which light to buy?

Hi, i'm new here. I am starting a reef in a 50 gallon breeder tank 36"x18"x18". Now, i have a lunar aqualite PC unit with two 65watt bulbs. Actinic and 10K. What would be a good choice to supplement with that would fit on the top next to the light i already have for it, the aqualight is about 10" wide. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'm looking to get at least 5watts per gallon. Thank you.

 

Tang fan Nice job on the breeder, However if its truly going to be a breeder tank I would probably shift gears all together and get some t5's in there for some nice growth. If its just your own personal tank I might just buy T5 add ons from reef geek or some place that can help you make the best decision. greg and marie are awesome.

 

I agree on the t5's. However I dont neccessarily think you need to get all new and ditch the PC's. unless you can spare the funds. Are you using a canopy because you could probably add a retro fit T5.

 

It's going to be "open top" for heat displacement, and i actually like the look. So retro-fitting won't be an option. I was thinking about maybe a Halide pendant, but i have no knowledge/experience with them. I do have a sunpod on my biocube, and i like the color and glimmer the 14K bulbs give out.

 

PC bulbs only last about 6 months and are very expensive to replace. You'll save money in the long run going to t5's or MH. Just my two cents.

 

It's not practical to have a PC fixture, then a MH pendant. Most of the light will be wasted as it will just hit the top of the fixture heating that up,which could cause some problems with the ballasts in the fixture. I like the idea of doing a MH pendant, but if you do, just have that. You can get a nice reflector that will allow the bulb to cover a large area and get a 250w ballast and bulb combo.

 

Thanks for the input. I was thinking of going with a TEK T5 unit, but i just hate wasting the Aqualight i have just sitting there. It's practically brand new. ugh...i dunno, maybe i'll just get a T5 unit or supplement with a GLO custimizable T5 system

 

Update: Thinking about ditching the PC and going with a 6x39W TEK T5HO unit. Anyone have experience with this light/opinions? Would give me 4.68watts per gallon. Would that be enough to keep clams and or sps? The tank is only 18 inches deep