Time to upgrade my lights - - Opinions Please

[slapshot16]

I have a 55 gallon mixed reef tank with a Remora Pro HOB and skimmer box. My light is a coralife PCs 50/50 2x65. I like the T5s, but I also like the lower cost of the PCs. I am considering one of the following:

4x54 Tek Light T5: $365 with bulbs.

6x54 Tek Light: $516 with bulbs.

Orbit PC 4x65: $258 with bulbs.

I keep mushrooms, star polyps, finger leather, some zoas, xenia and a feather duster. A few fish too: yellow tang, clown, 3 green chromis and a fire fish. Peppermint shrimp, snails and someblue leg crabs and zebra crabs.

I would like to try some LPS. My long term plans include upgrading my tank to a 75 or a 90. So, whatever lights I choose, I want to use when I upgrade down the road.

Comments and opinions please. Thanks!

 

[Village Idiot]

A 55 is 13 inches wide, the Tek 6 bulb is 15 inches wide. That may not work.

BTW, I got my factory refurbed Aquatinics 2x250 watt MH's and 2 T5 fixture for $526 delivered with bulbs.

 

[slapshot16]

Good point. I got my prices from the Salty Critter website. I live about 30 minutes from their store and I plan on buying my lights form them unless I can find a substantial savings elsewhere.

 

[slapshot16]

Here is photo of my set up today:

 

[slapshot16]

Busy day for new posts. Bump for comments.

 

[papagimp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9867547#post9867547 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Village Idiot
A 55 is 13 inches wide, the Tek 6 bulb is 15 inches wide. That may not work.

It'll work fine. I use a tek fixture, 6 x 54w on my 55g. with the same idea to upgrade to a 75g in the future. I do utilize the hanging kit with mine, but even with the tek mounting legs, it'll fit, they mount to the middle of the fixture instead of the outer edges like most do. For your livestock though, 6 bulbs would be a tad overkill, 4 would suffice, but after you upgrade you'd want those extra 2 bulbs. (I run mine most the time with only 4 bulbs running, the outer two are on a separte switch so I leave em off)

PC's are definatly cheaper and cooler running, but the better lighting will make a nice difference, especially if you plan to keep LPS later on.

 

[slapshot16]

Thanks for the reply. Any other comments on choice of Light?

 

[OmegaTassadar]

Its not one of your choices but why not metal halides? If your planning to upgrade tanks in the future, you might change your mind on what type of live stocks too. I use two 250 mh on my 75 and I like them.

 

[Icefire]

4x54 Tek Light T5: $365 with bulbs

 

[bertoni]

The T5 will put a lot more light into the tank, which can be good or bad, depending on your tastes. The corals you mentioned should be fine either way, although the coloration might change. I don't like the looks of T5, but that's just an esthetic issue.

 

[slapshot16]

What do you mean by coloration may change? Better, worse?

I am leaning towards the T5 4 bulb model. My LFS (Salty Critter) uses them in several different displays and I like the look.

I have some concern about the cost of electricity with the MH.

Thanks.

 

[bertoni]

Xenia, for example, go more brown under higher lights. Coloration is a matter of taste, though.