175 Gallon Lighting design

I'm hoping someone can provide some lighting guidance on my newly purchased 175g reef tank.

I'm rather overwhlemed with choices and can't figure out what I should buy. I'd eventually like to have corals, etc, but for today it will be just live rock & fish.

I figured either 3, 250watt MH pendants
or
a HO T5 fixture

I'm also confused about the need for antinic and night (LED?) lighting.

Can anyone offer brands/specifics?

Edit- Open budget- Money is really not an issue. I'd like to do it properly. I understand MH's to be the most expensive option.

It's also a standard 175g tank, aproximately 6 feet long x 24 high x 24 deep

Thanks!

 

You budget will be a huge factor. Once you figure out how much you can afford to spend on your lighting you can make a decision from there.

It will also depend on the type of corals you will intend to keep. Soft corals (mushies, zoos, leather, GSP) require far less light than hard corals (lps, sps) and clams.

Another consideration to make is that you will have to replace your bulbs periodically. Flouro bulbs should be replaced every 6-9 months depending on usage.

Also, many people combine different types of light for the desired effect. The blue spectrum that may not be as well covered by say a 14K or 10K MH bulb will be completed by adding a few actinic bulbs. In almost any system, there are actinic bulbs of between 420 - 454 nm which is just shy of ultraviolet.

As a general rule, for soft corals you will want something in the order of 3-5 watts/gallon. For SPS/LPS/Clams you will want something like at least 7-10 watts/gall or more.

Another big factor is your tank depth. A 175 seems like it can be two styles (at least that are somewhat standard) and the depth can be between 17 and 31 inches. This will also play a part in the decision of your lighting after you have figured out what you want to light up. MH lights, to this point in our hobby, seem to have the most research that supports their ability to penetrate deeper waters over similar wattages of T-5 and CF lights. IMHO there is not enough data yet on LED lighting to scientifically compare/contrast them against other longstanding lighting technologies. It does not mean that LED's are not superior, just saying its a VERY new technology that hasnt quite gone through proper proving ground yet, IMHO.

Hope this helps and if you can narrow down what you would like to put in the tank and how much you can spend I am sure others here on this forum will be glad to share their trials and tribulations with a fellow 3reefer!

Good luck!!!!

 

Welcome to 3reef. You should get an 8 X 54 watt T5 HO fixture if you are looking to keep coral it will allow you to keep whatever animal you wish. ATI is the best followed by Tek Elite. Actinics are used to cause fluorescing pigments to show and to supplement MH lighting depending on the bulbs used, they also create a dawn dusk lighting peroid. Night lights are supposed to help match the lighting of a full moon. Night lighting is not necessary for any animal to do well in your aquarium.

 

all good answers, so how much money do we have to spend?

 

Not concerned about cost. I'd like to build this properly and plan for future tank reef growth.

I guess my biggest question is 8x54T5 or 3x125MH? I also like the "shimmering" idea of MH but am concerned about heat output and not crazy about buying a Chiller.


Thanks for all the info!

 

If you don't want to buy a chiller than T5's are the way to go. I don't agree that an 8x54W will be sufficient. If you have 6' of length to cover as I do you would need a canopy and install 2 T5 retrofit fixtures. I have a 47" and a 23" retrofit. I only have this goffy setup because I transferred the 47" from my old 120 when I bought my new 210. Retrofit kits are 1" smaller than standard fixtures in length so they can fit in the canopy. Now they are creating 5' and possibly 6' retrofit kits which are 80W each but cetain bulbs manufacturers are not carrying replacements. So in all probability the cost of bulbs in the future can be costly. I just ordered replacement bulbs from reefgeek.com and it cost me $330 for 16 bulbs. I pushed the bulbs I have a little too long but it's safe to say good bulbs last a year and then they drop off. I paid about $325 for each retrofit on ebay but I still had to buy the good bulbs because generic bulbs are way too stark for my liking. I have pics if you want them. It's a personal choice. BUT, if you desire to have sps corals exclusively than I would go with MH's or a mix. Either way I suggest you install fans that come on with the daylights.

 

I personally would skip the canopy and do 3 MH pendants. Hang a 400W in the center and a 250W on either side. with the 24" depth on your tank you can keep the lights about 16" over the top of the tank and not need a chiller.
A simple fan will dissipate the heat on the hottest days.
It will also let you keep any coral you decide to try.

 

not to throw in more drama.. but dont forget about the new LED fixtures out there since money isnt a issue.

 

I would look at some nice reflectors for mh's if your going the canopy route. Supplement them with some reefrbrite led strips.

I just pulled the trigger on two 48" reefbrite led actinic strips to supplement my two 250w de mh's that are in lumen max 3's