Reef Lighting Noob...please Help!

[basscyn]

For my set up (75gl) with the help from you fine folks here at ARC,I have made some solid decisions about what to do under the tank.Brandon gave me some hands on training this week...and I have seen the light. Speaking of light...I am now focusing above my tank. Holy moly! Choices, choices, decisions decisions. Its drivin me nuts! Pros and cons for everything. I only want to make the right choice...and try to only make it once...for this tank anyway.

I currently have a fish only with live rock. Simply put...I want a lighting system that will allow me to keep corals. I would like to purchase NEW and keep it in the neighborhood of $350.00...$400.00. But you know how that goes.

Through my research, I am leaning toward a T-5 set up. I like the PC look. I am looking at an Orbit 4x96w. Nice sleek looking...has little legs that raise it above the tanks. (which I understand is important for air exchange and temp) Looks really nice. With a bowfront tank, I am limited a little by the depth of the strip. My tank is only about a foot wide.

Here is the orbit I am looking at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260222481538&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=016">see?</a>
I like these too. See a lot of em on ebay [IMG]http://cgi.ebay.com/48-Metal-Halide-T5-HO-Aquarium-Light-Moon-Brand-New_W0QQitemZ180227605129QQihZ008QQcategoryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">like-this.</a>
Or this one 4x96 with little moon lights [IMG]http://cgi.ebay.com/48-Power-Compact-Aquarium-Light-4X-96-w-Moon_W0QQitemZ350040798222QQihZ022QQcategoryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">like-this</a>
Ebay sellers seem to have decent pricing..and ebay is a good place to see a lot of variety.

What about manufaturer? Some of these sleek German jobs, even though they have a warranty, list no name brand manufacturer. I see Orbit, I have seen Sun Tek. One of these is a Nova. Are there brands to stay away from? What are the good ones?

Are these acceptable to grow corals successfully?

Do I REALLY need MH?
Do any of you have setups [B]<u>with out</u>[/B] MH? What if any challenges or limitations do you face.

You guys are the greatest.
I look forward to you making this decision for me:thumbs: :thumbs:

 

[george]

With a 75g, you don't need MH unless you want it. I have seen several tanks without it that grow SPS beautifully. One in particular, Alan's tank (Sprayin70), was fantastic and unless I'm misremembering he didn't have MH.

I don't know a lot about T5 particulars, other than that's the option to go with unless you want to do MH.

 

[burdundi]

If you are leaning towards T5, I would definitely recommend the Tek Light Fixtures. Great fixtures that haven't let anyone down. I haven't heard too many good things about the Nova fixtures, but I haven't had one personally.

You can get away without MH, but then I would go T5. I started out with a 58 gallon and got a PC only and quickly wished I had upgraded to T5 and/or MH.

My 2 cents,

Andy

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Hey Chris, The lights you are looking at (the orbit 4x96W) <u>ARE NOT</u> T-5 lights!!! Those are still PC lights and will not allow you to do what you are wanting to do, nor are they much better then what you already have. Again, my BEST advice is to build (or buy) a canopy and retro fit some T-5s into it. It will save you money in buying a hood. The plus is you do not need a tall canopy with T-5s.

If you are dead set on e-bay, here are two T-5 lights on e-bay... http://cgi.ebay.com/Marineland-T-5-48-Deluxe-Aquarium-Light-w-Bulbs-New_W0QQitemZ220215861288QQihZ012QQcategoryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">Here</a> and [IMG]http://cgi.ebay.com/48-T5HO-T5-Aquarium-Light-Cichlid-T-5-Reef-Lighting_W0QQitemZ330223390898QQihZ014QQcategoryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">here</a>. Now, they are not the BEST out there because they do not have individual reflectors, but they are better then what you got. So just to be clear, PC (power compact) lights ARE NOT T-5 lights... If given then chance, you want a hood with individual reflectors OR a retro-fit kit.

On a side note, It was great to meet you and your son. I wish you guys were stopping by tonight instead because my clown fish just layed eggs this afternoon and it would have been great for your son to see! You guys are welcome over anytime!

 

[family reefer]

MH lights are gonna cause heat issues and the benefit of the light will be offset by the heat unless you want to drop another 5 or 6 bones on a chiller. T-5 would be a great choice. Little heat issues and strong enough to grow even clams. There is a LFS that has a Deresa clam in a Red Sea cube. Been there on the floor of that tank for months...Doin fine. All of the SPS are roin like wildfire as well. Spend the bucks on a nice Hamilton T-5 fixture. Here in Augusta you can pick up a 4 tube for like 430 and the 8 tube for like 50 bucks more. Awesome!! 8 tubes are the way to go for the little more$$$ Then you could surely keep any animal you wanted. I have 1750 watts of MH on my 220 but I have to run a 1/2 hp chiller to keep things cool. Lights burnin electricity as well as the chiller. T-5 will pay for itself on power bill savings down the road. As for bulbs replacement $$$ they are all about the same cost.Sorry to be so long...................
Scott

 

[ralph atl]

Either T-5 or Metal Halides. Don't get PC's. Depending upon the amount of wattage, either fixture could cause heat temp issues. If you stick with 2 x 250 mh or the tek T-5, you shouldn't need a chiller. That would also depend on how efficient your other power heads, pumps, and your sump is. Usually, fan or 2 over your sump will do the trick. You will have more options in the future if you get MH, and the glitter lines look cool, but it's kinda like Canon vs Nikon. It's what you prefer is all that matters between those 2. Before you buy, check out some tanks with T-5's and MH.

