T5 Vs. MH 36x24x18 tank

[mike810]

Hey guys, upgrading to a new tank and need help picking out a light. Was looking at the 36 inch 6x39W Tek Light. My concern is, will this light be enough for my tank? I am keeping some sps, lps, crocea and maxima clams. Does anyone with this light fixture give me some advice?

I don't want to spend tooo much on a light as I'm already paying an arm and a leg for my new tank. If these T5s are not good enough, then which T5? If T5s aren't good enough, What kind of MH?

Thank you so much for your input.

[nanojg]

should work well with good bulbs, ati,uvl, gman. you will also get a 20% light increase by blowing a fan behind the fixture

[t4zalews]

I run a 400w over mine....works like a charm

[rtparty]

Is your tank 24" front to back or 18" front to back?

The rule for T5's is one bulb for every 3". So a 24" tank needs 8 bulbs and an 18" tank needs only 6.

If you want clams and SPS in that tank then you need to look at the ATI stuff. The ATI Powermodule in either the 8x39W or the 8x24W would work. I run a 24" Sunpower over a 36" tank and have no issues and get plenty of light spread.

[mike810]

Originally Posted by rtparty

Is your tank 24" front to back or 18" front to back?

The rule for T5's is one bulb for every 3". So a 24" tank needs 8 bulbs and an 18" tank needs only 6.

If you want clams and SPS in that tank then you need to look at the ATI stuff. The ATI Powermodule in either the 8x39W or the 8x24W would work. I run a 24" Sunpower over a 36" tank and have no issues and get plenty of light spread.

My tank is 36Lx24Wx18H. What do you mean by when u say one T5 bulb for every 3"? Are you referring to every 3" deep or 3" wide (front to back)?

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by mike810

My tank is 36Lx24Wx18H. What do you mean by when u say one T5 bulb for every 3"? Are you referring to every 3" deep or 3" wide (front to back)?

Front to back.

One big misconception is that more bulbs = more PAR. That is not true with T5.

For example, if you have an 8 bulb fixture, the two outside bulbs are not contributing to the PAR of the two inside bulbs and vice versa.

By adding more bulbs you increase the area of where the maximum PAR can be achieved.

With your tank being 24" front to back(wide) you really want to shoot for an 8 bulb fixture unless you want to hang a 6 bulb fixture like 12" above the tank. It is so you get better coverage.

Now if you are like me and don't keep rock against the sides and back glass then you can get away with 6 bulbs. You just have to live with it being a little darker on the edges but it isn't bad at all. Most people don't even notice it on my tank unless I say something and even then it is minimal.

I hope I am not totally confusing you

[kimber45]

are you sure it's not 36x18x24?

that's a more common size then 36x24x18.

[200gallon]

Rt, with you saying the thing about a 6 bulb fixture 12" above the tank. My tank is custom at 22", how high would you say hanging the light above it. I was thinking between 6 and 12"... For a 6 bulb vs 8 bulb fixture...

[Peale]

I have the same tank (36Lx24Hx18D) with the Nova Extreme Pro 36" T5 lights and I have SPS darn near the bottom. The Tek light would be fine.

[mike810]

Originally Posted by rtparty

Front to back.

One big misconception is that more bulbs = more PAR. That is not true with T5.

For example, if you have an 8 bulb fixture, the two outside bulbs are not contributing to the PAR of the two inside bulbs and vice versa.

By adding more bulbs you increase the area of where the maximum PAR can be achieved.

With your tank being 24" front to back(wide) you really want to shoot for an 8 bulb fixture unless you want to hang a 6 bulb fixture like 12" above the tank. It is so you get better coverage.

Now if you are like me and don't keep rock against the sides and back glass then you can get away with 6 bulbs. You just have to live with it being a little darker on the edges but it isn't bad at all. Most people don't even notice it on my tank unless I say something and even then it is minimal.

I hope I am not totally confusing you

I totally get you. I don't plan to keep rock against the back or the sides. I plan to leave space all around the glass to make for easier cleaning. But I'll see, might shoot for the 8bulb if I can afford it. Thanks for the info

[mike810]

Originally Posted by kimber45

are you sure it's not 36x18x24?

that's a more common size then 36x24x18.

My tank will be a custom 36x24x18 rimless Lee Mars tank

[mike810]

Originally Posted by Peale

I have the same tank (36Lx24Hx18D) with the Nova Extreme Pro 36" T5 lights and I have SPS darn near the bottom. The Tek light would be fine.

