t5 bulbs??

i have the nova 4 bulb t5 setup and was wanting to change my stock bulbs to something a little better. the bulbs are 54w right now. i was looking at getting HO 80w bulbs for more wattage. Any recommendations?? Check signature for tank mates. Looking at getting more corals. mostly LPS maybe some easy to keep SPS. Thanks in advance.

 

i recommend UVL brand bulbs.

 

What spectrums? i currently have 2 daylight and 2 actinics

 

what look do you like white, blueish, purpleish. pinkish?

 

if you want kinda pink go with 2xactinicwhite and 2x superactinic. And if you want more blue go 2x14k and 2xsuperactinic

 

here is the best thread ever for people with questions on t5 bulb setups
http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-lighting/t5-bulb-combinations-w-pictures-59447.html

 

I recommend ATI bulbs, but geisemans are good too.


Ona 55g, I would NOT overdrive the 54watters to 80 watts. Especially not ot a tank for LPS primarily. If you were to OD them, I have a feeling you would bleach out and kill most of the LPS you are trying to keep. I have done just that in the past on my old 35g lit by 3x39w of t5ho retro on a 17" tall tank. And that was not OD driving them, although I was using ATI individual parabolic reflectors which are huge step up from the current light you are using.

Stick to the normal wattage and change bulbs if you want a different look.

I personally would do 2 ATI Blue +, and 2 ATI aquablues for a balanced blue white light, and if you want bluer, you can go 3 B+ and 1 aquablue.

 

Looks like I can stay in bed! I would agree with horkn to the tee on this one. 80watts would rock your tank. The UVL are going to cost similar to the ATI and are going to put out quite abit less PAR... If you are going to pay for a lamp to grow coral, it better produce what you need it to to get the coral to grow. Granted aesthetics are important as well but the ATI lamps have some nice spectrums, in my eyes nicer than the UVL. Not sure if ATI has pics of their lamps lit but they are almost identical to Giesemann which does have pics of their lit lamps floating around..

Happy lighting!

 

thanks guys!

 

One more thing to get those bulbs to 80watts you need new ballasts, not just new bulbs. Unless you tear apart your fixture you will not be able to replace the ballasts with the Icecap overdriven ones anyway.