480 watts of T5

[blrrobinson21]

Hey guys I have a 5' 100 gallon tank that Im going to build a canopy for. I will have corals in there eventually but Ill be starting slow. As far as what types of coral im not sure but I would like a variety. Would 6 5' T5 bulbs at 80wt each be enough or should I try MH?

 

[bawel]

With 480watts I think you're okay, but it depends on what type of corals are you looking for. If you're looking for SPS corals, the lighting may not be enough, but for other corals I think it would be alright. Like I said to others, to know what kind of corals you're looking for and the necessary lighting, you can check at www.liveaquaria.com as they give pretty details of what needed for certain corals, i.e. high lighting requirement or ease of keeping.

 

[nanoluvr]

I tend to think that you would be able to keep most corals under that kind of light. A lot of people love T-5's for corals

 

[melosu58]

As Allen said I dont know about the higher light SPS corals but you should be OK as far as anything else.

 

[thincat]

Yeah, just keep the light hungry corals closer to the top of your reef setup and you should be fine for most of them. Some sps's might need a spot of MH light....