Frag tank lighting questions

[Davidb6]

Setting up a 2'x4'x18" deep frag (SPS) tank.

What lighting combination would you recommend to get good growth with lowest power consumption?

T5 would be a lower power consumption but conserned about growth.

Thinking 10k MH for good growth but maybe 14k for good growth/color balance.

Is there a major differance between 150w and a 250w for this setup? Power consumption, cost, growth?

Thanks

[ReefWreak]

For the best efficiency out of a halide, I believe that it was discovered that in the 175w single ended, there was a fluke with the Iwasaki 15k or something like that (try looking around a bit for it) where it gave HUGE par values for a 175w bulb, comparable to a 250w bulb of most colors. That's the highest efficiency, and if you're starting up from scratch anyway, it won't cost you more/less to upgrade/downgrade to the 175w either.

[Davidb6]

Thanks for the tip...did a quick search and found -

http://www.personal.psu.edu/sbj4/aqu...omparison.html

Any other site like this ?

[ReefWreak]

http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/

has everything you'll need to find what you want (well, most everything you need)

[ReefWreak]

Oh and for colors of bulbs, check out JBNY's page @ www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm

Very awesome site as well

[Paulairduck]

I run a frag tank exactly that size and I run 4 T5 54 watt overdriven by a ice cap 660 ballast and growth has been awesome!!

[Davidb6]

Paulairduck- what do you have in the frag tank? I'd like to grow SPS only

[Davidb6]

Does this seem right? The VHO are showing as the highest power consumers.

http://www.cyberreefguru.com/lighting/light.all.html