Best way to light a 90g

[lotsoftats]

But not your typical 90g.....48x24x18....want it SPS dominant.
What is the best way to light it...I want to place SPS anywhere I want.

All t5?...I have enough parts besides reflectors to go 8 bulb DIY fixture 4 36"+4
24" offset to span the 48".
2 250w halide with some vho/t5 actinics.
2 400w halide with some vho/t5 actinics .

I know the LED thing is the rage but to be honest I don't know enough about electronics and wiring to DIY and not enough $ to buy a fixture. So out of the 3 what would you recommend?

Thanks for the help

[Saltwatercoral2]

you will only need 250 watts, thats what i would go with. I had 2 over my 90 and had good growth

[BEEKER1]

I would recommend the t5 option. Less heat than the halides and no need for a chiller.

[Saltwatercoral2]

just because you have halides, does not mean you need a chiller!

[Felixc395]

Go all T5, you'll be happy you did. If the whole retro thing doesn't work out, then an ATI 8 x 54 watt bulb sunpower or powermodule would be pretty awesome.

[Felixc395]

just because you have halides, does not mean you need a chiller!

Not always, but there's a pretty good chance. They run sooo hot and I just don't think it's worth it.

[BEEKER1]

just because you have halides, does not mean you need a chiller!

I agree, but you are more likely to need a chiller with halides on a 90g than you would with t5's. T5's can be cooled by fans only. I have two 4" computer fans blowing through my tank between the light and the water and my tank temp stays at a consistent 78 deg. The fixture is in a closed canopy.

[lotsoftats]

Thanks guys.....if i go with all T5 what bulb combo should I go with? looking for the Phoenix or Radium blue look for the tank.

Should I go with 6 or 8 bulb?

[BEEKER1]

6 on a 90 but 8 wouldn't hurt.

[lotsoftats]

6 on a 90 but 8 wouldn't hurt.

my 90 is only 18" high rimless....still 8?

[stevie-o]

led lights are awesome and you don't have to do a diy project you can just buy the whole fixture.
http://reefkoi.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20

http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=90

[b16drag]

might wanna consider the boostled one also. slightly higher wattage than those two and better looks like they have better spectrum.

http://www.boostled.com/collections/frontpage/products/mu-series-135w-led-module

[Inklinkerman]

Im thinking of doing a similar thing on a 90G but was only looking at 4x T5. POssibly supplemented with a couple of aquabeam 600 LEDs. Is this too little light?

[Coraldomination]

Thanks guys.....if i go with all T5 what bulb combo should I go with? looking for the Phoenix or Radium blue look for the tank.

Should I go with 6 or 8 bulb?

Definately 6 bulbs should cover the 24" front to back distance.
I have a SunPower over 3x2 tank and the spread is
Morenthan eneough at 8" off the water. hTH.

[jformani]

i think 6 bulbs will be fine. i would go with the ati bulbs. 4 blue+, 1 purple, 1 aquablue. this will give you a nice blue tint.

[barjam]

Make sure you go look at a mh vs and a t5 tank first. I started with T5s and was always very envious of the mh tanks I saw. A reef tank just doesn't look good (to me) without that shimmer. If that doesn't matter to you then go t5s. I am just trying to save you the expense of buying your lights twice in case you have the same tastes I do!

I have never had any heating issues with mh on my 90 (with a 20 gallon sump). My fish tank is (in wall) in my unfinished basement which is always pretty cool though.

[b16drag]

If you plan on T5 go with 6 bulbs.

Just depends on your preference with shimmer etc.

[saleen2881]

I would go with the 2 250w halide with some vho/t5 actinics.

[needmore-reef]

with a 18" you could do 2 150W HQI bulbs, but would need a fan to cool.

[Felixc395]

[QUOTE=lotsoftats;18294956]my 90 is only 18" high rimless....still 8?[QUOTE]

So your tank is 24" wide then, right? If it is then 8 bulbs wouldn't be bad coverage wise, but may be too intense. 6 bulbs should work well IMO.

[NeverlosT]

Over my 90 I have 2x 250W halides and 4 T5 tubes. I can purchase different MH bulbs or different t5 bulb combinations and really tune the tank color. I have great shimmer and growth and if you vent the canopy well, heat is not as MUCH of a problem. (It will always be an issue, but frankly, as crappy as it is in the summer, it is nice in the winter, less heater "on" time!)

good luck!

[reeferlover]

Do 6 ATI bulbs. Thats what I have and its perfect. My 90 gal actually was too bright with 6 ati 2 blue+ 2 purple 2 aqua blue I had to add two giessmann actinics in place of two of the high par lights. I was actually bleaching favias in the sand. Get a TEK light and ati you wont be disappointed.

[b16drag]

Yup 6 of the bulbs are MORE than enough if you have good individual reflectors and bulbs.

[zaheda]

T 5 are not too powerfull compared to the metal halide. The halides give a very strong lighting which looks also more natrural. T5 dont look real at all. Go for 2 Lumenarc reflecters with 250w, that will kick some serious ***.

[wakeboardgeek]

I'm running 2 250w radiums in lumen bright reflectors. I also have 2 T5s for supplementation (and LEDs). My canopy has vents on top and I have a fan on my controller that kicks in at a certain temp (and no chiller). Never had issues with heat in FL...maybe I'm just lucky, but that's my experience.

[jmahfouz]

I have a 90 with the exact dimensions, i use a 6x39w tek fixture and my tank is blasting with light, 8 don't hurt though.