Light Question

[Connor]

I had a question about lights currently the 2x 400 watt Halide light ballasts that i have are not in great condition and having been having some problems latley when they randomly turn off, so i decide to look at getting some different lights. Now ive been looking at the Aquactinics 48" TX5 Series but im not sure if that will give me enough light to have all of the sps and acans that i want to keep. So my question is will this be sufficient enough light to light up a all sps tank.

[Highland Reefer]

If you have two 400 watt ballasts side by side or in an enclosed case, they may be overheating. I had this problem with mine. I separated them & that ended my problem.

[Kimchi Corals]

I have T5 lights 48" and I absolutely love them. My temperature doesn't go sky high and all i need is a fan on the sump to keep the temp around 78 during the summer months. All my corals look great. however I have noted two problems. 1. Lack of shimmer. Big problem for me since I absolutely think it is gorgeous. 2. You need to change out the lamps between every 6-8 months. Most books and shops such as Dr. Mac change their lighting every six months. I recommend this for optimal output for the corals. Also, i recommend giesemann lamps. You can get these from BRK or Sunlight supply.

[jamesbuf]

I have T5 lights 48" and I absolutely love them. My temperature doesn't go sky high and all i need is a fan on the sump to keep the temp around 78 during the summer months. All my corals look great. however I have noted two problems. 1. Lack of shimmer. Big problem for me since I absolutely think it is gorgeous. 2. You need to change out the lamps between every 6-8 months. Most books and shops such as Dr. Mac change their lighting every six months. I recommend this for optimal output for the corals. Also, i recommend giesemann lamps. You can get these from BRK or Sunlight supply.

 

If you're not overdriving the bulbs, then do you really need to change out the bulbs that frequently? I thought one of the biggest positives of having T5s is that the bulbs last alot longer than MHs and VHOs. Somewhere around 1.5 years of life. I remember reading that having a fan blowing over the bulbs helps extend their life as well. Thats why most of the newer T5 fixtures have built in fans.

[reefmontalvo]

I was told T5's generally last about a year. I looking into upgrading to metal halide.

[jakaufman]

I have a 4x54W Tek light and I think its great. From the reading I have done, it seems that it should be fine for most SPS and I plan on having some in a mixed reef environment.

 

I think if you really want a good shimmer you will have to go with MH though.

[st9z]

I have the retro T5 fit from BRK and absolutly love it. There isn't much heat and all you need is a fan blowing across the lights. As for the shimmer I add 3 LED lights so that I can have the shimmer effect. I am going to add a couple more so that it replicates the MH shimmer.