Need suggestion for my tank is 36" x 18" wide x 23" deep.

Was wanting thoughts on the following for a mixed reef tank

4 x 39 watt ATI with 1-2 Reefbrites XHO
6 x 39 watt ATI w/o 0-1 reefbrites XHO
Thanks for the input....

Both will work in the long run and are good choices.

Option one is somewhat higher overall costs and much higher startup costs.

Option 2 will be simpler and likely more effective.

Do you want the super blue led sunrise or would you be happy with a pair of 420NM true actinic on the dawn/dusk channel?

Are you okay with the totally flat look of only T-5?

Personally I would go with the 4 bulb with one XHO or a pair of standard reefbrites. With a std 90 gallon (same dimensions but a foot longer) I run a 4X54 ATI (2 coral+ and 2 true actinic) and a BML 20K multichannel bar.

T5
 

Here is a stupid question. When ever I'm looking at my tank. My eyes burn, for hours after. I am not looking straight up at the light. Just the reef with in. The one thing is my light is missing the clear plastic lens. Could that be allowing UV light out? Burning my eyes and the corals?

Double Ended halide bulbs require a glass shield. If you are running T5 like your signature states UV damage is highly unlikely.

ati six bulb placment
 

I just bought a ATI six bulb fixture. I have read everyone's bulb combo. My Question is the bulb order. If I run three B+, two C+, and P+. In what order would you put them in? With the second and the fifth circuit, which is the two bulb channel. Wouldn't I want to put the B+'s there for dusk to down look? Then in what order used I put them in?

Depends on what you like. I happen to find one Blue+ with a Purple+ to be more visually appealing than two Blue+ together.


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Been a very long time for me, but I am planning my tank. While I will start with fish for a while, I had great success years ago with all coral types and will eventually end up there. I plan on getting a DD tank 36x36x27. My concern is will the 36” ati 6 bulb power module be enough for stags, montis, and of course my favorite hammers and torches? Maybe run 2 4 bulbs to fixtures?

Thank you all in advance

They do make an 8 bulb fixture. Why would you get 2-4 bulb oness?


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Agreed you will have to play with them..

If you want it more white put the whites closer to the front, if you want it to appear more blue put more blue or closer to the front.

I kike it balanced and usually divide them up ..

You will need 8 or more depending on rock layout.. I would go more so if it were me yea two fixtures.

I would run 8 on a 24" to 30" tank and you have 36".

That is a wide tank..

O nice I didn’t realize that..looking at specs it listed the 8 bulb as the 48”.. thanks you

The 8 bulb is made in every length of their fixture line. Heck, if you can manage to order from overseas you can get the power module in 10 bulbs I believe


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After running my frag tank for six months with a 6 bulb ATI sunpower, I am convinced enough to switch my DT over as well. The DT is the Red Sea 525XL. Tank dimensions are:
Display tank length (cm) 150 (59″)
Display tank height (cm) 55 (22″)
Display tank width (cm) 57.5 (22.6″)

Fairly certain I want to go with the full length coverage (58 inch) fixture. Rethink?

Unsure whether to go 6 bulb or 8 bulb. WHICH SHOULD I GO WITH?

I do have my hands in the tank a lot. This tank is SPS dominant.

All advice gratefully received.

I like full length my self.
T-5 bulbs do put out less par at the ends.

Personally I would do 8 on anything over 18" or 20" but it depends where you put you corals.
If the front is bare and you want to move the fixture back.

Scottbeyer101 I had the 300g version of that tank and grew everything top to bottom side to side with a 60" 8 bulb power module. I wouldn't go with the 6 bulb if SPS is even a thought because of the depth front to back and to be honest since it's 36" bulbs I'd look at the 12 bulb if you feel like you'll end up more SPS, if your mostly LPS with a few SPS placed in the middle under the lights you'll be fine with the 8 bulb. I had the 8 bulb from a 180g system when I got the 300 which is why I didn't have the 12 over it.

@mlb75 @shred5

Thank you both. I was leaning toward the 8-bulb but lacked enough conviction.

I like the easy access to the tank that the narrower fixture would offer, but cannot skimp on PAR.

Adding more lamps is not necessarily for more par with t-5 is is for more for additional coverage.

T-5 uses narrow reflectors and reflect the light more straight down so they waste less light and that is one of the things that gives them their efficiency.
It is also why they appear to put out less light than they do sometimes. Halides are huge usually with large reflectors and bounce more light around and more light hits your eyes and walls which gives them the appearance that they put out allot more light.

Led even directs the light more straight down and also give them even more efficiency. They put the light where it needs to be. This sometimes is a disadvantage though and can cause shading issues with larger sps colonies and the reason people have to add more led fixtures or t-5 to the mix.


All three types of lighting have advantages and disadvantages.

OK, so guru's time for some simple advice... I assume its simple for you guys.

I'm lighting a standard 65 gallong RR tank. 36 x 18 x 23 i believe.

I have an Evergrow LED fixture for it and I am supplementing with a Dual bulb T5.

I was thinking just two Blue+ bulbs...

But looking for what suggestions make sense.
Thanks,

Two blue plus are great

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new T5's
 

So I am getting an ATI 60" 8 bulb fixture. I will mount this over a 180 gal tank (6'x2'x2') My question is i was wondering if anybody had any recommedations on bulb color and placement.
Going to be doing mixed reef some sps, would like a clam but not sure if that is possible or not. Thanks ,Dave

There are plenty of recommendations for 8 bulb combo's in this thread.
The hard part about recommending lamp colors is each person is different on what they like.
Personally I like 2 blue lamps to one daylight/white.

I like to throw one 6500k lamp for white light into the mix if it is a SPS tank but for softy or LPS I throw something else in with a little more blue like a aquablue special or coral +.

I also prefer one actinic as one for one of the the two blues.

Now you have a 8 lamp fixture and depending on if you like more blue or white depends on what you pick for your last two lamps. You like more white color you pick a blue lamps and a white, You like more blue pick two blues. Another interesting lamps is a purple tubes, some like them and some do not. I like them for sps tanks. The last two lamps could be one of these and a blue lamp.

You can play with where to put them to your liking but keep the white equally spaced.

I highly recommend picking up a extra blue and white. This way you can add or delete to your liking, you can use them as replacements later.




ATI or Giesemann, KZ or ATI are all great bulbs.

Below is my recommendation:

front

ATI blue+
ATI coral+
ATI actinic
ATI aquablue special
ATI purple+
ATI blue+
ATI coral+
ATI blue+

back

Thank you.