I wish some one would come up with a better formula than the watt per gallon

Discussion in 'Reef Lighting' started by guidedbyechoes, May 28, 2011.

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  1. guidedbyechoes

    guidedbyechoes Spaghetti Worm

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    2in10 said earlier in the thread 2 would be fine?

    I had to go find it so I was sure I didnt misread it.
     
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  3. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    Some corals would be ok with two, but your selection would be very limited. Some people may say you could keep "soft corals". However this is a bit of a generalization. There would be some soft corals you could keep and some you couldn't. For example keeping a leather coral, at least depending on the leather, would really be pushing it. At the same time, there would be some non-soft corals you could keep. You'd just be limited to low light corals. I also don't think you could keep a hammer. Most of the others on your list would probably be ok.


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  4. guidedbyechoes

    guidedbyechoes Spaghetti Worm

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    I guess I need 4 then. Thanks for clearing that up.
     
  5. Dingo

    Dingo Giant Squid

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    a watt is a watt... no matter what you use it on, the power will be the same.
    It is a common mis conception in the hobby that halides are electricity hogs. But to get the same amount of light out of anything else (t5 or LED) you will still have to use the same or very close to the same amount of watts. All will cost you the same in electricity...
    And no, you cannot run less watts and get the same intensity of light with LEDs, despite what many people who dont know what they are talking about say. (not directed to people on this forum, but other forums)
     
  6. guidedbyechoes

    guidedbyechoes Spaghetti Worm

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    Halides arent right for my tank size though from what I'm reading.
     
  7. jkat21

    jkat21 Bangghai Cardinal

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    Why not?..before my bow front that I have right now.I was running 2x175 halides with 4 pc actinics with a hamilton long reflector.worked fine for lps and softies..
     
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  9. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    MHs are awesome lights, It would certainly work great for SPS too. What I was saying is that they are not efficient due to the shape of the tank. A 55g is usually 48L x 13H x 20W. Given the length, you need approx 2x175W MHs to cover it. If you changed the dimensions to 24x26x20, you'd also have a 55g, but you would be able to light it easily with a single 175W MH. So, due to the length and narrow width your penalized 175W if you go with MHs. T-5s or leds fit the long shape better, so you can get away with less power consumption and less equipment, but still keep everyone happy. I'm certainly not saying don't go with MHs, just they are not the best budget option. I'm running a MH, but I have a 93g cube which I can light with a single 250W MH (although I do have supplemental lighting for a dusk to dawn effect).