Need help considering Lighting

watermydoing · 02/19/2013, 11:39 AM

Anyone help me figure out which one I should by.
Just have a few mushroom corals at the moment in a 72 bow.

http://www.marineandreef.com/Product...08607&CartID=1

http://www.aquarium-supply.biz/48_Hi...p/rwp01033.htm

PaulieReef · 02/19/2013, 11:49 AM

I would think about the future of your tank before you buy either of them lights.

The 4 bulb would work for lower light corals and even some mediums, but if you plan on going SPS or any other higher light corals, the 4 bulb will not be enough.

I run a 6 bulb on my 75 gallon and seems to work great. I have not had any problems with bleaching due to my lights and I have a range of softies to SPS, softies being lower in the tank and SPS higher.

So if you are going to want more light intense corals then you might want to go with higher then 4 bulbs, but then again, I have never used a 4 bulb light on my reef tank, so I can not honestly say it would not work.

Another suggestion is to look into used lights, save you some money and possibly better bulbs. Every light I have ever used on my tank has been previously owned. Saved me a ton of money and got myself a better light then what I could afford retail. But if using something like CL or something with no ratings be careful

.

Best of luck!

fishgate · 02/19/2013, 11:49 AM

One is 2 lights and 1 is 4. If you plan on having higher light requirement corals in the future, then the 4 light would be better. If it is just for what you have and viewing, the 2 would probably be enough. What is your budget?

02/19/2013, 11:39 AM	#1
watermydoing Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 120	Need help considering Lighting Anyone help me figure out which one I should by. Just have a few mushroom corals at the moment in a 72 bow. http://www.marineandreef.com/Product...08607&CartID=1 http://www.aquarium-supply.biz/48_Hi...p/rwp01033.htm

02/19/2013, 11:49 AM	#3
fishgate Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Damascus, MD Posts: 3,340	One is 2 lights and 1 is 4. If you plan on having higher light requirement corals in the future, then the 4 light would be better. If it is just for what you have and viewing, the 2 would probably be enough. What is your budget? __________________ 125RR in-wall, 40B Sump, CS180 BM Skimmer, ATI 4x80 watt, eheim 1262, custom wrap around rock wall, ReefKeeper Elite 120g in-wall, 40B Sump, PC 54wx4, Jabao DC-6000 (full siphon), future seahorse t Current Tank Info: 125g, 120g, 2x40b sumps, ATI 4x80 T5HO

02/19/2013, 11:49 AM	#2
PaulieReef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lafayette, LA Posts: 291	I would think about the future of your tank before you buy either of them lights. The 4 bulb would work for lower light corals and even some mediums, but if you plan on going SPS or any other higher light corals, the 4 bulb will not be enough. I run a 6 bulb on my 75 gallon and seems to work great. I have not had any problems with bleaching due to my lights and I have a range of softies to SPS, softies being lower in the tank and SPS higher. So if you are going to want more light intense corals then you might want to go with higher then 4 bulbs, but then again, I have never used a 4 bulb light on my reef tank, so I can not honestly say it would not work. Another suggestion is to look into used lights, save you some money and possibly better bulbs. Every light I have ever used on my tank has been previously owned. Saved me a ton of money and got myself a better light then what I could afford retail. But if using something like CL or something with no ratings be careful . Best of luck!