How many watts of t5's do i need for my 55 for sps's??

[wt*jayjay]

Im setting up my first saltwater tank. Ive got everything so far but lights. Ive hard all the pros and cons on mh's and t5's and im going with t5's mainly because my room is in the basment and doesnt have a/c. so it gets hot enough durring the summer as it is and is already tricky to maintain tank temps.

BTW this is going on a 55 gallon tank. So my question is, is there really a rule of thumb or watts to gallon ratio for hard corral growth?

Im just trying to decide if I should get a 4, 6, or 8 bulb fixture.

Im probably goin to get a Current USA Nova Extreme fixture. They seem to be a great price and ive read good reviews as well.

just trying to save money on top of not having to buy a fixture with more bulbs later. just want to make sure the one i get will be able to grow everything once i start adding corral.

 

[wt*jayjay]

well i still dont have that fully figgured out yet, but just from my basic noob research i know i can grow soft corals with pretty much any ho t5 fixture i end up with, lps hards need high lighting, and sps hards need even more? correct me if im wrong.

but what im trying to do is get the one that will grow anything i find that i like as i get more into the hobby. i hate finding somthing i think is really cool and would love to have in my tank and then finding out i need to get somthing better for my set up for it to work right. kinda like seeing a new fish you havent seen before thinking its awsome and wanting to get it and then reading it gets 2feet long or somthing..

 

[weaglereefer]

4 will be fine to grow SPS in the top half of the tank, especially if you have individual reflectors.

If you haven't already bought the tank, a 75 is the same height and width, just a bit deeper for more aquascaping. Scaping a 55 will be a PITA!!!

 

[wt*jayjay]

oh trust me id love to have a bigger tank. but the missis might just kill me yet . i actually was going to make my first salt tank out of my 125, but after listening to her go on about how much room it takes up ontop of really realizing how much it was going to cost me just to stock it with rock... im selling it and useing the 55 i have laying around. I feel its a much better idea for me to start with.

i figgure if im still in the hobby years down the road ill get a bigger tank and transfer everything

 

[weaglereefer]

PM jeff.mchpail, I know he had my old 75 sitting in his garage, it may still be there.

 

[wt*jayjay]

eh i would, but im already picking up a stand for cheap to fit the 55 tomorrow.

and my buddy who actually got me into the hobby has a 55 and i like his set up just fine .

 

[cr500_af]

FWIW, Rob (LilRobb) grew SPS very well in a 55 with 6x54w T5s over it... and it took off even more when he changed to 8x54w.

 

[lilrobb]

Correction - it was only 4 before the change to 8, the 4 was a TEK though, with individual reflectors.

Robb

 

[cr500_af]

Correction noted... it was my T5s that were 6 bulbs... my memory isn't what it used to be.

What do you have, a search string saved that looks for your name? LOL

 

[lilrobb]

Nah, a Blackberry and w commute to work that includes a 30min trafficjam every mornin... LOL