Lighting requirements for 65-gallon tank

mudplo · 08/13/2009, 04:47 PM

Hey all,

I am running a coral/fish setup in a 20" deep, 65-gallon tank. I have a 48" CFL light that is working well for me, but I need to downsize to get our tank hood to fit on.

Any thoughts on what sort of light output I need? I'm having a little trouble figuring our how T5 HO light compares watt-for-watt with CFL. I'm also not sure how much I should reasonably expect to pay. There are $200 solutions out there, and I don't want to drop a lot more if it's not necessary!

I keep mostly soft corals, with one SPS. I don't think I really need to move to higher-maintenance corals, but a little room for upgrading would be nice.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Clint

gosteen · 08/13/2009, 05:13 PM

From everything I've read and been told you want 3-5 times your total gallons. So in your case it would be between 195 watts and 325 watts.

Having said that I understand that it also depends on the depth of your tank and what you want to accomplish. You depth is 20" if you add sand into the equation you will be at about 16" in depth which should be ideal for 3-5x in lighting.

If your tank is 48" wide this is a very good option for you. I just installed the 30" fixture on my 29 gallon tank and they are awesome. Two timers 1 for the 10k lights and 1 for the actinic lights. The lunar lights (read leds) come on when the others go off.

Light fixtures

Having said all of that it is my understanding if you are only keeping fish you can do a standard light and be fine.

You should do a ton of research though as there are a million different thoughts on this topic. As I stated earlier it is my understanding that lighting demands are based on what you want to keep in your tank

sam11909 · 08/13/2009, 06:11 PM

I got a 48" 4 bulb t5 fixture for my 55G ( it's kinda overkill for a 55G but should be right for a 65G ). It cost me $330 from reefgeek.com.

mudplo · 08/13/2009, 10:25 PM

I think I might have misspoke (mistyped?) I can't use the 48" light because it is just an inch or two too large to fit within our acrylic hood. So we would need to go with either one 36" or two 20" fixtures.

Would this be enough light?
http://bestpetlighting.com/product_i...oducts_id=1702

sedor · 08/13/2009, 10:38 PM

I would probably go with 36" T5's as opposed to a set of 20's. I don't know what kind of hood you've got but if its a canopy type hood that you can drill into, your best bet will be to go with a T5 retro kit. Basically that means you buy the bulbs and reflectors and ballasts and you install them under a canopy. They aren't pretty like the fixtures, but if they are enclosed you can't see them, and you get the same bang for a lot less bucks.

mudplo · 08/15/2009, 10:15 AM

The hood is a custom acrylic piece that goes with the tank; I'm not terribly handy so I'm not certain I'd be able to do the custom job...or is the setup of a retro kit pretty easy?

I'm looking at this 35"Nova Extreme with 2x39W 10K bulbs and 2x39W Actinics. It has individual reflectors. I know for CFL's this would not be great, as a T5HO, would this be enough? Again, 20" deep 65G tank running fish and soft corals, but with ambition to run some SPS and bubble tip anemone

Thanks again,

Clint

08/13/2009, 04:47 PM	#1
mudplo Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 109	Lighting requirements for 65-gallon tank Hey all, I am running a coral/fish setup in a 20" deep, 65-gallon tank. I have a 48" CFL light that is working well for me, but I need to downsize to get our tank hood to fit on. Any thoughts on what sort of light output I need? I'm having a little trouble figuring our how T5 HO light compares watt-for-watt with CFL. I'm also not sure how much I should reasonably expect to pay. There are $200 solutions out there, and I don't want to drop a lot more if it's not necessary! I keep mostly soft corals, with one SPS. I don't think I really need to move to higher-maintenance corals, but a little room for upgrading would be nice. Any thoughts? Thanks, Clint

08/13/2009, 06:11 PM	#3
sam11909 Maxi Mini Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 1,039	I got a 48" 4 bulb t5 fixture for my 55G ( it's kinda overkill for a 55G but should be right for a 65G ). It cost me $330 from reefgeek.com. __________________ Samuel A reef aquarium is simply an aquarist's best try of painting a small section of the ocean and containing it in a glass frame. Each new coral adds a new color or brush stroke to the painter's toolbox. Current Tank Info: The Stair-Stepping Nano System

08/13/2009, 10:38 PM	#5
sedor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 4,689	I would probably go with 36" T5's as opposed to a set of 20's. I don't know what kind of hood you've got but if its a canopy type hood that you can drill into, your best bet will be to go with a T5 retro kit. Basically that means you buy the bulbs and reflectors and ballasts and you install them under a canopy. They aren't pretty like the fixtures, but if they are enclosed you can't see them, and you get the same bang for a lot less bucks. __________________ Ryan

08/13/2009, 05:13 PM	#2
gosteen Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 110	From everything I've read and been told you want 3-5 times your total gallons. So in your case it would be between 195 watts and 325 watts. Having said that I understand that it also depends on the depth of your tank and what you want to accomplish. You depth is 20" if you add sand into the equation you will be at about 16" in depth which should be ideal for 3-5x in lighting. If your tank is 48" wide this is a very good option for you. I just installed the 30" fixture on my 29 gallon tank and they are awesome. Two timers 1 for the 10k lights and 1 for the actinic lights. The lunar lights (read leds) come on when the others go off. Light fixtures Having said all of that it is my understanding if you are only keeping fish you can do a standard light and be fine. You should do a ton of research though as there are a million different thoughts on this topic. As I stated earlier it is my understanding that lighting demands are based on what you want to keep in your tank

08/13/2009, 10:25 PM	#4
mudplo Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 109	I think I might have misspoke (mistyped?) I can't use the 48" light because it is just an inch or two too large to fit within our acrylic hood. So we would need to go with either one 36" or two 20" fixtures. Would this be enough light? http://bestpetlighting.com/product_i...oducts_id=1702

08/15/2009, 10:15 AM	#6
mudplo Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 109	The hood is a custom acrylic piece that goes with the tank; I'm not terribly handy so I'm not certain I'd be able to do the custom job...or is the setup of a retro kit pretty easy? I'm looking at this 35"Nova Extreme with 2x39W 10K bulbs and 2x39W Actinics. It has individual reflectors. I know for CFL's this would not be great, as a T5HO, would this be enough? Again, 20" deep 65G tank running fish and soft corals, but with ambition to run some SPS and bubble tip anemone Thanks again, Clint