Lighting Help

[mbennett]

I am getting some very mixed opinions on lighting, so here is what I have and any help is great.

135 gal main tank
20 gal refugium

mostly soft corals, mushrooms, one rock of LPS i think it is some kind of candycane coral, rbta, plus your fish and inverts

SO, I have been entertaining a metal halide, then I was looking at the aquatic life fixture with 8 t-5 and 4 lunar. Oh and if you have equipment that might work let me know too. Thanks for your time!

Message me.

 

[Skimmy]

the 8 bulb t5 will be great for a softy/lps tank...you can even grow sps under that light...easy. plus you can adjust the color exactly to your prefrence, and it will stay cooler than m.h.
the only thing you wont have is the same shimmer effect from m.h.

 

[Myteemouse]

bUt I gotta say nothing looks quite like a MH
with the shimmer and all but T-5's are a nice light.
SKimmy's right it will grow everything with lower heat..

 

[ckoral]

I am hard core MH fan. I even have MH on my sump and fuge! A lot of people are going to t5 these days, but I am not sold on them. I think it would be best to do both. To t5 actinic and 10K MH!!

 

[Skimmy]

I was very skepticle when I coughed up the cash for my first t5 fixture...but I'll prolly never go back to m.h. even if i do sps again. t5's haver totally won me over because of color and output, and coral growth and coloration.

 

[Myteemouse]

but nothing beats the look and shimmer of a MH

 

[CarlaW]

but nothing beats the look and shimmer of a MH

I'll second that.

 

[roscoe]

I 3rd that!! I have yet to see a tank lit with only T-5 produce the colors that MH can produce on SPS and have seen many tanks in person. The best is the combo put together IMO. I don't trust pics too much nowadays because folks like to exaggerate thier pics with photo enhancement softwares. You know who you are.

 

[mbennett]

Thanks for everyone input. I had tons of trouble making up my mind. I ended up getting the 8 t-5 aquatic life fixture and love it! The tank is responding wonderfully! Lots of new coraline growth, I have a piece of lps and in is growing great! I am totally impressed with the aquatic life fixture line. They have great support for their product and I am defiantly going to make future purchases from them! I am putting up a couple photos of my tank check them out!

 

[mbennett]

Ok well my file is too big to upload so i'll have to shrink it later!

 

[jill]

Hey Michele,
Glad you went with the Aquatic Life - that's what I have on my tank and I love it.
We are going to have to get together to check out each others tanks!
Jill

 

[mbennett]

Hi Jill,

I am glad to see us girls think alike! I will talk to ya soon!