another lighting question

hey all. just recently joined the forum and id like to say that its one of the best sources of info out there! im in the planning stages of a 90g reef and i have a couple of questions.. first, the whole tank setup (tank w/ built in overflow, stand, canopy, and icecap 660 with 4 48" vho's) was given to me by my brother a few years ago and is currently used for fresh water. the icecap died a few months after getting the setup so i was using pc's for light( besides, its a FO tank so it doesnt need that much light) being that it was fw i had no need to repair the ballast.. untill the reef bug hit, again. now my question. im gonna get the ballast repaired and buy new bulbs. my bro was runnig 3 white actinics and 1 actinic r. should i stick with this setup, or run t5's. ive only had experiance with vho and pc before, so ive never used t5s. going with the t5's, how many bulbs should i do? this will be my second attempt at a reef after my first 55g was killed by a 4 day power outage after an ice storm. but it also has been about 4 years since. please give me some advice.

thanks

 

I guess my first question has to be. What do you want to keep in your Reef? This will determine what lighting you need.

J

 

Welcome to 3reef first and foremost!!!!!
You need to decide on what types of livestock you plan on keeping-mainly corals!!!!Only after deciding on the types of coral can we really pinpoint and help you focus on type of lighting and how much as well as color(kelvin) of the bulbs.
T5's are a big step up from vho's and pc's. Then comes the metal halides, which I feel are the best out there-and the shimmering of the light below the waterline is breathtaking. It replicates the suns rays, exemplified in the Caribbean etc. while scuba diving or snorkeling as the lights pattern shifts(refracts) about with every movement from the passing waves above.
Best of luck with your attempt at reefdom a second time...

 

i mainly plan on just keeping soft corals and maybe a couple of fish. maybe a clam later on down the line.what is the main diff between the 2?

 

Main difference between the two of what? Soft and stony corals? Please be more specific so I can better help ya!

 

Odleon, I setup a 90gal same as yours 1 year ago today oh (Happy birthday tank) I first stated out with the PC lights and only wanting fish and some BTA(bubble tip anemones). Setup was around $2000.00, sure enough 6 month in and here come the lps, sps and clams. My lighting was not enough, so i spent another 500.00 on a TEK T5-HO 8bulb unit. Then my filtration was not enoough so i DIY a sump/Refuge. Now i am up to about 4-5000.00.

My suggestion on any start up is to go with what might become of the tank. Be it either FO or and extreme reef system go with what will support any life in your tank. Make sure you research before you buy for you will go around in circles wondering what you should buy and trying to listen to LFS will only get you in trouble and end up spending double.

T5-HO TEK or any brand is a great way to go. Bulbs last longer they only cost about 20.00 instead of 50 for VHO or PC's. The TEK unit I have is a little deeper then the tank by 1" so i just layed it on top of my tank. HEAT is not an issue with T5's also very cool running.

Good luck if you need any other info on the T5's be glad to help!

 

the diff between the 2 bulbs. i found someone local that sells uri vho bulbs for $20. prob. gonna stick with the vho seeing as i already have the full setup.