almost guaranteed to need a chiller then... so add a few hundred for that.
Did I say a lot of people are selling tanks... yeah... so you could always be even more patient (I know you've been putting this thing together for SO long) and find some used T5 retros. Of course, 5' is kind of an uncommon size, you'd have much better luck finding 4' ones, so start trolling the selling forums.
If you start with 6 and mount your current bulbs under the mindset that you might want to add another set in there some time (or make them easy enough to re-mount and re-space), you can always add another retro if you find a good deal on a used set or after you've saved up for a couple of months. I am quite sure that 6 bulbs will be enough to at least keep your SPS alive for a couple of months, if not colored up and looking excellent. In order to get mine in a 24" space (not knowing they had redesigned the reflectors since I last bought them), I had to bend each reflectors about 1/2". I don't suggest that, but it does work if you go TEK and then decide you would rather have 8 (or just buy different reflectors to start).
