Lighting for Reef in 27g hexagon 24 inch tall tank

candymancan · 10/07/2018, 01:02 AM

I have a reef going in my 27g hexagon only a few fish small fish like a royal gramma and azure damzel and hermit crabs

The tank is recentky setup and cycled and i didnt have money for lights but I did have a spare light fixture. I had a Current 65w power compact fixture as well as a duel 65w power compact ballast i had put into a 24 inch t8 hood.

The bbs except one are all new or fairly new. So basically right now i have 4 65w power compact lights over the tank. 3 420/460 nm actinics and 1 6500/6500.

I currently have hammer coral. bubble coral a clam. acropora a monitpora. and a few green stylophora.. Also have s torch coral.

They all seem to be doing fine in the lighting i habe.. but because pc bulbs start to lose intensity after 6-8 months and the bulbs are hard to find i need a new light.

I was looking at those 165w black box leds.. The tank is 18x18x24 so one black box would cover the entire tank perfectly. But i worry about those black boxes dying a year later.. Or starting fires due to them not having UL rated power supplies... There are like 10 diff names for them all are the same box though.. China likes to have 10 no name companies selling the same thing.. And thr black box i was looking at had a remote. dimmer. timer ect and its 139$

The other option are T5HO lights.. But to be honest im not sure if T5 is viable today ? I worry they will just suddenly stop making bulbs for them like they did for power compact and T8s. Or do i not need to worry about that ?

The T5 HO fixture im looking at is this one Sorry i dunno why amazon has a loooong kink for this light but yea.. I was thinking of getting two 20 inch fixtures. So 18 inch 18w T5HO bulbs. With 4 T5s i can do maybe 1 violet 1 blue 1 6500k 1 blue in that order . But T5 fixtures like these are small i could actually put 3 of them over my tank. So 6 T5HO 18w bulbs.

And maybe do 1 violet 1 blue 2 6500k 1 violet 1 blue or something like that.

Or do coral not need 6500k ? I read its better to do a 6500k light otherwise all blue light will kill coral over time.

Anyway.

what should i get ? The black box 165W led.. Or 2 T5HO fixtures.. or 3 T5HO fixtures ?? Is 6 T5HO too much for a 24 inch 18x18 tank ?

Is a 18 inch T5HO bulb even viable to grow coral ? I could get the 24 inch one but 24 inches would hang over both sides of my tank

https://www.amazon.com/6500K-Aquariu...A528WW55AG1C8V

n2585722 · 10/07/2018, 05:55 PM

Google "Canopy and Stand Build for 42 Gallon Hex Tank"
It uses LED's as lighting. It is 24" tall also. I cannot post a link to it in the forum. It has a DIY LED system, but you can get the same results with units such as Kessil.

Uncle99 · 10/07/2018, 06:28 PM

Visparspectra 165w CCB, well made, super quiet fan, strong lighting.

candymancan · 10/08/2018, 08:39 AM

thats acty the LED brand ligjt i was looking at but again its still the same as the other black boxes.. crappy power supply and the internal heat sink is a flat sheet of metal with no fins. So i really worry about fires.

As for the T5 option i origiy made.. I guess i could do 3 T5 HO fixtures... but then id be stuck with 18 incj T5 bulbs and only current and few other brands make those bulbs.

I could do 24 inch i dont mind too much over hang then go with ATI bulbs but there are like no 24 inch t5 fixtures.. I dunno why its so hard to find any 24 inch t5 fixtures.. geezus man.

Guess ill go LED i checked the ceiling with a stud finder and there is is a stud directlt above so i could hang the light

candymancan · 10/08/2018, 08:42 AM

btw what does CCB mean ? google shows nothing for that.

this is the one i was looking at

https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-.../dp/B00UMXAR5S

candymancan · 10/09/2018, 03:23 AM

Really suprised i have no one else responding.. .

IM reading alot of reviews of the vivaspectra led light and black bix lights as a whole.. Im reading they dknt grow coral veey well at all and they just keep them alive.. Also reading some sps and other aquatic coral or anenames dont like the leds as they are too bright some people mention even 10% white intensity is too much..

I dunno.. It looks so nice but really. Would this led light be better then 4 T5 HO ATI bulbs ?

