T5/Halide Retrofits for Canopies

[bkd067]

Hello Everybody,
I just purchased a 180g (72" x24" x24")all glass aquarium that has a canopy. I would like some suggestions on what type of retrofit lighting systems that I might be able to successfully install in this canopy. I would like a lighting system that does not limit me in what type of corals I can grow in this tank. I have 8" clearance between the top of the tank and the inside bottom of the canopy. I have a 72.5" long x 17" wide surface inside the canopy to work with. I am also concerned on how to dissipate the heat and not burn up my nice canopy. Any help or wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

[ryshark]

I am also curious about this. Hopefully somebody will chime in

[dzabler]

If you go the T5 route you can have pretty much any coral but you might have to place some corals highter in the tank depending on how much light it needs. If you go with metal halides you can get anything coral wise. As far as how much light you want a general rule is 3 - 7 watts per gallon (try to be closer to 3 if you can) The heat issue - computer fans work great. 120mm size. T5s actually do not produce nearly as much heat at the mh do but still a little. When putting fans in try to have some blowing in and some sucking air out also. With that big of a tank if you go with the mh you will want to get 6 or 8 fans. http://www.jab-tech.com/ - i got my fans off this site, they are actually pretty cheap, also you need a power supply called a 12v DC Power Supply with Single Molex Connector. You can power up to 4 fans with one of the power supplys. I have t5s on my tank and i love them, way cheaper than mh and consume very little energy. Hopefully this helps, if you have anymore questions just ask.

[bristle]

Put enough T5s in there and you'll be able to keep anything. Unfortunately you'll have to go with separate 36" retrofits and buy twice as many bulbs. Alternatively, you could go with 3 x 250W MH, or 3 x 400W MH with some good reflectors. You could put some T5 supplements if you want.

[dzabler]

if you go with the mh, get the t5 actinics. they will make your corals look awesome!! Also with my T5s i rigged them so i have 2 bulbs in each reflector rather than one

[Jay180reef]

I've got 3 x 250Watt MH running each with a Galaxy ballast.
4 x T5 actinics running off an IceCap 660 ballast. 2 super actinic, 2 actinic blue.
I hung them using angle brackets from HD.

[ryshark]

So 3-7 watts per gallon for T5HO what about for the metal halides

[ryshark]

If T5 then what brand has an all around good and good price retrofit?

[bkd067]

Thanks for all the input

[rtecanoe]

For T-5s check out reefgeek.com. I have six 60" t5s over my 180 gallon, I just put them into my canopy, drilled some holes in the side of the canopy and have 2 4" fans blowing in one side and 2 4" fans blowing out the other side. I did have to make a couple of adjustments on the canopy to fit them properly, but nothing major. I'm very happy with the light they produce, if anything its probably too bright for most of my corals. You can call reefgeek, they are very helpful.