 

[basscyn]

Xyzpdq0121;159214 wrote: Hey Chris, The lights you are looking at (the orbit 4x96W) <u>ARE NOT</u> T-5 lights!!! Those are still PC lights and will not allow you to do what you are wanting to do, nor are they much better then what you already have. Again, my BEST advice is to build (or buy) a canopy and retro fit some T-5s into it. It will save you money in buying a hood. The plus is you do not need a tall canopy with T-5s.

If you are dead set on e-bay, here are two T-5 lights on e-bay... http://cgi.ebay.com/Marineland-T-5-48-Deluxe-Aquarium-Light-w-Bulbs-New_W0QQitemZ220215861288QQihZ012QQcategoryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">Here</a> and [IMG]http://cgi.ebay.com/48-T5HO-T5-Aquarium-Light-Cichlid-T-5-Reef-Lighting_W0QQitemZ330223390898QQihZ014QQcategoryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">here</a>. Now, they are not the BEST out there because they do not have individual reflectors, but they are better then what you got. So just to be clear, PC (power compact) lights ARE NOT T-5 lights... If given then chance, you want a hood with individual reflectors OR a retro-fit kit.

On a side note, It was great to meet you and your son. I wish you guys were stopping by tonight instead because my clown fish just layed eggs this afternoon and it would have been great for your son to see! You guys are welcome over anytime![/QUOTE]

Thanks Brandon! So...the two you linked here...do they provide enough...juice? They are certainly cheaper than the ones [B]<u>I</u>[/B] was looking at.

Thanks for the invite. Sorry we missed the blessed event! Thomas would have gotten a kick out of that.

 

[basscyn]

family reefer;159224 wrote: MH lights are gonna cause heat issues and the benefit of the light will be offset by the heat unless you want to drop another 5 or 6 bones on a chiller. T-5 would be a great choice. Little heat issues and strong enough to grow even clams. There is a LFS that has a Deresa clam in a Red Sea cube. Been there on the floor of that tank for months...Doin fine. All of the SPS are roin like wildfire as well. Spend the bucks on a nice Hamilton T-5 fixture. Here in Augusta you can pick up a 4 tube for like 430 and the 8 tube for like 50 bucks more. Awesome!! 8 tubes are the way to go for the little more$$$ Then you could surely keep any animal you wanted. I have 1750 watts of MH on my 220 but I have to run a 1/2 hp chiller to keep things cool. Lights burnin electricity as well as the chiller. T-5 will pay for itself on power bill savings down the road. As for bulbs replacement $$$ they are all about the same cost.Sorry to be so long...................
Scott

Thanks for the tip Reefer. I will keep my eye open for Hamilton! The 8 tube may be a bit too wide for my tank. I will have to research.
:thanks:

 

[basscyn]

Barbara;159229 wrote: The 2 PC fixtures will not support SPS (The orbit and the 3rd one in your 3 examples). If you want to get into SPS, you have to go with metal halides or T-5s. You can do MH with PC supplements, but you can't do just PCs if you want SPS.

T-5s are more energy efficient and don't cause as many heat problems at metal halides. However, nothing gives the pretty "shimmer" effect except MH.

Yes...Brandon showed me the shimmer and the lack of shimmer with the t-5's. That is a shame.
There is always a ...<u>however</u></em> isnt there?

 

[basscyn]

mysterybox;159234 wrote: Either T-5 or Metal Halides. Don't get PC's. Depending upon the amount of wattage, either fixture could cause heat temp issues. If you stick with 2 x 250 mh or the tek T-5, you shouldn't need a chiller. That would also depend on how efficient your other power heads, pumps, and your sump is. Usually, fan or 2 over your sump will do the trick. You will have more options in the future if you get MH, and the glitter lines look cool, but it's kinda like Canon vs Nikon. It's what you prefer is all that matters between those 2. Before you buy, check out some tanks with T-5's and MH.

Thats a great idea. Thanks. Canon vs. Nikon? I was a Minolta guy...figures. Now all my stuff fits a Sony. I hope I make a better choice for lights.
Thanks!

