Light Fixtures for SW (Brand Names)

[mwilliams]

Which is the best light fixture (brand) for Saltwater Aquariuams for a combination of FOWLR w/Reef "not the full blown reef set up".??????

 

[thincat]

If you ask me, they are all poorly made. If you are Handy buy a DIY kit and make it yourself. Be sure to get waterproof endcaps. That seems to be the major downfall of saltwater lights.

 

[mwilliams]

Unfortunitly I am not a handy DIY kind of person.

 

[mwilliams]

I also need to find out how to tell what the wall socket amp/voltage before I invest my a new SW RR tanks system and I do not know how to do that any suggestions?

 

[Jaybird]

How big of a tank are we talking and what are you planning on keeping. If it's just FOWLR you could use anything (even regular light bulbs). It gets complicated if you want to keep light-intensive corals.

 

[mwilliams]

I have been looking at a 156g RR tank. It will be mixed with Fish of course, Live rock & various corals. But I was just told last night that I could get the 180g tank but I can not remember if it was a RR tank I don't think it is.

 

[Jaybird]

Those are nice sized tanks. I would recommend a RR tank over anything else. You could probably get away with really good LED or T5 lights if you place your corals properly on the rocks.

 

[mwilliams]

I am slowly accquiring corals and learning about them. What would be the wattage amount that I would need for either one 150g or 180g for the T5's and what is the different wattage for T5-VHO & the T5-HO?

 

[Jaybird]

Most people shoot for 3-5W per gallon. The wattage for the T5 bulbs is on the bulb. I think that the length of bulbs you would need for a 150 or 180 would be around 72" and those are around 80W per bulb.

 

[mwilliams]

I was going to aim for the 5w because of it being in the middle range of the 3 to 8watts per gall and I am guessing that the 8 watts would be for the corals that are needing the extreme lighting.

 

[cmor1701d]

There is no best. There are good fixtures made using a variety of lighting methods. T5HO are currently popular, but like PC before them, will probably give way to LED in the near future. MH with either PC or T5 is another popular option.

Even with LEDs the landscape is changing from the 1w to 3w LEDs.

 

[mwilliams]

I haven't seen any of the LED's (lunar lights) with 3w only the 1w so far. I am looking at one possiblity (72in 12x39w AquaticLife T5 light fixture w/6 leds.
6 - 36" T5 39w Actinic/blue lamps
6 - 36" T5 39w 10K Lamps
6 - 1W Lunar LED's.
2nd one is:
Lamps Included:
AquaticLife HID/T5 Fixture
(4) 36" T5 HO 39W 420/460 Lamps
(3) G12 150W HID 700+ Lamp
(6) 1W Lunar LED`s

 

[Jaybird]

Take a look at the reefbrite lineup. They use 3W LEDs. I don't think that they sell 72" fixtures but you could double-up the 36" ones.

I haven't seen any of the LED's (lunar lights) with 3w only the 1w so far.

 

[cmor1701d]

3w LEDs are a bit bright for moonlight unless you are dimming them.

 

[mwilliams]

Most people shoot for 3-5W per gallon. The wattage for the T5 bulbs is on the bulb. I think that the length of bulbs you would need for a 150 or 180 would be around 72" and those are around 80W per bulb.

I have finally made my decession the tank is a 180 RR measurements are"
72X24X24.

 

[mwilliams]

So then the 6 - 1watts (LEDS) would be to much for moon light settings?

 

[Jaybird]

Very true. Sorry, I was thinking about lighting the entire tank with LEDs. For just moonlights you won't want anything other than 1W LEDs and you wouldn't need more than 10-12 of them for moonlights.

3w LEDs are a bit bright for moonlight unless you are dimming them.