I am stuck on lighting my 180g

buddah001 · 12/14/2008, 05:54 PM

I am stuck on what lighting to go with on my 180g. Either T5's or Halides? T5's run cooler and use less electricity but MH's give alot more light and more growth and color right? Are there T5 fixtures at a descent price that are 72"long? Will T5's penetrate enough?

mg426 · 12/14/2008, 07:11 PM

I am a Halide guy and I dont plan on changing, I love the shimmer effect. However T-5s are available in about any length and with multiple bulb choices. Either will work fine.

sheac12 · 12/14/2008, 07:14 PM

I am having the same problem. I am moving from my 90 to a 180 and I am thinking about doing the following: 3 250W 14k MH, 6 T5HO 36" (10K, aquablue+), 4 36" Antinic VHOs. I am planning on equally spacing each of the 250W and then doing 3 T5's and 2 VHO's on each side. This might be overkill, but it is a place to start.

What are you planning on keeping? Clams? SPS?

buddah001 · 12/14/2008, 08:08 PM

Yeah we have a mixed reef abunch of LPS/Softies an just getting into a fiew pieces of SPS. Actually I bought a monti frag from someone and it started to lose tissue and die. When i moved it into the 180 it stopped dyeing and now has covered all of the dead skeleton with new tisue. So I think I am on the right track. And the color is starting to come back. It has purple tips green hue on the tisue and brown polyps not sure what kind.

sheac12 · 12/14/2008, 09:04 PM

All the premade/assembled lighting fixtures I have seen are a combination of MH and either T5 or VHO. However, I have seen some really nice setups on 180s that are just VHO and T5. One was able to grow all the SPS and clams he wanted. I think that a mixture of the two lighting options is the best.

Megabite · 12/15/2008, 07:19 AM

I love the look of the lighting on my 180.

3 - 250W MH on Sunlight Supply Lumen Max Elite. These are great reflectors that will light up your hole tank. These reflectors will not leave a lot of room for as many VHO/ T-5's, but you will not need them. Additionally I have 3 T-5's on a 660 ballast and 9 PB LED bars.

I have a mixed tank with clams, sps, lps, etc. Everything is growing like crazy. Plenty of light.

Here's a couple of pictures.

12/14/2008, 05:54 PM	#1
buddah001 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Genoa, IL Posts: 599	I am stuck on lighting my 180g I am stuck on what lighting to go with on my 180g. Either T5's or Halides? T5's run cooler and use less electricity but MH's give alot more light and more growth and color right? Are there T5 fixtures at a descent price that are 72"long? Will T5's penetrate enough?

12/14/2008, 07:11 PM	#2
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	I am a Halide guy and I dont plan on changing, I love the shimmer effect. However T-5s are available in about any length and with multiple bulb choices. Either will work fine. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

12/14/2008, 07:14 PM	#3
sheac12 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Columbia, MD Posts: 77	Re: Stuck on lighting I am having the same problem. I am moving from my 90 to a 180 and I am thinking about doing the following: 3 250W 14k MH, 6 T5HO 36" (10K, aquablue+), 4 36" Antinic VHOs. I am planning on equally spacing each of the 250W and then doing 3 T5's and 2 VHO's on each side. This might be overkill, but it is a place to start. What are you planning on keeping? Clams? SPS?

12/14/2008, 08:08 PM	#4
buddah001 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Genoa, IL Posts: 599	Yeah we have a mixed reef abunch of LPS/Softies an just getting into a fiew pieces of SPS. Actually I bought a monti frag from someone and it started to lose tissue and die. When i moved it into the 180 it stopped dyeing and now has covered all of the dead skeleton with new tisue. So I think I am on the right track. And the color is starting to come back. It has purple tips green hue on the tisue and brown polyps not sure what kind.

12/14/2008, 09:04 PM	#5
sheac12 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Columbia, MD Posts: 77	All the premade/assembled lighting fixtures I have seen are a combination of MH and either T5 or VHO. However, I have seen some really nice setups on 180s that are just VHO and T5. One was able to grow all the SPS and clams he wanted. I think that a mixture of the two lighting options is the best.

12/15/2008, 07:19 AM	#6
Megabite Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 702	I love the look of the lighting on my 180. 3 - 250W MH on Sunlight Supply Lumen Max Elite. These are great reflectors that will light up your hole tank. These reflectors will not leave a lot of room for as many VHO/ T-5's, but you will not need them. Additionally I have 3 T-5's on a 660 ballast and 9 PB LED bars. I have a mixed tank with clams, sps, lps, etc. Everything is growing like crazy. Plenty of light. Here's a couple of pictures.