Lighting for 55 Gal

I have looked at LED versus T5 etc and could go either way. The question is, how much do i need? I don;t currently have corals but know I will need the lighting ahead of time and essentially cycle my tank again. The very specific question i need help with is would buying 4 of these (BoostLED) work for my tanks needs? It seems like a killer deal. Is 4 to much? I know wattage is a relative term with LED but i need to start somewhere I guess. Thank you very much for the helps

 

I don't think that's too much at all. I have the same size tank and I'm thinking about getting 4 of these in the future or whatever out. Easier to do maintaince I bet.

 

If it was me i would go with the t5. Im a huge fan of them they really are awesome lights even tho there are some people who beg to differ. you would probably be ok going with the 48 inch HO.

 

a t5 fixture thats equivelant in power to metal halides or these 4 led's would probably run a high price. also you pay for it in the long run with power consumption along with halides. led's, thats like nothing. no spike in power bills. also they do not get as hot as t5's or halides. so it saves him from having to buy a chiller. i do agree that t5's are very good lights just not the best option that he has right now for his tank.

 

I assume you are talking about the Boost LED PAR30 spotlights. I think 4 would be ok to start. You may want more for a 55g if you get into more light demanding corals. Personally, I'd probably go with 5 or 6, but the great thing about being modular you could always add more if needed. Also, you can have them come on and go off in sequence, to get very cool dusk to dawn effects. The T-5s are a good option. They are tried and true and 4 would be fine. They will use a lot more electricity though, and you'll be replacing 4 bulbs every year or so, so they long term cost is more.

MHs are good, the one problem with them though, is they tend to produce a lot of light and get hot. The downside to this is you tend not to want to run them as long, so you have a shorter photoperiod. In a wider tank, there is room for supplemental lighting to extend the photoperiod, but depending on the fixture, due to the narrow dimensions of a 55g, it isn't always easy to fit supplemental lights on a 55g. Also, you again have more bulb replacement and more electricity costs. So, I think the PAR30s or a 55g are probably a great, cost effective way to go.

 

Thank you, i think I am going to order 4 of the boost spotlamps

 

I placed the order and went with the 3 royal blue, 1 cool white and one nuetral white bulbs.... They didn;t tell me until after I placed the order that they are back ordered for 2-4 weeks.... pretty sleezy that they didn't tell me ahead of time in my opinion.

 

?? It's said backordered on the site for several days at least.

 

Where? It said some bulbs but not what i ordered. check again

 

I checked 3rd time, not sure where you are seeing the back order...