lighting suggestions

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ClamKnuckle

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Apr 6, 2004
Messages
845
Location
Connecticut
I'm setting up a 90 gal that i am going to try my first corals in (shrooms, zoos...easy stuff). What lighting would be good? I don't want to get MH lighting, so i was thinking VHO or PC...don't know what a t-5 is. How many watts/gal should i get and does the watt/gal depend on the type of lights used? Also what is the best combination of lighting (50/50, 10,000K ascetic, etc) that will allow for good growth as well as being visually pleasing. I want something that will sit on the tank or has a base that will sit just above.
 
Is there a reason why you don't want MH? If you are ever going to do clams, SPS you will need metal halide. If you do plan on that you might as well go for it now instead of buying PC's or VHO and then uprading. JMHO
 
Checkout the Current USA or Coralife PC fixtures if that is the lighting type you want to stay with.
 
Unless there is a way to mount MH above the tank with out getting too involved i can't run them. I pretty much need something that will sit on the tank or has legs to prop it up above. Aren't you suppossed to put like a foot or more between MH's and the water?
 
You can place a MH hood right on the tank but then you run the risk of overheating it and possibly needing a chiller! Coralife sells legs for there Aqualights that raise it off the tank 3". The current USA orbit hoods come with legs that raise it off the tank as well. Both lights can sit directly on the tank as well.
 
Yeah but I dont have anything to mount the pendant too either (they look like they suspend down from the ceiling and i cant really mount anything there
 
I decided to go with PC 2x96, once my new 90 gallon tank is built and ready I am going to run 4x96, I think that is enough for most of the corals I will have in the tank.
 
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