I was looking at this fixture https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Co-Fluor...h+4+bulb&psc=1

And it has individual reflectors.. And put in 4 ATI Coral Plus bulbs. What honestly do you think would grow coral better.. 4 T5ho ATI bulbs with individual reflectors or that cheap 165w LED

10/07/2018, 01:02 AM	#1
candymancan Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 124	Lighting for Reef in 27g hexagon 24 inch tall tank I have a reef going in my 27g hexagon only a few fish small fish like a royal gramma and azure damzel and hermit crabs The tank is recentky setup and cycled and i didnt have money for lights but I did have a spare light fixture. I had a Current 65w power compact fixture as well as a duel 65w power compact ballast i had put into a 24 inch t8 hood. The bbs except one are all new or fairly new. So basically right now i have 4 65w power compact lights over the tank. 3 420/460 nm actinics and 1 6500/6500. I currently have hammer coral. bubble coral a clam. acropora a monitpora. and a few green stylophora.. Also have s torch coral. They all seem to be doing fine in the lighting i habe.. but because pc bulbs start to lose intensity after 6-8 months and the bulbs are hard to find i need a new light. I was looking at those 165w black box leds.. The tank is 18x18x24 so one black box would cover the entire tank perfectly. But i worry about those black boxes dying a year later.. Or starting fires due to them not having UL rated power supplies... There are like 10 diff names for them all are the same box though.. China likes to have 10 no name companies selling the same thing.. And thr black box i was looking at had a remote. dimmer. timer ect and its 139$ The other option are T5HO lights.. But to be honest im not sure if T5 is viable today ? I worry they will just suddenly stop making bulbs for them like they did for power compact and T8s. Or do i not need to worry about that ? The T5 HO fixture im looking at is this one Sorry i dunno why amazon has a loooong kink for this light but yea.. I was thinking of getting two 20 inch fixtures. So 18 inch 18w T5HO bulbs. With 4 T5s i can do maybe 1 violet 1 blue 1 6500k 1 blue in that order . But T5 fixtures like these are small i could actually put 3 of them over my tank. So 6 T5HO 18w bulbs. And maybe do 1 violet 1 blue 2 6500k 1 violet 1 blue or something like that. Or do coral not need 6500k ? I read its better to do a 6500k light otherwise all blue light will kill coral over time. Anyway. what should i get ? The black box 165W led.. Or 2 T5HO fixtures.. or 3 T5HO fixtures ?? Is 6 T5HO too much for a 24 inch 18x18 tank ? Is a 18 inch T5HO bulb even viable to grow coral ? I could get the 24 inch one but 24 inches would hang over both sides of my tank https://www.amazon.com/6500K-Aquariu...A528WW55AG1C8V

10/07/2018, 05:55 PM	#2
n2585722 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Cedar Park, Tx Posts: 1,072	Google "Canopy and Stand Build for 42 Gallon Hex Tank" It uses LED's as lighting. It is 24" tall also. I cannot post a link to it in the forum. It has a DIY LED system, but you can get the same results with units such as Kessil.

10/07/2018, 06:28 PM	#3
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Visparspectra 165w CCB, well made, super quiet fan, strong lighting.

10/08/2018, 08:39 AM	#4
candymancan Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 124	thats acty the LED brand ligjt i was looking at but again its still the same as the other black boxes.. crappy power supply and the internal heat sink is a flat sheet of metal with no fins. So i really worry about fires. As for the T5 option i origiy made.. I guess i could do 3 T5 HO fixtures... but then id be stuck with 18 incj T5 bulbs and only current and few other brands make those bulbs. I could do 24 inch i dont mind too much over hang then go with ATI bulbs but there are like no 24 inch t5 fixtures.. I dunno why its so hard to find any 24 inch t5 fixtures.. geezus man. Guess ill go LED i checked the ceiling with a stud finder and there is is a stud directlt above so i could hang the light

10/08/2018, 08:42 AM	#5
candymancan Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 124	btw what does CCB mean ? google shows nothing for that. this is the one i was looking at https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-.../dp/B00UMXAR5S

10/09/2018, 03:23 AM	#6
candymancan Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 124	Really suprised i have no one else responding.. . IM reading alot of reviews of the vivaspectra led light and black bix lights as a whole.. Im reading they dknt grow coral veey well at all and they just keep them alive.. Also reading some sps and other aquatic coral or anenames dont like the leds as they are too bright some people mention even 10% white intensity is too much.. I dunno.. It looks so nice but really. Would this led light be better then 4 T5 HO ATI bulbs ? I was looking at this fixture https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Co-Fluor...h+4+bulb&psc=1 And it has individual reflectors.. And put in 4 ATI Coral Plus bulbs. What honestly do you think would grow coral better.. 4 T5ho ATI bulbs with individual reflectors or that cheap 165w LED