I currently have a 30x15x18 bow tank. I have sps at the top and clams at the bottom with a current sundial 4x24 T5. The sps seems fine with full polyp extension and clams open up nice everyday. My concern with the new tank was front to back coverage.

[kimber45]

Originally Posted by mike810

My tank will be a custom 36x24x18 rimless Lee Mars tank

very cool dimensions. nice and wide.

make sure to post some pics when you get it.

as far as lighting i would go t5ho.

36" is pushing it for a single mh. most recommend 24" max per fixture.

[mike810]

Originally Posted by kimber45

very cool dimensions. nice and wide.

make sure to post some pics when you get it.

as far as lighting i would go t5ho.

36" is pushing it for a single mh. most recommend 24" max per fixture.

Cool, I was leaning towards T5 unless someone suggested otherwise.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by 200gallon

Rt, with you saying the thing about a 6 bulb fixture 12" above the tank. My tank is custom at 22", how high would you say hanging the light above it. I was thinking between 6 and 12"... For a 6 bulb vs 8 bulb fixture...

It really all depends. A good fixture 10 inches above the tank will still throw some serious numbers. I am a fan of using smaller fixtures and hanging them a little higher.

For example my 24" fixture is on a 36" tank. The light spread is just fine. I also like to keep the fixture up a little bit so I can get into the tank much easier.

Just remember this: Most SPS thrive in 300-400 PAR and LPS really like the low 100's.

I prefer the ATI over Tek for a few reasons. The ATI has better cooling, better reflectors, and better ballasts.

[mike810]

I'm with you on the ATI over the teks. Did a lot of reading on ATI and they seem to be the better choice although a bit more pricey. I think they're worth it. But now I am stuck between a 6 bulb or a 8 bulb. I do not plan to place rocks on the back glass that's for sure but I probably will place some corals towards the front of my tank. Do you guys think the 6 bulb will give decent par to the front of the tank or should I just opt for an 8 bulb instead?

[nano427]

Originally Posted by nanojg

should work well with good bulbs, ati,uvl, gman. you will also get a 20% light increase by blowing a fan behind the fixture

never heard this before. why is this?

[yongpanda]

I want to tell you that you shoudl go with the ati powermodule with more bulbs and fan, you'll get more par. I know it may sound liek a lot of money invested in just a light you can easily purchase for cheaper by going withthe tek light fixture, but i believe that might as well spend money on a quality light that you know that even if you're gonna sell it used afterwards that you'll get your money's worth back.

Its like how used mp40w on the buy/sell forums are going out for amazing prices while other lower quality things tend to drop in price after it is used.

just wanted to point this out

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by nano427

never heard this before. why is this?

By adding some fans to help cool the Tek it will increase the output. T5 bulbs need to be cooled to have maximum performance and maximum lifespan.

[10001110101]

The infamous MH/T5 question.

Either will work excellently. the trick with MH is coverage, you can do like t4azalews and just hang a 400w about 12" or so above the tank, you can get 2x150 plus supplemental t5 actinics (my personal choice), or all T5...

Any of the above will give you great PAR using the right bulbs... PAR is really more about bulbs and light distribution than wattage, T5's have an advantage in providing blue bulbs with very high PAR numbers.

MH can also be tricky matching lamps w/ballasts.

T5 set up will likely be more expensive w/6 bulb or 8 bulb fixture, a 400w MH pendant is by far the most economical choice, throw a radium in it and you'll be really pleased with the color and PAR. You could have a pendant with Radium ($90) bulb for under $300 if you look around. If you go MH get a really good reflector like a lumenarc, makes a world of difference, just like it does with T5's.

At the end of the day you can't go wrong with either, but T5 bulbs are really expensive, even with just a 6 bulb fixture you're talking $150 for bulbs on top of $400-500 minimum for a quality fixture... A MH/T5 combo fixture will be much more expensive for a quality brand, but no-names can be found for a decent price... and here you're paying for crappy stock bulbs which you will want to change out.

So it's just what your preference is really.

But to answer your original question, that 6x39 TEK light is a quality fixture, powerful enough for SPS and clams.

[Crackerballer]

I would do T5. longer bulb life, less heat issues. You can get a ATI unit (on here used, I know there is a guy selling a 36" one) and have a great colored tank. Being only 18" deep, a nice T5 setup will be really nice.