Lighting

[jjwilley718]

Hello all,

I was just wondering if you guys could help me make a decision on what lighting to get for my 75 gallon tank. I think I might do some mushrooms and maybe some corals. I just don't want to start with 1 lighting system then decide to keep corals then have to buy another lighting system to do that. I have found a few and wanted to get your opinions on it.

option 1(led)
AquaticLife 1.0 Watt Expandable LED Light Fixture

option 2(t5)
Aquarium Light 48" 324W T5 HO Hood LCD Timer Coral Reef 6x54 Fluorescent Actinic 813373017915 | eBay

option 3(t5)
48 inch 216W T5 Aquarium light for Reef with timer | eBay

option 4
Taotronics LED

option 5
Radion LED

THe last 2 aren't really options for me since they are very price prohibitive. I want to go LED, but I can't justify spending 1500 on the lighting right now, plus my wife would just kill me if i did.

PLEASE HELP!!

[Flreefer]

If you went with option 2, you could keep just about any corals you wanted. With SPS in the top 1/3 of the tank
The 4-bulb T5, would be sufficient for soft corals and LPS.

[armyman16]

Originally Posted by jjwilley718

Hello all,

I was just wondering if you guys could help me make a decision on what lighting to get for my 75 gallon tank. I think I might do some mushrooms and maybe some corals. I just don't want to start with 1 lighting system then decide to keep corals then have to buy another lighting system to do that. I have found a few and wanted to get your opinions on it.

option 1(led)
AquaticLife 1.0 Watt Expandable LED Light Fixture

option 2(t5)
Aquarium Light 48" 324W T5 HO Hood LCD Timer Coral Reef 6x54 Fluorescent Actinic 813373017915 | eBay

option 3(t5)
48 inch 216W T5 Aquarium light for Reef with timer | eBay

option 4
Taotronics LED

option 5
Radion LED

THe last 2 aren't really options for me since they are very price prohibitive. I want to go LED, but I can't justify spending 1500 on the lighting right now, plus my wife would just kill me if i did.

PLEASE HELP!!

I would go with option 2 haha great price and very strong lighting unless you are really set on LED's, I know a guy I bought my lighting from for 150 that were LEDs and I think he ships if you interested I can give you more information on the specifications of the fixture

I

[carey]

Here is the fixture I bought and you would need two.
Amazon.com: TaoTronics Aquarium Coral Reef Tank White Blue LED Lamb Grow Light 120W: Patio, Lawn & Garden

You can get them for like $150 on ebay now so $300 isnt bad at all. i have found that the light is intense from them and I doubt I will have any trouble keeping SPS if placed correctly.

[jjwilley718]

Thank you all so much! So the 4 bulb fixture would be enough for LPS and soft corals? I don't think i will keep sps, but never say never

[jjwilley718]

Like this one....

Aquarium Light 48" 216 Watt T5 Aqua Lighting Fixture Reef Fish Tank Salt Water 813373016826 | eBay

[Flreefer]

Yes, that would be enough for Soft corals and most LPS..
The LED's do have some good benefits, but are almost too much light for softies, and it takes some dedicated acclimation for even LPS. If not thinking SPS, then I would suggest the T5's. One thing to consider with T5's though is, bulbs need to be replaced yearly. They change wavelength over time and old bulbs start to help algae growth, not corals. Just something to keep in mind down the road.
Good luck!

[jjwilley718]

Thank so much for the information! I just want to be clear that I could go for the 4 bulb fixture or the 6 bulb fixture? There isn't too much of a difference on what I could keep??

[Flreefer]

The 6-bulb would allow you to keep some SPS higher up on the rocks, whereas, the 4-bulb would be iffy with SPS.

[jjwilley718]

What about the Vertex Illumina? Are there any thoughts?

[carey]

I( just saw the VI ones today. Way overpriced in my opinion.