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06-15-2006, 09:11 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 46
Karma: 1
 |  Opinions on various lighting
Looking to upgrade lighting on my FOWLR (55 gal, 48x13x20) to a reef friendly setup and considering several lighting setups. I was hoping maybe some people have some experience with the brands in question, and can provide some feedback!
A word about prices: I haven't bothered looking on e-bay yet, I want to have a better idea of what I'm actually looking for first.
First option -- Coralife Aqualight 4x65W w/ 4 Moon LED's. I actually have several Coralife products, and like them (My RO/DI has been great). Total wattage from this light would be 260, which would be 4.72 WPG. This setup is also the cheapest.
Second -- Current USA Orbit 4x65 w/ 4 Moon LEDs. Never heard of Current USA, but I did some digging and didn't find anything bad about them. Same WPG as above.
Third -- Current USA Orbit 4x96 w/ 4 Moon LEDs. A little bit more expensive, but ups the watts/gallon to 6.98
Fourth -- Coralife Aqualight PLUS 4x96 w/ 4 Moon LEDs. Most expensive...maybe not worth the price over the other current USA?
Thanks everyone!
_________
55-Gal : FOWLR, now with sand! Coralife SS 125, Emperor BioWheel 400, PhosBan Reactor
Guests: 2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Next: Cleaner Shrimp, inverts, anemone? | 
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06-15-2006, 10:12 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Stylophora
Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Montreal, QC,Quebec Age: 29
Posts: 999
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Have you looked at metal halide. Cause depending on what you want to keep you might be better off dishing out more bucks but the lights will do the job in the long run. I run a 2 x 65W coralife PC retrofit kit on a 20 high. Does a great job, no complaints for coralife from me. But i dont know anything about Current USA.
Marc. _________ 
20Gal, 45 lbs LR, 65W PC 10 000K + 65W PC 20 000K + 10Gal sump/fuge
Livestock :hermit and snails, Green star polyps, Button polyps, Finger leather, Xenia, Zoanthids, Mushrooms, Yellow polyps, montipora digitata, acropora, ?mistery polyps?, mistery crab, six line wrasse | |
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06-15-2006, 10:13 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Eyelash Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lakeland, Fl
Posts: 1,294
  
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by ts383 Looking to upgrade lighting on my FOWLR (55 gal, 48x13x20) to a reef friendly setup and considering several lighting setups. | It's all pc lighting, so what do you mean by reef friendly?
If all you want to keep is low light lps and softies any of the above lighting systems will work just fine. 
Jim
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90 Gallon glass, 135#'s of rock and 2" sand. 2-250w 20k XM metal halides. 2-95 watt actinic VHO, 4 powerheads, Coralife skimmer. Maroon Gold Striped Clown, Blue Chromis, Kole Tang, Pygmy Angel, Serpent Star, Brittle Star,Gorgonians, Mushrooms, Yellow Polyps, Turbo Snails & Blue Legged Hermits. 20 gal sump with Caulerpa, Mag 7 return pump. | |
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06-15-2006, 11:27 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Age: 21
Posts: 3,451
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Dont count out T-5HO.
I had PC lighting for almost 3 years and it was great. But now with my T-5s...its amazing! My acropora is turning neon green again, my zoos look fantastic...everything is better. So if you want somthing "closer" to metal halide but dont want to deal with it...look into T-5HO.
I got mine from www.reekgeek.com
Friendly Small Business. _________ Tank Specs:
55 Gallon Mixed Reef
48" Tek Light: 4-54W T5 HO Fluorescents
Bulbs:
1 x 54w Fiji Purple T5 HO Fluorescent
1 x 54w Super Actinic Blue T5 HO Flourescent
1 x 54w 14000K AquaBlue 75/25 T5 HO Fluorescent
1 x 54w 10000k AquaSun T5 HO Fluorescent
Hard Stuff:
100+ lb. Fiji Live Rock
65+ lb. Live sand
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06-15-2006, 12:19 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 46
Karma: 1
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Reef-friendly was not the right term . Perhaps more reef-adequate would have been better?
As-is, thank you all for the feedback. I still have alot of planning to do, and figure out just how much I want to spend | |
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06-15-2006, 03:34 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Feather Duster
Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: jonesboro, arkansas Age: 29
Posts: 215
Karma: 12
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most of those 4x65w fixtures have 2 10k and 2 actinic blulbs. imo u will need to have more light. i dont think it will be enough to make your tank as reef friendly as you want. you could add a t-5 vho to it or maybe change the acting pc bulbs for 50-50's. i know a guy who has the sametank with the same pc fixture and a t-5 it does well but it will not keep anything that needs a lot of light. just like diver said.
_________
125 gallon glass. 3 10k 250w metal halides, 1 4ft 110w vho actinic. who knows how much live rock. yellow tang, domino, cinnamon clown, percula clown, flame angel,peppermint shrimp, camel shrimp, skunk shrimp, a few turbo snails, lots of hermit crabs, leather coral, branching frogspawn, mushrooms, too much xenia, and several different zoo's and button polyps | |
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06-15-2006, 04:45 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Sea Dragon
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kalispell, MT
Posts: 533
Karma: 47
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I would go with the VHO. On hellolights.com I got 2 36'' coralife bulbs(one 10k and one antic) with a vho ballast that can do up to 220watts for 120ish shipped. _________ Senior Noob Setting my 75 back up soon Main SW Tank:
55gal, 70LBS of Tonga/LFSDIY, 50lbs LS, 1x250watt MH(20k), AquaC Remora Skimmer Live stock: Velvet Damsel, (12)Blue legged crab, lawnmower blenny, (1)cleaner shrimp, Yellow Tang, Featherduster CoralsRandom Zoo's(like 10), more zoo's,red mushrooms and hairy mushrooms, Sinularia | |
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06-15-2006, 05:18 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Age: 21
Posts: 3,451
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I still think T-5HOS are the way to go...they are IMO better than vho if you can harness the reflection. I have 4x55 on my tank and my acro and sps and...all corals are gaining great colors. I have a 55 gal tank...and i the reason why i didn't go mh is because i didn't even want to mess with heat (i know it might not be a problem...but if it is...well.) | |
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06-15-2006, 06:39 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Fire Worm
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: OREGON
Posts: 170
Karma: 4
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if you want corals do not buy CF if you want SPS's or clams you must have MH or maybe T5's but CF will not support anything well or enough to have it grow of live a full life. one thing thats hard for me was buying stuff now and having to upgrade later so if you know you want something save for it first so you can buy the right thing first not the second time around. _________  dang lazy cleaner shrimp! | |
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06-15-2006, 07:37 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Feather Duster
Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: jonesboro, arkansas Age: 29
Posts: 215
Karma: 12
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i agree with the idea of waiting until you can get the lights you really want. i upgraded several times. its a costly and troublesome process. bruce is completely correct about the heat problems of mh, however imo nothing comes close to it, in terms of healthy coral. you can keep mh's from heating your water if you take the time do install them far enough away from the water and or have good ventilation. | |
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