Lighting for 75 gallon

[MommaFishels]

I have searched through the posts and seen what people have said in the past, but I thought I'd pose the question anyway.

I have a 75 gallon, currently FOWLR, but would like to venture into corals eventually. Not sure exactly what, but could run the gamut from softies all the way to SPS's.

I currently have the means to upgrade my lighting (currently running a Hagen GLO 108W T-5 unit) and want people's opinions. I am really interested in the unit below and want to know what people think, and if good where I can possibly buy it (if anyone knows) because I can't find it for sale online.

Oceanic Systems High Output T5 - Oceanic Systems | Products | Oceanic High Output T-5

Main questions:

Is a multi-T5 bulb unit good enough, or do I need to go MH?

With MH, heat is always an issue, and I'm worried about heating the tank to much in the summer (I live in Atlanta) and I really don't want to have to think about a chiller. I do run the AC constantly in the house at 72 degrees , would this make a difference?

I want something with enough output to support any types of coral I may decide to add, plus moonlights built-in. Built in timers to control the individual lights (10K, Actinic, moonlight) is a definite plus. Any suggestions?

It would need to be tank mounted (preferably with stand-off feet), hanging the fixture is not an option. I do run glass tops on my tank as I have a goby, so topless in not an option either.

[mfrei64]

It all depends on what you're putting in the tank. If SPS, you need to get MH. If softies, T5, PC, and heck, if mushrooms and colts, a shop light will do.

Personally, I think MH is the way to go, because it's the closest thing we can get to the sun. Heat is always an issue (pumps, lights, etc). The AC in your house is not the answer.

I fought off gettin a chiller for years. All I can say is "penny wise, pound foolish". The chiller is the way to go. Yes, it's pricey. But (having lived in Augusta for two years) the cost of your electrical bill per month will quickly equate the cost of an $800 chiller. I have a 300 with a 1/3 hp chiller, and my temp is ALWAYS 78 degrees. I can't tell you how many corals ($$$$$$$$) I lost every summer when the temp in the tank climbed to 85 degrees before I got the chiller (not to mention the algae blooms).


good luck!

[ccCapt]

If price doesn't matter too much, this Aquatinics Solar Flare T5 unit will handle just about anything you wanted to keep. The main thing you want with T5's is individual reflectors.

[MommaFishels]

I didn't think the AC would make much of a difference, but since it's always on at 72 I figured I'd mention it. I've also read that the trick with T5's is to have individual reflectors, otherwise you don't get much out of the lights.

Would a T5 unit like the Aquatinics Solar Flare you mention heat the water less than MH's, assuming both units were on legs roughly 6 or so inches (or however much stand-off the legs give) above the glass tops? Also, how many total watts should I be looking for? I've heard anywhere from 4 - 8 watts per gallon. Price does matter (who wants to spend more than they have to), but if it requires a $1k fixture to do it right, then so be it.

Thanks for the responses!

[melosu58]

What are you looking to put in the tank. That will basically be your answer. I use a VHO setup . They will do soft corals and LPS corals and some SPS corals. I run 2 50/50 bulbs and 2 super actinic bulbs. But ultimately it depends on what type corals you want.

[MommaFishels]

Do T5's in fact heat the water less than MH's, even if running a unit with 6 or 8 bulbs? If so, I believe I would be more than satisfied with a T5 unit as there would only be a few SPS's that I couldn't keep.

[ccCapt]

T5's are way cooler than MH's. If that 1st fixture was a little to expensive (that is almost top of the line), this TEK is a very good lighting system. It had gotten some very good reviews.

[zuzecawi]

You can quite easily and successfully run a sps tank on T5 only. Actually, right now, the big debate is whether or not T5's cause bleaching from too great a PAR jump between MH to T5. I personally like the shimmer effect of metal halide, but I'm currently trying to decide between switching entirely over to T5 or a mixture. Personally, I say go with a 6 or 8 bulb fixture, you'll be set for most clams (croceas only in the top part of your reef) and just about any sps, including the high light loving ones like Oregon Tort. The old myth of T5's not being powerful as MH has been raging in this hobby long enough, MH is great for what it does, (spotlight effect) but without high end reflectors, no lamp, flourescent or metal halide, is going to be worth a darn tootin. If you go with T5, make sure you get a fixture with good quality individual reflectors. If you go with metal halide, get Lumenarc type reflectors. Reflectors are in some ways, every bit as important as the lamps. Quality T5 bulbs are a must, as is finding the proper mix of colors/spectrums. T5 lamps tend to be very narrow banded in their color spectrum, much more so than MH lamps which have a broad spectrum with a strong spike at a particular temperature. This can be a PIA until you find the sugar combo, but it can be done. There are some jaw dropping SPS reefs out there with T5 only, I think you're trackin just fine. And btw, watts per gallon is worthless. You could have 500w pc lighting and 238w T5 and the T5 would bleach anything that had been under the pc. It's all about PPFD or PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) the actual light which is used by your corals and clams to make glucose. The watts per gallon rule is archaic and misleading. You can accomplish just as much on a couple hundred watts of T5 as on 500w of MH. The difference is effect... MH has the shimmer effect and spotlighting effect which throws things into higher contrast/relief, T5 has a steadier overall coloration but very narrow bands of color. Personal preference and as always, husbandry practices make the difference. Hope this helps.

[MommaFishels]

Amazing. After all the research I've done, can you guess how many T-5 HO fixtures there are on the market with built-in moonlights? Two, but one is vaporware as it can't be found anywhere (the Oceanic unit linked in my first post). So while I didn't really want to spend that much, it looks like I'll be going with the Aquactinics Solar Flare unit. It's a great unit, I'm not complaining, just a bit pricey.

[ccCapt]

You should be happy with that unit. It uses all high quality IceCap components so you are definitely getting a great, high quality lighting unit.
Post some pics when you get it running.