Hi guys,
I need some assistance (as usual). My Uncle Sam is giving me a little money and I’d like to upgrade lights on my tank.
The tank is a 45 gallon pentagonal tank. The cover has a clear part for the lights of about 18 inches. The tank is (roughly) 24 inches deep. (It’s really a 24” cube with one corner cut off to make the pentagon shape.)
I’ve got a fair bit of zoas, shrooms, and the like (hammer, torch, trumpet, acan). I certainly wouldn’t complain about adding some SPS… though I would prefer not to go to metal halide.
The current light setup is a 96W PC bulb (20”) that is half 10K and half actinic. I have very good mushroom growth and moderate zoa and LPS growth. I do have a birdsnest coral that is growing quite well too.
So, the questions:
1) Will a pair of 20W (20inch) T5s give me better light than the 96W PC fixture I have now? (If so, what bulbs should I use?)
2) There are these new LED light strips. I think I could fit 4 (maybe 6) of them in the space I have available for lights on the current hood. What about using these http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21598
3) Or maybe something like this: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/LEDLights.html
4) Or some combination of T5/PC/LED?
Like I said, I’ve got some money and I want to get the best possible lighting. I’m willing to have another hood (100% transparent) made if it will mean I can use better lighting.
All my fish die, so I need my corals to really rock out.
Thanks
I need some assistance (as usual). My Uncle Sam is giving me a little money and I’d like to upgrade lights on my tank.
The tank is a 45 gallon pentagonal tank. The cover has a clear part for the lights of about 18 inches. The tank is (roughly) 24 inches deep. (It’s really a 24” cube with one corner cut off to make the pentagon shape.)
I’ve got a fair bit of zoas, shrooms, and the like (hammer, torch, trumpet, acan). I certainly wouldn’t complain about adding some SPS… though I would prefer not to go to metal halide.
The current light setup is a 96W PC bulb (20”) that is half 10K and half actinic. I have very good mushroom growth and moderate zoa and LPS growth. I do have a birdsnest coral that is growing quite well too.
So, the questions:
1) Will a pair of 20W (20inch) T5s give me better light than the 96W PC fixture I have now? (If so, what bulbs should I use?)
2) There are these new LED light strips. I think I could fit 4 (maybe 6) of them in the space I have available for lights on the current hood. What about using these http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21598
3) Or maybe something like this: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/LEDLights.html
4) Or some combination of T5/PC/LED?
Like I said, I’ve got some money and I want to get the best possible lighting. I’m willing to have another hood (100% transparent) made if it will mean I can use better lighting.
All my fish die, so I need my corals to really rock out.
Thanks
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