Great lighting for a 36", 58g.

[awestruck]

I want to upgrade my lighting for my 36", 58g. tank. My animals are as follows:

1. Red Brain
2. Frogspawn
3. Devil's Hand
4. 2 types of shrooms
5. Sebae anem.
6. 3 Gargonians (1 purple ribbon and 2 red tree)
7. GSP

No canopy so the lighting would have to hang or rest on the tank.
I would like to be able to add some sps in the future. Any suggestions and places to purchase? TIA :)

[hahnmeister]

6x39wattT5 fixture. For now, you could more than likely get away with just running 4 of the bulbs, and when you add SPS, turn on the other two.

[awestruck]

Thanx for your quick response hahnmeister--why are we on RC at 2:15 am?!! :) Where would you go for these t5s? And, I keep reading that t5s should have individual reflectors so if I'm going to spend the money I want to get that type of light. Again, TIA.

[hahnmeister]

ATI powermodules would be the best. They cost more than most, but put out 2x as much as a Tek thanks to the even better reflectors, ballasts, and built in cooling.

Teks are alright, but after having one over my 40B, I will not use one again.

Reefgeek is doing pre-orders on the ATI, you have to call them to do so... price includes bulbs at least. Really the slickest light out there. Otherwise, there is the Aquatinics, I would say they are the next best thing. Then the Fauna-Marin Ultra solaris (aquarium obsessed.com).

My choice was to get the Tek retro from Geek, with the Icecap reflector upgrade, then bend up aluminum into a 'C' shape on a sheet metal break, drill it up, and add endcaps. Makes a neat, raw aluminum unit that performs as well as the ATI, and for less $$$...

Heres a 2x24watt unit I made for the fuge...
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k278/wetworx101/fixturefromtop.jpg
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k278/wetworx101/fixturefromend.jpg

It lacks fans like the ATI, but the 4x54watt units I made sport a 120mm fan in the middle just like the ATI. The aluminum cost me $20 a sheet, and the 120mm fan and 12v adapter were about $20 total. All in all... it looks slick.

[awestruck]

Thanx much for your help--I'll start checking this out. :)