BRIGHT lights for a 90 gallon Cichlid future build?

[Bullnugget]

So I recently changed my mind about using my 90 gallon tank for a planted tank and have decided to go with cichlids. I already have a 48" power compact lighting fixture. It came with 2 Actinic and 2 12000k bulbs, which I replaced with 2 6700k and 2 3-6-10 bulbs, each 55W, which were going to be used for the planted aquarium.

Now that I have changed my mind and potentially wasted $80 on bulbs, I am curious if the Actinic and 12000k bulbs will do well on a cichlid tank. I really like the bright cichlid setups and have found that most pictures I find on google use double bright LED setups.

What do you guys think? Should I stick with the power compact setup using the original bulbs and sell off the others? This fixture will get mounted in a canopy after I get it and the stand built.

 

[Brookster123]

Sell off the whole rig and go led.. You're electroc expenditures are going to significantly less with LEDs, if you were growing plants it would justify the additional costs.. For fish viewing?? Up to you I guess..

 

[schoeplein]

Try mixing and matching the bulbs to see what looks best to you. If you're not growing plants, the bulbs brightness will dim quite a bit after 6 months, but should still be plenty of light for viewing. My old PC's would last about 10-12 months before going out completely. But like Brookster said, you could probably sell off the entire unit plus unused bulbs for nearly the original cost and get a 10000K LED strip that will light your tank for the next 20 yrs without ever needing bulb replacements. Go 7000K if you think you might ever drop plants in.

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