treesprite June 21, 2007 Share June 21, 2007 I'm getting new lighting, T-5s, which is going to give me about 3.4 W/gal. It's not enough for intense lighting requirements, but I'm wondering if I could keep "medium to high" light corals up high in the tank. Feedback and info please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman June 21, 2007 Share June 21, 2007 I'm getting new lighting, T-5s, which is going to give me about 3.4 W/gal. It's not enough for intense lighting requirements, but I'm wondering if I could keep "medium to high" light corals up high in the tank. Feedback and info please. Describe the setup - 4x39W ?? How deep is the tank? Are they brand new TEK's with the 99% reflectors?? bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 22, 2007 Author Share June 22, 2007 It's a new Nova Extreme fixture. It has a parabolic reflector, 2x actinics 39W each, 2x 10K 39W each, and lunar lights. The tank is 36L x 24H x 12W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 IMO, Watt / Gal is one of the least useful bits of info. Without additional data it is almost no help, except to get a VERY general feel of the amount of light in the tank. For example, suppose you have an 1,000 gallon tank and have two 400w MH and two 110w VHO bulbs in the center of that tank. You would have about 1 watt / gallon, but could grow any coral you want, as long as they are close enough to those lights. Now imagin you have the exact same lights on a 100g tank. You would have 10 w/g and again could keep any coral you want... again as long as they are close enough to those lights. Further, some lights are more efficient at converting watts into Par. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 22, 2007 Author Share June 22, 2007 actually I have read about watts and lumens and temps and all that a little in the past, but it seems all anyone really talks about in discussion is watts as if it's the most important thing, even the people who would be most likely to understand it. I know that in a deep tank, its a matter of the light being able to get down that far, so a tall tank would need more intense light to put corals on the bottom, while a more shallow tank could do with less light for the same placement. I know there are people who keep intense light corals under the same T-5 lighting as I have purchased, but I don't know that I should try such a thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsaavedra June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 I'm getting new lighting, T-5s, which is going to give me about 3.4 W/gal. It's not enough for intense lighting requirements, but I'm wondering if I could keep "medium to high" light corals up high in the tank. Feedback and info please. W/G don't really apply to T5's, here is what I have and what I mean, 5X54W=270W of T5's on a 90G (270W/90G) only gives me 3W/G and I am successfully growing all kinds of SPS's. Dhoch also runs T5's I believe he has 6X80W=480W of T5's on a 180G (480/180) only gives him 2.7W/G and he is one of my inspirations for growing SPS's with T5's. Just my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 22, 2007 Author Share June 22, 2007 W/G don't really apply to T5's, here is what I have and what I mean, 5X54W=270W of T5's on a 90G (270W/90G) only gives me 3W/G and I am successfully growing all kinds of SPS's. Dhoch also runs T5's I believe he has 6X80W=480W of T5's on a 180G (480/180) only gives him 2.7W/G and he is one of my inspirations for growing SPS's with T5's. Just my .02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rioreef June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 Got PAR? T5s do, lots of it. That is whay many have SPS/Clams all throughout a tank with these lights, top to bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman June 22, 2007 Share June 22, 2007 It's a new Nova Extreme fixture. It has a parabolic reflector, 2x actinics 39W each, 2x 10K 39W each, and lunar lights. The tank is 36L x 24H x 12W. Almost exactly what I had on my 45-gallon tank (except I have actinic, actinic+, 7500K, 10000K). My corals grew well, but I put the light-lovers up higher, and those that like less light down lower. I now have the same light on my 30-gallon long; it is only 18" above the sand bed, and everything in there is growing and coloring up nicely, including lots of sps corals, including some acropora. bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite June 22, 2007 Author Share June 22, 2007 This is great to know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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