Lighting help

[kehupie]

HI. I am new to the 3reef community and hope somebody can help out.
I have a reef tank (description below) and currently am using 2 - 48 inch T-12 coralife 50/50 (40watts each). I want to add a bulb anemone to my tank and need lighting. After reading these forums, I think I can use VHO's. If I use 2 Blue 54 watts (8500KH) and 2 white 54 watts each. would this be enough. My tank is about 20" depth. I also want to be able to take advantage of the 50/50 aknitics I have now along with the HO's. Please advise. Much thanks in advance.

[reefman_MC]

Welcome to 3reef kehupie. There is no such thing as a 48" 54 watt VHO. A 48" VHO bulb would be 110 watts. A 48" T-5 would be 54 watts. I think your getting VHO's and T-5's mixed up. I would say you can use either to keep a Bubble Tip Anemone, but if you decided on T-5's you would need more than 4 bulbs. You would most likely have to get an 8 bulb fixture. Full VHO fixtures are available at http://www.championlighting.com and full T-5 fixtures are available at http://www.liveaquaria.com.

[Jason McKenzie]

I would have to say 54 W would still not be enough lights. 4 X 54 + 2X 40W sounds like a ton of light but it's not really the correct kind of light. I would look into Metal Halide lighting before purchasing an Anemone

Jason

[reefman_MC]

Bubble tips do not require as much light as others. I think he could get away with either 4x110 watt VHOs or 8x54watt T-5s. That would give him 440 with VHO's and 432 watts with the T-5's. I know loads of guys who keep anemones under VHO and PC. I used to keep my anemones under PC's. I know noone who has successfully kept an anemone under T-5's. So I would suggest the VHO's. Just be sure and get the anemones as high up in the tank as possible and I think you will be safe. Of course the MH would be better, but if you don't have the funds for that your stuck with with one of the three VHO, T-5, or PC.

[Craig Manoukian]

The key from my expearience is the intensity. I have a BTA in my 20 gallon long with 110 watts of 10,000K PC lighting. The sand is no more than 12" from the light and the shallowness really maximizes the intensity. With a 20" tall tank that is almost twice the water column than my tank to penetrate to the sand bed.

My BTA stays in the top 1/3 of the water column.

[kehupie]

Thanks all for the advice. Much appreciated.
Reefman- You are correct I am looking into the T-5's. If I go with the 8-way, what type of bulb would be most optimal for the tank (blue, aknitic blue, sun)? would a mixture work?
Another post on this board mentioned that The T-5 is 54 watts but that is a deceptive number. THe lumen output is 3 times more than a 110 Watt VHO or 96 watt PC. Is this true? Plus the T-5's hold there spectrum and intensity. longer than PC'S or VHO . Has anyone had experience with these bulbs?
Much thanks in advance.

[reefman_MC]

I have two actinic T-5's as my supplemental fluorescents. They're are fairly intense for just two bulbs. You will want to talk to someone about the mixture of the bulbs. I would think that it would be four actinic blue and four suns, but not 100% sure. You will want to get in touch with a T-5 sales person and ask them. I think your rite about the T-5 comparison. I've heard that same comparison a few times.

[reefman_MC]

A friend of mine runs his with the 4xblue actinic and 4xsun. His tank isn't too blue or not blue enough it looks good. So that's probably what you should do.