Lighting?

[Brian_G]

I'm getting all my supplies together for setting up my tank. And now what it's come down to is lights. *sigh*

I'm looking for a lot of SPS I'm my tank but don't want to totally not be able to get some LPS as well.

I'm looking at a 6 bulb T5 lighting setup for my 75 gal. Three 54w 10ks and three 54w actinic. Is that too much for incorperating both kinds of corals?

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

if you want a lot of sps go with metal halide setup.

 

[dcantucson]

Look into combo MH/T5 lighting systems.

 

[yote]

With the T-5s you should be unlimited on the corals you can keep.Though a set of halides will give you a good looking shimmer effect and still cover your corals lighting needs.

 

[Brian_G]

I like the idea of mh except all that heat. That kind of scares me. The 6 t5s would work though?

 

[Bifferwine]

The 6 T5s will allow you to keep both types of corals, as wells as clams and anemones down the road, when your tank is ready.

 

[ccCapt]

Ahhhhh...the famous heat issue...lol. A watt is a watt no matter what produces it. A 100w incandescent light bulb, a 100w T5HO, a 100w MH or a 100w fan all put out the same amount of heat.

With that fact being said, 6x54w T5HO = 324w. 2x175w MH = 350w. You are looking at virtually the same amount of heat being generated.