corals and light for them

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tundrant

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Dec 15, 2015
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hi everyone,

I want to start with the short introduction. I’m Anthony . I will be buying the corals and the tank. Now I research the issue of the light. If I won’t take the led panels will it be right? I just want to save on something… Are fluorescent lamps effective for keeping reef corals?

Thanks.
 

tanker

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Sep 1, 2003
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I have never used LEDs for coral, but I have used CF. You just need lots of CF lights. What kind of corals are you planning on keeping.
 

tundrant

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Dec 15, 2015
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I have never used LEDs for coral, but I have used CF. You just need lots of CF lights. What kind of corals are you planning on keeping.
Thanks Jessica. I plan to keep soft (leather corals, pipe corals, purple corals) and some hard corals. I have 4 usual home fluorescent lamps. Here they are with the voltage https://www.mrosupply.com/lighting/...llasts/1854152_flft5eh54w850_fulham-lighting/ If I buy the T5 fixture, will it be enough for the corals I want to keep?
 

tanker

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You can use T5s (lots of people do), but you will need a few of them. The more light, the better. Harder coral need more light, softer corals can do less. 10K and actinic will be needed.
 

OrionGirl

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ETA, didn't realize this was a lazarus. Sorry.

In truth, LED will end up being cheaper in the long run. The issue with all of the other lights is that they wear out faster--the color spectrum starts to shift in a year and then you have to replace bulbs. Doesn't happen with LED. T5 and such aren't as pricy as MH, but all produce more heat than LED, which also bumps up the cost since you have to do something about that as well.

That said...Yes, you can certainly go with something other than LED.
 
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dougall

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Note this thread is from 11 months ago.

personally I would go with LEDs also, between lower heat, different optics and adjustable color spectrums.
 

zeeter

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As for T5s, if your tank isn't too terribly deep they are fine if at around the 14,000K range. Corals are more interested in the kelvin range than the intensity, just so long as the light reaches them. I ran a 75L for quite a while and the corals grew quite well so long as they were elevated 4-6 inches from the bottom.

I read an article once that broke the myth about CF and MH lights being better. In a static setting over a year the T5s had very good growth and did not have the "reaching" growth that some corals would have with a MH. The growth was spread more evenly.

I couldn't say about LEDs as I am still researching them. Clearly they would be cheaper to maintain, but with more up front costs.
 
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