Watts for a 55 Gallon
- Thread starter Shock130
- Start date
tpenn187
New member
watts per gallon is not a very good way to determine if you have enough light. are you doing retrofits or are you buying a fixture? if you are looking for a fixture make sure that you are purchasing one with individual reflectors. usually a 4 bulb set up should be sufficient for a 55 gal set up with individual reflectors.
From my understanding, it will work, but you don't get quite as much PAR as you would from individual reflectors. In a 55 gallon with 4 t-5 ho's, you're going to get enough light with a Nova Extreme, IMO. I suggest you ask The GrimReefer in the "Lighting, Equipment" Forum regarding the best configuration/Kelvin. He is knowledgeable regarding the brands and Kelvin readings that maximize the PAR. Generally speaking, daylight bulbs are going to give you a higher PAR than actinic or mostly blue bulbs. In a 55 gallon, you will want to provide a mound of live rock that extends up to 6 or 8 inches beneath the surface of the water, so the anemone(s) can station itself where it wants to in relation to the lighting. One foot below 4 t-5 ho bulbs would be very bright lighting. At the bottom of a 55 gallon, the lighting would be signficantly less intense. The anemone will go where the lighting suits it best.
phender
Active member
I would check out Reefgeek.com.
They sell TEK T5s with bulbs for the same price that most sites sell them without bulbs.
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...-Output_Fixture_with_Bulbs_by_Sunlight_Supply
It is what I am using on my 55gal reef and it will be more than enough light to keep BTAs anyplace in the tank.
They sell TEK T5s with bulbs for the same price that most sites sell them without bulbs.
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...-Output_Fixture_with_Bulbs_by_Sunlight_Supply
It is what I am using on my 55gal reef and it will be more than enough light to keep BTAs anyplace in the tank.
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