I know this is on here somewhere, but searching 100 blogs about lighting for the answer is too frustrating. I am the one with the upsidedown anenome. I went and bought a T5 set-up and set it up. But then we realized that it only had two 54 watt bulbs in it. I know stupid...but is the rule of thumb (3 to 5 watts per gallon) different with these bulbs, or do I have to go spend $240 more to get 108 more watts for this to be a reef tank? I am sorry for this possibly dumb question. Please help!!!!!!
55 gallon T5 lighting HELP!!!!
- Thread starter carribear
- Start date
Not a dumb question. First off I would return the light. A good T5 fixture is atleast 8 bulbs with individual reflectors. Im not sure what light you got but it doesnt sound like a good one. I would order THIS light. It will be perfect for your tank. You wont be limited by lighting then. And its a great price and an OUTSTANDING light. Or you could search Craigslist for the same light.
Pushing that MH hard aren't you? LOL.
With T5HO bulbs the whole "Watts per Gallon rule" is thrown out the window. It doesn't apply to T5HOs because a 54w T5HO puts out over 2x the light as a 65w PC bulb. So your 2 T5's = 4-5 PC light bulbs. Still, I would have recommended at least a 4 bulb fixture for a seabae anemone. You can't go wrong with a MH fixture.. but you have to have the $$ to afford it.
With T5HO bulbs the whole "Watts per Gallon rule" is thrown out the window. It doesn't apply to T5HOs because a 54w T5HO puts out over 2x the light as a 65w PC bulb. So your 2 T5's = 4-5 PC light bulbs. Still, I would have recommended at least a 4 bulb fixture for a seabae anemone. You can't go wrong with a MH fixture.. but you have to have the $$ to afford it.
Not pushing it too much but why would you waste money on a T5 when another $150 will get you a nice MH fixture and all your lighting problems will be solved. Although I didnt think about T5s being overdriven like they are. So its true with the fact that they are like 2x a PC bulb.
So went out and spent about $250 on T5 lighting. All of a sudden the lights in my house didn't work. We have the kind of switches that are push button with dimmers and fans control. Anyway, turns out the T5 lighting was interupting the electrical current. Ever heard of that? So what kind of lighting can I get that is as good and comparable in price. I don't think we haqve anywhere around here to get MH lighting. What a pain.
Last edited:
I would post this in the equipment section. I bet someone with some electrical knowledge will be able to help you. The technical knowledge of some of the posters in that section never cease to amaze me.