 

[basscyn]

family reefer;159224 wrote: MH lights are gonna cause heat issues and the benefit of the light will be offset by the heat unless you want to drop another 5 or 6 bones on a chiller. T-5 would be a great choice. Little heat issues and strong enough to grow even clams. There is a LFS that has a Deresa clam in a Red Sea cube. Been there on the floor of that tank for months...Doin fine. All of the SPS are roin like wildfire as well. Spend the bucks on a nice Hamilton T-5 fixture. Here in Augusta you can pick up a 4 tube for like 430 and the 8 tube for like 50 bucks more. Awesome!! 8 tubes are the way to go for the little more$$$ Then you could surely keep any animal you wanted. I have 1750 watts of MH on my 220 but I have to run a 1/2 hp chiller to keep things cool. Lights burnin electricity as well as the chiller. T-5 will pay for itself on power bill savings down the road. As for bulbs replacement $$$ they are all about the same cost.Sorry to be so long...................
Scott

Ok Scott. What about this one

 

[basscyn]

Barbara;159229 wrote: The 2 PC fixtures will not support SPS (The orbit and the 3rd one in your 3 examples). If you want to get into SPS, you have to go with metal halides or T-5s. You can do MH with PC supplements, but you can't do just PCs if you want SPS.

T-5s are more energy efficient and don't cause as many heat problems at metal halides. However, nothing gives the pretty "shimmer" effect except MH.

What <u>about</u> that second one in my examples Barbara? What do you think? It has MH and T5-HO? No name brand though...right?

 

[mufret]

The ones from Ebay appear to be Oddysea fixture which have a good price point but you need to be prepared to do a little rewiring (or at least verifying that everything is properly connected). There are a number of T5 fixtures to look at including the Sunlight Supply Tek fixtures or the new Current Nova Extreme PRO fixture. These are going to give you the prperties you are looking for (T5 HO with individual reflectors) at a reasonable price point. If you want to spend a little more look at the ATI and Aquatinic fixtures.

 

[basscyn]

mufret;159338 wrote: The ones from Ebay appear to be Oddysea fixture which have a good price point but you need to be prepared to do a little rewiring (or at least verifying that everything is properly connected). There are a number of T5 fixtures to look at including the Sunlight Supply Tek fixtures or the new Current Nova Extreme PRO fixture. These are going to give you the prperties you are looking for (T5 HO with individual reflectors) at a reasonable price point. If you want to spend a little more look at the ATI and Aquatinic fixtures.

What kind of wiring on the odyssea? So the Nova lights are good ones?

 

[mufret]

BASSCYN;159340 wrote: What kind of wiring on the odyssea?

It depends! I know that's not the answer you were looking for but the problem with the Oddysea fixture is quality control. Some will be put together properly and all connections tightened, some will not. If you get one, just make sure you make sure all the electrical connections are secure! You may also need to be prepared to replace ballasts and fans sooner than with many of the "better" fixtures.

BASSCYN;159340 wrote: So the Nova lights are good ones?

Not all Nova fixtures are created equally. Make sure you stick with the PRO fixtures. These will have the individual reflectors. The regular extreme fixtures have a single reflector.

 

[basscyn]

mufret;159338 wrote: The ones from Ebay appear to be Oddysea fixture which have a good price point but you need to be prepared to do a little rewiring (or at least verifying that everything is properly connected). There are a number of T5 fixtures to look at including the Sunlight Supply Tek fixtures or the new Current Nova Extreme PRO fixture. These are going to give you the prperties you are looking for (T5 HO with individual reflectors) at a reasonable price point. If you want to spend a little more look at the ATI and Aquatinic fixtures.

Like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/Current-USA-48-Nova-Extreme-Pro-6x54w-T5-Aquarium-New_W0QQitemZ350040375610QQihZ022QQcategoryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem">HERE?</a>
What questions should I be asking myself about this one? Do I [B]<u>NEED</u>[/B] [B]<u>6</u>[/B]x54? Would [B]<u>4</u>[/B]x54 really give me the same result? It would certainly leave a few extra bucks in my pocket. But I dont want to say later[I]..."I should a got the other one".</em>

[I]Thanks for your help!</em>
Whadayathink?

 

[mufret]

The 6 X 54 would allow you to keep any light craving livestock you wanted in your 75 (SPS, clams, etc.). The 4 X 54 might limit you just a bit in some areas of the tank.

For T5's you need to find out whether they are using individual reflectors? Which ballasts? and which bulbs? To throw something else into the mix! If you choose the Current fixture, try to get it without bulbs and purchase your own bulbs separately. The Current bulbs leave a lot to be desired. Look at ATI, Geisseman, GE, KZ for bulbs.

 

[roland jacques]

For the money this one you pointed out looks like the best Bang for the buck. We have one that looks just like it and it works Great on a 75.

 

[basscyn]

Thanks for the advice Mufret!
Hey look at Rolands comments. That particular fixture has MH and HO T-5's. Looks like to me thats the best of both worlds.

 

[basscyn]

Barbara;159329 wrote: Looks like a good deal, but I would ask the seller what kind of ballasts they provide with the light, and what kind of bulb (brand). My first light was a hood kit, and it was an off brand made by the company now called Catalina Aquariums. I bought it and used it for 2 years, and sold it to someone else who's still using it today. It was an off brand, but turned out to be a very good light.

Ok...I asked him...here was the responce.

<u>electromagnetic ballast for halides and electronic for the t5''s
2 year warranty included.

Bulbs are made by sun lighting.</u></em>

Any of that make any sense Barbara?