Question

[ilovesam08]

Ok I am now in the market to buy a new light.
I was wondering what kind of corals can a 216 watt light be able to support??


thanks alot

 

[xyzpdq0121]

What type of light.. not all wattage is created equal.. Normal output lights are less then PC lights which are less then VHO light which are less then T-5 light and so on!

 

[ilovesam08]

they are t-5 lighting.
Do you have any suggestions on what light would be good for a 55 gallon.

I want to it to be able to support SPS and clams.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Either
1) 4 59W t-5 (I think you can only fit 4 over a 55gal.)
2) a combo of 2-175W Halides and two 59W T-5s.
3) a combo of 2-250W Halides and two VHOs

That will keep pretty much anything that you want.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Does that current fixture have individual refectors over the T-5s?!?

 

[FutureInterest]

Brandon your doing much better with your response time!

The pro does kinda have individual reflectors. It has a single sheet that is contoured around the bulbs. It isn't as effective as individual reflectors because it doesn't contour the whole bulb but its better than just a flat sheet of metal.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

FutureInterest;251416 wrote: Brandon your doing much better with your response time!

The pro does kinda have individual reflectors. It has a single sheet that is contoured around the bulbs. It isn't as effective as individual reflectors because it doesn't contour the whole bulb but its better than just a flat sheet of metal.

What I wonder is if 4 bulbs on individual reflectors is better then 6 from the current fixture. Thus saving set-up cost and energy costs.... I am really not a T-5 person, so I don't know... Just throwing it out there!

BTW: Don't you have a miracle puppy to be taking care of?!? What are doing trying to be me to the post?!?

 

[FutureInterest]

That's a good question that someone raised to me earlier today. So I just researched it. The pro unit with 6 bulbs was actually cheaper than the 4 bulb individual retro setup. The pro unit was reported to have about 270 par at 17 inches down, which is pretty decent. It also has fans built in and looks like a nicely made fixture which can be advantageous over t5 retros. Maintenance costs for electricity and replacement bulbs clearly favors the 4 bulb icecap/tek2 retro but I'm not sure what a 4 bulb icecap setup will achieve in terms of par so I can't really compare the two in that regard. :sad: Just from looking at the reflector on the extreme pro I would think that the 4 bulb icecap/tek2 would probably be equal in par if overdriven... but that's just a guess .

As for the puppy, he's all drugged up and sleeping peacefully now like a lil angel... and Sophie is sleeping so I can finally get some stuff done... and yet I'm hanging out on ARC...

 

[xyzpdq0121]

FutureInterest;251422 wrote:
As for the puppy, he's all drugged up and sleeping peacefully now like a lil angel... and Sophie is sleeping so I can finally get some stuff done... and yet I'm hanging out on ARC...

How dare you drug Sophie to get her to sleep!!!

 

[FutureInterest]

Nah we don't give her drugs just hard liquor and cigs. They relax her .

 

[FutureInterest]

I agree with you Ace. I recommended that unit over the 4 bulb t5 for those reasons and more. If you could fit 6 icecaps on a 55 tank then I might go with that instead but you can't so this fixture makes a lot of sense.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Ace... I am not dogging your fixture... I will admit when I do not know enough to talk in anything but speculation. This is one of those times!

 

[ilovesam08]

OK sorry it took so long to write back, made a trip to walmart.
Ha Ha who does that at 12 at night.

But yeah i think it has refelctors.
Ok i think I am going to get the 4 59W t-5.
Hopefully i will be happy with that choice.

 

[drnecropolis]

ilovesam08;251451 wrote: OK sorry it took so long to write back, made a trip to walmart.
Ha Ha who does that at 12 at night.

.

Hell... thats the only time I can bring myself to walk into those hell holes

 

[ilovesam08]

LOl i know right. You want catch me there during the day.