looking for a light for a reef tank

I have had my tank for a little over a month and I want to eventually have corals. I have no idea what kind of light I will need for that. There are so many different kind of lights I am a little over whelmed. I have a 46 gallon tank.

 

What lighting do you have now?

What is your budget for lighting?

 

It is just one long florescent looking light it came with the setup it doesn't say what it is. I am not sure what my budget is yet, I am trying to figure out what I need and the range of what it will cost before I need it so I can save up for it. I don't really know enough about what I need to decide on a budget for it. If that makes any sense :/

 

Then I would start window shopping at MarineDepot.com to get an idea.

Middle of the road money wise that is going to do a good job of growing corals is going to be a T5HO fixture. The type/brand of bulbs used make a big difference as well.

Next up will be your MH fixtures, or combinations of T5 and MH. Both types of lighting do produce heat. Metal halide much more than T5. Changing/replacing bulbs should be any were from 6 to 9 months for both types IMO. Both types use more energy than LED.

LED DIY are moderately priced all the way to pretty darn expensive for some slick looking and well preforming fixtures/types. Energy use is diminished and diode life is MUCH longer than the other two types of lighting.

There is always and will always be a heated discussion over which type is best. You just need to narrow it down based on what you can afford and what you will eventually keep.

For some simple soft tanks with easier stony corals even PC do a good job, but they do have their limitations.

 

Innovative Marine Skkye Light Dimmable DUAL Strip 36", 38 Watts, Black - AquaCave.com I have been looking at this one. Do you know if it is a good light?

 

Sorry I know nothing more than the basics of LED.
Just google for reviews using the fixture type, there are no reviews on that distributors page. Something tells me you can get a better light for the money.

 

At that price? No. Look into DIY.

 

Good to know that's exactly what I need I was wondering why I couldn't find any reviews...

 

I need to get better at DIYing

 

No,I wouldn't choose that one,if you decide on led you can do much better for much less$$.Do some online shopping,check out ebay,reefbreeders,rapidled.