light help

[craig_will2513]

hi i have a question about lights.. if for example i had a number of t5 lights and the total watts of these were say 150watts. if i had metal halide and that to was 150watts would the outcome be the same so what iam asking is does it matter what light types are running as long as the watts are the same. apart from having a lot more t5 tubes i know

 

[melosu58]

No the watts might be the same but the intensity will not be the same. Itensity or PAR would be more on the MH`s than the T5HO but the T5HO are not a bad choice. This will help you with the differences

Aquarium Lighting Selection Guide: Which Aquarium Lighting System is Right for You?

 

[carey]

I like the t5 lighting myself. The watts dont really equate to each other in my opinion. You could have a top of the line t5 setup with individual reflectors and great bulbs that can put perform a metal halide of the same wattage.

I was using a 150watt clip on MH fixture and much prefer the 96 watts of T5 lighting I now use.

What size tank are you trying to light and what are you wanting to keep under the light?

 

[craig_will2513]

i have a 125l tank its still in early stages but i want to keep a viraity of corals and maybe nems. the tank is 80cm in lenght so id need something that would fit. also like i say my tank is 80cm lengh so if i get a 60cm light unit that would make a 10cm gap at each end would this matter iam thinking because there would be 2 dark spots at each end. so can anyone recomend any light systems.. so its not the watts i need to keep in mind.. is it the intensity and what is this measured in

 

[melosu58]

Try this out

Lighting the Reef Tank: A Primer for Beginners by Doug Wojtczak - Reefkeeping.com

 

[craig_will2513]

thank you

 

[mr_X]

how old is that article? that's got some outdated information in it IMO/IME. as carey stated, i've seen higher PAR numbers out of some T5 fixtures than equal or greater wattage halide fixtures.

 

[craig_will2513]

so is t5 the way then in your opinion also please help me. My tank is 80cm across and 18inch deep id like to keep a nem Whats the min light id need

 

[mr_X]

i would use at least a 4 lamp 36" t5HO fixture with ATI lamps.. i would prefer 6 lamps. different equipment for different applications. for your application, i would go with t5.
if you had a 24" cube, i would use a halide.

 

[craig_will2513]

so would the 4 36 t5s be ok for nems

 

[carey]

In my opinion it would be the minimum you could get by with. I've only ever kept one nem and to be honest I returned it within 2 months because of the headaches that come along with them. lol

 

[mr_X]

the minimum i would go is a 4 lamp fixture. I would make sure it's a quality, individually reflected fixture and use high end lamps in it.

 

[craig_will2513]

so mr x the 4 tubes would be ok for a nem.. carey what headaches do they cause problems.. iv not looked into one yet but i know they need good lights

 

[mr_X]

anemones have the ability to move if they don't like where they are, for flow or lighting reasons etc. they can sting corals as they glide by, and they can also consume fish and inverts. while the latter is rare, it's happened.
i would think a 4 lamp would work, providing it's a good one with good lamps in it, as stated.

 

[carey]

Yep, agree with mr x. They can move about your tank at will, you have absolutely no control over where they go. They are known to get sucked up by powerheads, filters, overflows, anything they can get stuck in is fair game. I was also scared of it eating my fish, the nem when I returned it was 1/3 the size of the tank, took up the entire left side. everything avoided it and I had to place my corals far away.

The other consideration was that my tank was new and not established enough for my liking. It was an impulse buy on my part that i shouldn't have made.

good luck though!