Confused about lighting for rbta

[dkim128]

So I'm planning on making a 55 tank which will host clownfish, rbta, and low light corals. What lighting system would you recommend.

I've seen people going with MH but then there are some people going with less than 50watts of pc. What would be the most affordable way to go. I would rather spend 100-200 on the lights and spend the rest on corals and more clowns than buying lights that cost 600.

[kravi]

Buy T5s. They offer brilliant penetration and full spectrums for all types of corals. They also don't cost much more (if at all) than regular PCs or CFs.

Only advantage, AFAIK (I just asked around too), to MHs is the light looks more like "real" sunlight.

--Me

[chem-e]

I've kept my RTBA in VHO and T5. They're pretty hardy, so go with whatever your budget is. I'd recommed T5 with some decent reflectors. MH are great too, but if you're not planning for SPS, then they're going to be over-kill for ya.

Just my .02

[Raibaru]

Where can you buy actual T5 fixtures? All I've seen are the retrofit type deals or the rather large ones. Do they make T5's for 30" tanks? Or are the bulbs so long they are only for the larger tanks?

Also, would 130w PC work for an RBTA?

[traveller7]

They make 30" fixtures, but which 55gal do you have that is 30" wide?

Might want to run the following formula to make sure which tank you have:

L"xW"xH"/231 = gallons.

[Raibaru]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8211419#post8211419 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by traveller7
They make 30" fixtures, but which 55gal do you have that is 30" wide?

Might want to run the following formula to make sure which tank you have:

L"xW"xH"/231 = gallons.

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you. I'm not the OP. Just reading along. Sorry :(

Do you know who sells T5 fixtures that are 30" long that are a good choice? I looked high and low and only was able to find the sunpd MH and te orbit that I have now.

[traveller7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8211482#post8211482 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Raibaru
Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you. I'm not the OP. Just reading along. Sorry :(Its all right, I am easily confused :D

fwiw: 24wt T-5 tubes are available in 24" length. I would hit up a few of the sponsor pages here for fixtures:

http://www.reefcentral.com/sponsors/

Good hunting.

[Raibaru]

Yea, now that you mention it I did see some 24" ones. It really ****es me off that I got this tank. 30" isn't a standard length apparently and if I would have gone with either the 46g (w/ plasma tv...) or a 30g rectangle tank I owuldn't have nearly the amount of problems as I had finding equiptment.

Live and learn I suppose. I do like the bowfront though even if my rock work really didn't take advantage of it much.

Do you think my current Orbit fixture with 130w PC lighting will do the trick for an RBTA? May put one on my x-mas wish list :)

[Noise]

I think you will do fine with the PCs. I had RBTAs under pcs before in my 75 gal, with 260w of PC and they did great, even had one split. I recall reading elsewhere that BTAs do fine under pc lighting.

[traveller7]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8211606#post8211606 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Raibaru
Do you think my current Orbit fixture with 130w PC lighting will do the trick for an RBTA? May put one on my x-mas wish list :) Yes, if you keep the bulbs changed every six to nine months and stay with higher PAR bulbs 10K and less.

fwiw: if it has 2x65w tubes, I would run one 6700K and one 50/50.

Cheers.