75g Lighting

[greenmonkey51]

I'm setting up my 75g right now and I'm getting my lighting fairly soon. I initially want to go fish only but figured I might as well do a couple corals. I mainly looking at shrooms, polyps, and zenia. Maybe a couple easier soft corals later on. I was thinking of going with 220wt of PC from AH Supply. Would that be enough for what I'm thinking. Also what bulbs should I go with. Also I ordered 3 MaxiJet 1200 powerheads. Is that enough flow.

[Mr.Marls]

Yeah it would be enough, but why not geta retro T5 kit, or VHO or somthing.

If you do get corals youll probably end up wanting more lighting, but it would absolutely be okay to us PC.

[Phillybean]

I'm also doing a 75 gallon. My advice is this, go T5 Retro or M.H.

I'm also planning on doing a basic set up, with easy to keep corals, but sooner or later I know I will fall in love with a SPS or LPS coral at the LFS, so plan for the future. For the price of a new PC lighting set up you can get a decent used MH set up on the selling website here. Just my $0.02

[Peter Eichler]

Go with a 4x54w T5 retrokit. It will be enough to keep most softies and LPS and if you decide you want to try SPS or clams later on you can add more T5s or MH to your existing setup.

[greenmonkey51]

Why are T5 and VHO better than PC. Only reason I like PC is that I can slowly build up the lighting over time and don't have to drop down a big chunk of change right away. My main concern is getting a stable tank first then finish off the lighting and add corals.

[davidryder]

There is a book by Robert Fenner called The Conscientious Marine Aquarist that compares the different lights in the same tank. He concludes that MH and VHO actinics provide the best spectrum on the coral tank.

[greenmonkey51]

Would I be losing out on much by doing PC. Would shrooms, polyps, and soft corals be the limit for 220wt of PC. I don't want a ton invested in this tank since I'll be moving it in a year and a half.

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9528993#post9528993 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greenmonkey51
Why are T5 and VHO better than PC. Only reason I like PC is that I can slowly build up the lighting over time and don't have to drop down a big chunk of change right away. My main concern is getting a stable tank first then finish off the lighting and add corals.

For $299 you can get the T5s I mentioned and they will be brighter, a better spectrum with more blbs to choose from so you can tweak it to just how much blue or lack there of you want. Also, the bulbs last longer and are often cheaper. Many people and this hobby in general is moving away from PCs. Why buy twice when you can buy once...

[davidryder]

I think it's ultimately up to you. It just depends on how much you want to invest and how much you want to put into the tank.

[DrBegalke]

I think you're fine starting with PCs, especially if you plan on xenias, shrooms, and polyps. I would hunt around the boards here, or maybe a local club, for a used fixture... then save up for MH or T5's if (ok when) the desire to keep other corals occurs.

[celano]

Start out with some PC and work your way up. After awhile if you want some more light demanding corals you can always get a MH or LED fixture. Skip the T-5's and VHO's, from what I've read T-5's will be dead in the next couple years and VHO's are already there. LED and MH are the way to go.
Thats an opinion btw....feel free to discuss it guys.

[greenmonkey51]

I've been looking around and I think I figured out what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna start with 220wt of PC, then down the road in a couple months add a 250wt MH in the middle on the hood and put any high light corals in the middle and put the mushrooms and polyps towards the sides. With the 220pc only though could definitely do shrooms, polyps, xenia, and softies?

[sabbath]

You stated that you could add a single mh in the middle. Does your 75g have a center brace like my 75g? I did 2X 150w mh w/4x65w pc's.mtc

[MattToTheMax]

i have PCs on my current tank and am always bummed about the way the lights look after seeing VHO, MHs, or T5s. plus the bulbs are way expensive. you'll get more bang for the money with T5s. plus i prefer the look and you can still add MH to them later.
here is a totm with T5: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/totm/index.php
another totm with T5 (SPS tank):
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/totm/index.php

[greenmonkey51]

Right now I maybe able to get MH's for what I'd spend on PC's. I found a nice used dual ballast cheap and I'd just need to wire the sucker up.