what kind of lighting do i need?-Reef Lighting-3reef Forums

kerry · 04-15-2008, 06:43 AM

please help! i am working on setting up a 75 gallon sw tank. i plan to consolidate the contents of my established 29 gallon and 12 gallon nanocube into the 75 gallon. i currently only have soft corals, and i'm pretty happy with what i have...not sure if i want to venture into anything trickier any time soon. but i have no idea what kind of lighting i want for the new tank. i currently have a 30" orbit 2x65 watt power compact on the 29 gallon which is working fine for me now. if i'm going to be spending the money on new lighting, i feel like i should "upgrade" so that i can try some new corals if i want to in the future. at the very least, i want my corals to stay as happy as they are now, and seeing them healthier and growing better with better lighting would be an added bonus. i've read so many lighting articles, my head is spinning. i thought i had settled on t5 ho until i actually started looking at buying one and realized that the ones that were in my price range were less wattage than the power compact that i have now. am i missing something? i don't think i want mh's. they're a little pricey for me, and i don't want the added electricity use. anyone have any cost effective suggestions for me? i have considered using my 30" pc and just getting a new 20" pc and having them overlap a bit in the middle to save money. but i don't really like the idea of having a zillion power cords.

Frizza · 04-15-2008, 06:59 AM

The wattage for the T5 is just down to the length of the tube. For the size tank you are looking at then you should be good with a 4 bulb fixture, maybe a 6 if the funds can stretch to it.