Upgrading my lighting but can't decide

cbster

AC Members
Nov 16, 2003
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Freeburg, IL
I am going to upgrade my lighting to PC lighting just can't decide which to use so here are my options from ah supply

4x55 for 220 watts or 4 wpg or
2x96 for 192 watts or 3.4 wpg or
3x96 for 288 watts or 5.2 wpg

so which one would you use? is there any other configurations you would use or somewhere else you would buy your lights from?
 
Nice tank! I just had a look at your specs/pics.
I guess it depends on what you're trying to grow. All three of those will give you loads of light. I've got 4.6W of PC on my tank, it's a nice level. I don't know if I'd want much more, it's pretty bright and the plants grow like crazy now.
On a 48" tank, I think I'd go for 4 x 55w because I like the configuration. The 220W fixture has light in all four corners, and I'd rather have that than a setup where the bulbs are staggered. I think 55W bulbs are also cheaper to replace (per watt) - I just bought a 96W bulb, and it seems to me it was more than two 55s combined would have been.
 
The availability of 55w bulbs is greater than the 96w. There is a greater variety in terms of spectrum as well. I have 96w because I have a 36" tank. The price per watt on a 55 is better too.
 
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