Suggestions for Lighting my 120 Gallon Plz

[harana]

Hello,

I'm planning on making my 120 gallon tank (60 long x 24 Deep x 18 Wide) home to some corals.

I would like suggestions as to what lighting setup I should use... Brand, wattage etc.

Thank you!

[davidtsx]

I use a retro kit on mine. Because of the center brace I have 2x250 MH and 4 48 inch T5's.

[harana]

I've seen the variety of options available - T5, VHO, MH, PC etc... and am thoroughly confused... any reccomendations would be greatly appreciated.

[Mikeygo1]

I guess the first question is what do you want to keep in the tank?

[sedor]

Either 8 T5 bulbs or 2 250W halides would be the best option IMO at the moment until LED technology really begins to shine. Personally, I use halides. They are a little old school, but I like the simplicity and the look of halides. People will say that halides run hotter than T5. Personally, I don't find this to be true. T5's can heat your water just as easily as halides. Your going to have to run a couple fans in your canopy for any powerful light setup so just keep that in mind as well.

[harana]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not sure what type of coral I would like to keep, but I think that I would like to purchase a quality lighting set up at the oustset, rather than something that I will have to replace if I choose to keep more demanding specimens later on.

[Ralph ATL]

get 2 x 400 MH or galaxy select a watt. If you finally get to stony corals, you'll be already set.

[GPhiAce]

You are going to get alot of opinions. Knowing your setup and goals help narrow done the options. Do you have a canopy, or will it be open top? SPS, LPS, softies, mixed, FOWLR? Do you want a fixture or go retro? What is your price range?

I like the retro option. Simple and versatile. If this is an option, look into good MH ballasts (I like IceCap, CoralVue dimmable, and Galaxy) and/or good T5 ballasts (I like IceCap 660). You can easily get away with only T5 (6-10 bulbs) or MH (2x250w). 400w MH maybe a little strong for a 24 deep tank- IMO. Keep in mind that the bulbs and reflectors are a major part of the setup. You can do a google search for Sanjay Lighting tests. That is a great source to determine an optimal bulb:ballast setup. You can also google MH reflector tests and pick a reflector based on the data from that.

No matter what you run, you are going to have to figure out what to do to control the temp of your tank. Fans are a good option. 4 inch Computer fans in the canopy and sump (not sure if you have one) is a good option. A chiller gives you the best control.


I run 2x250w IceCap MH ballasts with Radiums and 2x110w UVL VHOs (actinic plus and actinic white) on an IceCap 660. My reflectors are SSR. Simply put, I have MH and VHOs. I love this setup. I get the shimmer of MH and the intensity of VHOs (I have the option to run another 110w VHO in my setup). I run 2x 4 inch fans in my canopy and a 1/4 HP chiller to maintain a temp between 79.3-80.2. Chiller is typically on 3-4 hours a day and typically only when my MHs are on.

Good luck.

[harana]

Thank you very much for your response. I do not have a canopy. It is presently open top with a single perfecto strip light. I would like to start with beginner corals (softies) and probably mix in lps and sps later on. I don't know what a retro is. Price is variable, I wouldn't necessarily want to skimp on a few hundred dollars when I'm going to be spending thousands in the long term anyways.

[Topbloke72]

Either MH or T5 are the best options. Forget about LED or PC (power compact). I prefer retro because you can taylor it to your exact requirements, but you really need a canopy to go retro.

[petrio]

i have a 120 gallon my self dimension 48x24x24 i have 3 aquamedic 250 watt de on it running 10k bulbs now growth on it is visual by the week i think only 2 of them would not be as good if you dont want to get 3 pendants i would go with t5 fixture! tek have fixture for your size 6x 80 watts t5 bulbs good luck !!

[harana]

Ok so i've done some research and have come up with two possible options for my lighting fixture.

1) The Marineland Marine Series Pro Metal Halide Fixture 2X150W HQI & 4X54W T5, 60 inch. My concern with this model is that the MH lights are only 150W.

2) Hamilton Technology 60 inch MH & T5 Fixtures, 2 Mogul Base Metal Halide Bulbs (250 W) & 2X80W T5 HO. My concern with this model is that it only has two HO T5s.

What do you guys think? Which would be the better option? Are there any other makes/models that might be better? Thanks.

[Nereaga]

I would go with an ATI 60'' fixture. They are expensive but man they put out some serious light...

[James77]

Ok so i've done some research and have come up with two possible options for my lighting fixture.
1) The Marineland Marine Series Pro Metal Halide Fixture 2X150W HQI & 4X54W T5, 60 inch. My concern with this model is that the MH lights are only 150
2) Hamilton Technology 60 inch MH & T5 Fixtures, 2 Mogul Base Metal Halide Bulbs (250 W) & 2X80W T5 HO. My concern with this model is that it only has two HO T5s.
What do you guys think? Which would be the better option? Are there any other makes/models that might be better? Thanks.

Retro is installing your own equipment using halide pendants and flourescent kits. These are better than fixtures because you can get the best reflectors out there. Downside is you usually need a canopy, although I have seen some without.

The 2 fixtures you list have poor reflectors, so the MH light will not be as even a spread- not the end of the world. Is a canopy out of the question? Of the 2 you listed, I'd probably go with the hamilton.

If you go T5-
6 T5s would be more than enough on your 18" tank. ATI Sunpowers give fantastic performance and are moderately priced. 6 bulbs may even be too intense for some softies, but you can use less intense bulbs.

[harana]

Retro is installing your own equipment using halide pendants and flourescent kits. These are better than fixtures because you can get the best reflectors out there. Downside is you usually need a canopy, although I have seen some without.

The 2 fixtures you list have poor reflectors, so the MH light will not be as even a spread- not the end of the world. Is a canopy out of the question? Of the 2 you listed, I'd probably go with the hamilton.

If you go T5-
6 T5s would be more than enough on your 18" tank. ATI Sunpowers give fantastic performance and are moderately priced. 6 bulbs may even be too intense for some softies, but you can use less intense bulbs.

Thanks. But the tank is 24" deep not 18". Will that make much of a difference? Also, I've read that t-5s would not be sufficient should i choose to go for SPS later on, which is why I was looking at a MH/T5 combination. Would I be ok with just T-5s if I were to go with sps at some point?

[James77]

Thanks. But the tank is 24" deep not 18". Will that make much of a difference? Also, I've read that t-5s would not be sufficient should i choose to go for SPS later on, which is why I was looking at a MH/T5 combination. Would I be ok with just T-5s if I were to go with sps at some point?

I usually refer to width as being the depth, sorry. 6 T5s are great for 18" wide, and it will give you taons of light at any depth. SPS do very well under T5s, nice color and growth.

[harana]

Thanks. So it would seem that the t5s might be the way to go as they also seem substatially cheaper. Are there any specific fixtures that you would reccomend? Perhaps with moonlights?