T5HO light question

[lovejc03]

Wondering how many T5HO watts will be good for just about anything: sps corals, anemones & clams.. maybe lps. We have a 55" that's 21 3/4" deep.

 

[cr500_af]

With a QUALITY 6 bulb setup on a 55g you can do whatever you want. LilRobb grew SPS like gangbusters in a 55 with a 6-bulb... I can't remember if it was a TEK or a Nova Extreme. So, 6x54 watts would be my advice.

 

[realfish]

I did great with a 5 bulb fixture over a short 120 with sps and clams. Tank was 20" deep.

 

[lovejc03]

cr500_af;737048 wrote: With a QUALITY 6 bulb setup on a 55g you can do whatever you want. LilRobb grew SPS like gangbusters in a 55 with a 6-bulb... I can't remember if it was a TEK or a Nova Extreme. So, 6x54 watts would be my advice.

Thanks, our canopy can hold up to an 8" wide fixture.. you think maybe 4 bulbs at about 150w would be okay? We're still looking around.. just trying to get an idea.

 

[cr500_af]

4 bulbs would maybe be OK for SPS at the top and I wouldn't try a clam. To run a 6 bulb you will either have to do a retrofit setup or most likely ditch the canopy altogether.

 

[lovejc03]

cr500_af;737054 wrote: 4 bulbs would maybe be OK for SPS at the top and I wouldn't try a clam. To run a 6 bulb you will either have to do a retrofit setup or most likely ditch the canopy altogether.

We definitely want our canopy.. we're hoping to finish it up this weekend. Maybe we'll stick with lps for now.. I was reading that the maxima clams need mh lighting, we just want some t5's. We should be able to keep various lps with 4 bulbs..just need to know a watt approximate. What's a retrofit?

 

[realfish]

I would think you could get 5 in there. Here is the fixture i used. It's 9 1/2 x 4 1/4.

 

[cr500_af]

Instead of a fixture, reflectors, bulbs, ballasts etc are all individually mounted in the canopy. Sort of a custom installation. You can also choose your components individually to get exactly what you want. The biggest key will be good bulbs and good reflectors.

 

[raz0945]

I have a 4 bulb on a 29g, 4 bulb on a 30g, 4 bulb on a 20g, 6 bulb on 2x 40g, 6 bulb on a 75g. I grow sps in all of these tanks. You do have to change the bulbs every 12 months or they will start to fade in color and slow in growth. Holley

 

[jcampbell]

You could do an aquatic life fixture(4 bulb) with ATI bulbs. No need for a 6 bulb, if you want a clam unless you absolutely want 6 bulbs. Aquatic life makes a great fixture ATI bulbs
Look brighter and give the tank a more crisp look.

 

[kirkwood]

JCampbell;737203 wrote: You could do an aquatic life fixture(4 bulb) with ATI bulbs. No need for a 6 bulb, if you want a clam unless you absolutely want 6 bulbs. Aquatic life makes a great fixture ATI bulbs
Look brighter and give the tank a more crisp look.

I've got the aquatic life 4x54 over my 55gallon.. Currently I am running a Giesemann Pure Actinic, Giesemann Actinic+, KZ Fiji Purple, and UV Aquasun (10K).. I've had huge growth from green birdsnest as low as the bottom 1/3rd of the tank, and also have good growth from purple haze monti, and bali green slimer acro which are placed a little over 1/2 the way up from the bottom...

I contacted Chris at Einstein Aquatics about optimal bulb combinations, and he gave me this info for 3 variations of optimal growth, optimal color, or in the middle...

Growth only, 4x 6700k bulbs, but your tank will be muted yellow in color.


In the middle:
1x figi purple
2xnew/ii coral light
1x actinic or superblue


Color:
1xnew
1x figi
2x superblue

 

[lovejc03]

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts . Not sure what we're getting yet.. I guess we need to decide what we want to have in our tank first lol. We're still unsure on which fish we want. I do know we want frogspawn and some zoanthids.... They're so beautiful!

 

[lilrobb]

cr500_af;737048 wrote: With a QUALITY 6 bulb setup on a 55g you can do whatever you want. LilRobb grew SPS like gangbusters in a 55 with a 6-bulb... I can't remember if it was a TEK or a Nova Extreme. So, 6x54 watts would be my advice.

8bulb, Nova Current Extreme.
Barely fit over the 55 - but boy was that thing bright

 

[snowmansnow]

6 lamp or 8 ATI power module or sun power.

 

[lilrobb]

LoveJC03;737034 wrote: Wondering how many T5HO watts will be good for just about anything: sps corals, anemones & clams.. maybe lps. We have a 55" that's 21 3/4" deep.

SnowManSnow;740051 wrote: 6 lamp or 8 ATI power module or sun power.

That's not gonna fit...

 

[gas7057]

Just got my 6x54 ATI for my 75g.


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