wtb lighting for 75 gallon reef tank

[bigmatt1992]

wtb lighitng for 75 gallon reef tank 16 here so not to high in price if your willing to cut me a deal let me know i need some good lighing

 

[acer]

Are you looking for MH , T5 's, VHO, CF, or what?? It is always relative- to some "good lighting" means something a lot different that it does to others. What type of corals are you planning to have in the setup?

 

[cloakerpoked]

I got a nice 2x250w MH setup w/ wiring, bulbs, and reflector for $121 shipped to me by a guy in virginia. you might try watching the for sale forums for someone willing to ship.

 

[bigmatt1992]

i plan on keeping soft coral manly easy to keep coral so what ever typ of lighting that requires taht what i need lol im new to saltwater but really new to reef so i need some help on decideing

 

[TomNeely]

Go T5

 

[bigmatt1992]

ok t5 it is i have a balist i found laying around i think its a t12 idk but can i run the lights off this its still raped and in the box

 

[cloakerpoked]

You'll need a t-5 ballast. t-12's are a completely different wattage and won't fire a t-5

 

[bigmatt1992]

i was reading up that i could use a t12 with a vho bulb and with 2 of em i could get around 220 wats with the other 48 inch bulb i have i figure i would be pushing like 290 300 could i do this or no ?

 

[ton702]

I have a year old Coralife 48 Inch Aqualight 4-65W power compacts and 4 Lunar moon LED lamps. It needs new bulbs so I can give you a good deal on the fixture.

 

[bigmatt1992]

how much ton702 ? they sound great

 

[Tswifty]

PC's will do you fine if you want to stay with some softies... but if you want to move into SPS, Clams, or some of the higher light demanding corals you'll need stronger lighting.

A T5 fixture which utilizes individual reflectors or a 250w Metal Halide setup would be my recommendation, and will allow you to house anything you want... without needing to purchase a new unit every time you decide you want to try a higher light demanding coral or invert.

(I personally am not a fan of the 150w/175w halides)

Just my .02

Good luck

 

[bigmatt1992]

thanks for the input

 

[Aqua-World PITT]

Like I said before, Do it right the first time and you will save money. If you buy a fixture that is only good for certain things you will eventually want to grow and keep better corals so in conclusion buying another fixture for that. In the end you have bought 2 fixtures. But you can eliminate that by buying the right fixture the first time.

(Let your 75 gallon cycle while you save up money for a good fixture)

Trust me Matt in my 6 years in this hobby and all the time and money i have invested in this hobby that is the best advice i can give.

 

[cloakerpoked]

^^^^^^^^

Right on. Do it right the first time...upgrading is always more expensive.

 

[bigmatt1992]

ok heres what ima do ima go with 4 power compacts and 3 standered florecent strips just for pure antic and the fixture just hold 4 powercompacts and 4 luner lights so i think i will have enough watts for the tank

 

[TomNeely]

Go T5. You dont have to replace them as often and you can add more to your tank. T5 run cooler than PC and you can fit more bulbs over your tank.

 

[Aqua-World PITT]

^ Agreed, It will cost you more for PCs you have to replace the bulbs every 6 months. T5s if you don't overdrive them will last 1 year. They will also give you better color as well as better growth.

 

[cloakerpoked]

I had a softy tank with 8x65watt PC lighting and got pretty good growth out of my 120. Then I found a tank for $400 on Ebay in kentucky and drove down to get it. It was a 120 drilled (the other one was not) with a custom canopy, 2x250 MH w/ reflectors, bulbs, and ballasts, 2x110 actinic VHO w/ ballasts, 40 gallon sump, Little Giant 1800 gph pump, and a closed loop driven by a Quiet One pump. I couldn't pass up that deal, switched systems, sold the old one for $300 with the lights and everything and never looked back. Tearing down a tank with 250 lbs of live rock and setting it back up was a pain, but I can't tell you how well worth it, it really was. When I upgrade for the last time, I'm going to do everything that I want or wish I would have now; because it's just so much better to plan everything out the way you want it, take your time, and do it right the first time. My advice is the same that everyone else is recommending, go T5 or MH and you won't be sorry a year or 6 months from now when you start thinking about SPS. I thought I'd be ok with softies....but I wasn't at all....and I doubt you will be either in the long run.

 

[bigmatt1992]

ok but the problem is how muc will t5 lighting run

 

[Stray32]

I have owned two Nova Extreme T5 fixtures and have been more than satisfied with their performance. I now have the Pro model with 6 bulbs and individual reflectors...and I will never need another light on my tank, as I can keep any kind of coral or clams very happy with this light. I have heard the Tek T5 fixtures are nice as well, and are reasonably priced.
four
I agree with everyone above, because I did it the wrong way lol. I started with a two-bulb T5, upgraded to a four bulb, then upgraded again to a six-bulb, long story short, spent a lot more money on lighting than I should have.