what size lighting will it need

[joshl]

i am looking at doing a 120g that is 48x24x24 what size mh will i need to have no limits on corals that i can do without doing a chiller?

 

[lilrobb]

I would say 2x250W should be alright.
Unless you wanna go T5...

 

[drnecropolis]

I have 2x250 mh over mine

 

[joshl]

ok i am still looking at the t-5 and the mh option but leaning more towards mh because they are cheaper

 

[lilrobb]

???????????
Cheaper to buy maybe, but not cheaper to operate...
MHs use a TON of electricity and cause heat - T5s dont - but don't pack the same punch.
Wouldn't go with "cheap" as a factor...

 

[joshl]

oh ok i will look into t-5 then

 

[joshl]

i dont know alot about t-5s what size do i need if i have a 120g tank that is 24 inches deep??? i am lost when it comes to lighting in this hobbie

 

[Reefplumber13]

bratliff;359157 wrote: I've got 5 T5's over my 18" wide x 27" deep tank and they support just about anything. You should be able to fit 6 T5s no problem and still have room for moon lights. I don't even use a fan in my canopy and I don't have any heat problems. My only limit is I have to keep SPS's mid to high in the tank. With 6 T5's and a shallower tank, you won't have that problem.

are you sure your tank is 27" deep my 90 is 24" deep?

 

[Reefplumber13]

lol i thought maybe my tank was 27" deep oh well lol so can we see pics of your tank

 

[joshl]

cool ok will do thanks for the info

 

[joshl]

i havent got it yet maybe the end of teh year until i do get it but i will be a in the wall tank right now i have a 50 with pc and want something bigger and better

 

[jennm]

Lighting is such a controversial subject

When I set up the 120 at the shop, I put 2 x 175s. Later I wished I'd put 2 x 250. I did not have actinics (used 14,000K lamps)... I did not need a chiller but I keep the AC fairly cool in the shop - and 250s would have necessitated a chiller.

I'm not convinced that even lots of T5HOs "equal" metal halide - but I do like the type of light that T5HOs cast. You don't get the "shimmer" like you do with metal halide, but the quality of light, and the aesthetics are nice - nicer than compact fluorescent, IMO.

I do think you can keep quite a variety of photosynthetics under T5HO - we've been selling units for a couple of years or so and clients like them.

They cost a lot less to run than MH, probably similar power consumption to PC - but the lamps are less expensive to replace, and they don't generate much heat - not like MH... so they are a good choice if a chiller isn't something you want to have to buy.

Jenn