Do u guys think I have enough light?

Walam5858 · 08/11/2014, 04:13 AM

I have a 75 gallon tank with 8 t-5 bulbs currently on it and want to keep pretty much any type of coral my wallet can afford doi have enough lights or should I look into LEDs?

Aquat · 08/11/2014, 04:25 AM

You should be fine

Josh40996 · 08/11/2014, 04:43 AM

You should be good, plenty of light.

Saltliquid · 08/11/2014, 05:07 AM

T5s were cool for their day, but be aware that that stye of lighting, as in the tubes before the need to replace them, at there best will last 6 months then decline in photosynthetic quality! They are still glowing great but the phosphorus powder coating on the inside of the tube that creates the tubes lighting colours that coral need are just about cactus at that stage! Fan cooled leds at full photosynthetic quality will last ten years or more!

Mrramsey · 08/11/2014, 07:05 AM

+1 cost of the replacement bulbs alone is why I went led. And six to eight months are going to drop another hundred fifty dollars just to replace the bulbs

cloak · 08/11/2014, 11:49 AM

FWIW, I usually replace my T5 bulbs once a year, (no problem) but if you had the money for the 8 bulb fixture to begin with, and everything else that goes along with this hobby up to this point, $150 bucks every 6-12 months should be peanuts IMO. I would stick with what you have.

Fallling · 08/11/2014, 12:07 PM

Looks good to me. If you eventually want sps, the T5 are a safer bet than LED... LED and sps seems to be a bit tricky for many people. I also agree that if you can afford the fixture in the first place along with all the other costs in the hobby, spending a $150 every 6 months shouldn't be that big of a deal.

rocsec1 · 08/11/2014, 02:42 PM

After replacing the bulbs a few times I went with LED's. They will pay for themselves, depending on what fixture you pick.

coralsnaked · 08/11/2014, 03:57 PM

8 X 48 = 384 watts is pletty of light for any coral. +1 must be vigilant in changing bulbs

Titans_Reef · 08/12/2014, 12:19 AM

Yeah you should be fine, I had 2 36" 4 bulb t-5 lights on my 125g and I kept everything healthy in the tank. I did upgrade the lights to LED's since when I went on vacation, my friend didnt realized 2 of the bulbs burned out that were off the same curcit since it had a built in timer. I came back to see my RBTA almost lost all of its color since it wasnt getting enough light but with the new LED's and feeding weekly, it is slowly gaining its color back. I would just watchout just incase you need to change out the bulbs and just buy some spare bulbs for the same reason, if one goes out and you dont have time to go to the LFS to buy new bulbs.

Saltliquid · 08/12/2014, 01:12 AM

When I started this hobby in 1980 i had to cope with crap resistance lighting as there was nothing else, including tube lighting and finally leds that were invented in the 1920s came into their own “sort of recently”! So from the laser work in the 60s, then the 2000s making them what aquarium lighting can be, now resistance lighting is dead and doesn’t know it yet!
When some ones led lit tank is not going to plan, then they don’t know what they are doing, no mater how good your lights are, its not going to go to plan if the water isn’t what is required, that’s where leds fail, not the actual diodes, it was the reefer that failed! Give it ten or twenty years and you will see what I mean!
All these are under my leds.
https://www.facebook.com/marine.hobb...9796931&type=3

08/11/2014, 04:13 AM	#1
Walam5858 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 27	Do u guys think I have enough light? I have a 75 gallon tank with 8 t-5 bulbs currently on it and want to keep pretty much any type of coral my wallet can afford doi have enough lights or should I look into LEDs?

08/11/2014, 07:05 AM	#5
Mrramsey NEO Reefer Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Hudson Ohio Posts: 1,801	+1 cost of the replacement bulbs alone is why I went led. And six to eight months are going to drop another hundred fifty dollars just to replace the bulbs __________________ Mike My 120 Build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2389417 Current Tank Info: 120g In-Wall \| BA Overflow \| 55g Sump \| SWC Extreme 150 Skimmer \| DIY ATO \| 2 Jebao RW-8\| Fluval SP6 \| Photon 48v2 LED \| GFO and Carbon

08/11/2014, 03:57 PM	#9
coralsnaked Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin / Port Aransas, TX Posts: 1,479	8 X 48 = 384 watts is pletty of light for any coral. +1 must be vigilant in changing bulbs __________________ Merry Skerry Current Tank Info: 1 G Nano jellyfish to 1200 G Bull Nose FOWLR featuring large Holacanthus and Pomacanthus

08/11/2014, 04:25 AM	#2
Aquat Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 253	You should be fine

08/11/2014, 04:43 AM	#3
Josh40996 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 415	You should be good, plenty of light.

08/11/2014, 05:07 AM	#4
Saltliquid Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Brisbane Australia Posts: 911	T5s were cool for their day, but be aware that that stye of lighting, as in the tubes before the need to replace them, at there best will last 6 months then decline in photosynthetic quality! They are still glowing great but the phosphorus powder coating on the inside of the tube that creates the tubes lighting colours that coral need are just about cactus at that stage! Fan cooled leds at full photosynthetic quality will last ten years or more!

08/11/2014, 11:49 AM	#6
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	FWIW, I usually replace my T5 bulbs once a year, (no problem) but if you had the money for the 8 bulb fixture to begin with, and everything else that goes along with this hobby up to this point, $150 bucks every 6-12 months should be peanuts IMO. I would stick with what you have.

08/11/2014, 12:07 PM	#7
Fallling Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 455	Looks good to me. If you eventually want sps, the T5 are a safer bet than LED... LED and sps seems to be a bit tricky for many people. I also agree that if you can afford the fixture in the first place along with all the other costs in the hobby, spending a $150 every 6 months shouldn't be that big of a deal.

08/11/2014, 02:42 PM	#8
rocsec1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Medina oh Posts: 1,782	After replacing the bulbs a few times I went with LED's. They will pay for themselves, depending on what fixture you pick.

08/12/2014, 12:19 AM	#10
Titans_Reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 188	Yeah you should be fine, I had 2 36" 4 bulb t-5 lights on my 125g and I kept everything healthy in the tank. I did upgrade the lights to LED's since when I went on vacation, my friend didnt realized 2 of the bulbs burned out that were off the same curcit since it had a built in timer. I came back to see my RBTA almost lost all of its color since it wasnt getting enough light but with the new LED's and feeding weekly, it is slowly gaining its color back. I would just watchout just incase you need to change out the bulbs and just buy some spare bulbs for the same reason, if one goes out and you dont have time to go to the LFS to buy new bulbs.

08/12/2014, 01:12 AM	#11
Saltliquid Registered Member. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Brisbane Australia Posts: 911	When I started this hobby in 1980 i had to cope with crap resistance lighting as there was nothing else, including tube lighting and finally leds that were invented in the 1920s came into their own “sort of recently”! So from the laser work in the 60s, then the 2000s making them what aquarium lighting can be, now resistance lighting is dead and doesn’t know it yet! When some ones led lit tank is not going to plan, then they don’t know what they are doing, no mater how good your lights are, its not going to go to plan if the water isn’t what is required, that’s where leds fail, not the actual diodes, it was the reefer that failed! Give it ten or twenty years and you will see what I mean! All these are under my leds. https://www.facebook.com/marine.hobb...9796931&type=3