30 Gallon Lights - HERE WE GO!

hey fellow reefers.
i am starting a 30 gallon long reef and i dont know what lighting to get.
i want to keep soft corals mainly and i want a t5 under 150.
AquaticLife T5 HO Light Link Fixture - Marine
was my main choice. 36" not 24". 2x39watts
is this enough?!
any suggestions welcome.

 

For fish and soft corals, should make for a good start. Focus on corals that would need low to medium lighting and place them up on the rocks.

Your likely to be happier if you can get a T5 with 4 bulbs as it would allow for easier keeping of corals and with 4 bulbs you have more flexibility on the spectrum you choose for the final color.

The following thread, started by Dr. Fragenstein, is a great primer on T5 lighting...

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-lighting/t5s-q-54866.html

...and yes, I run T5s on my tank...

 

for soft corals you are fine..

 

I have the option of going power compact which offers more wattage for about the same price. is there a difference in light between PC and t5?

 

T5 are by far a better option, especially if they are combined with good reflectors. They throw more usable light into your tank with less wattage than PC's, and you have way more bulb options to get the color how you like it. More wattage isn't always a good thing as wattage = heat. You could use the PC's if you wanted too and have a successful reef in that small of a tank, but you would be consuming more that double the power to get the same results and throwing more heat into your tank.

~Will.

 

Ahh i see! Thats very helpful information. Is there any specific t5 36" fixture you'd recommend around 150-200? The cheaper the better =)

 

I just started my 30 two days ago. I had originally put a power compact with 130 watts on it. I put a new Aquatic Life 96 watt four bulb T5 fixture on it the second day and it is way brighter. The four buld T5 fixtures are the way to go.

 

I have never used fixtures, so I'm of no help there. I prefer stuffing retro fit kits into canopies I have built. Just make sure to get one with individual reflectors (SLR's) or at least individually contorted reflectors. I would also try to find one with a quality name brand, moon lights, ATI or Guiessman bulbs and cooling fans built in.

~Will.

 

I just read some interesting independent comparisons that state watt per lumen t 5s and Pcs are about the same, t 2s however are up there with new LEDs
its not my study but that is the report.
about six months ago I also read a bulb study and the par values where in line with this last report. Metal Halides can put out major light
but pcs t5s t2s and led are good. T2s and LEDs have the possibility of matching metal halides or even passing them up... maybe

 

The problem with PC's is how the bulbs are configured. That big bend in them makes a lot of their light bounce off itself, and not into your tank. T5's are just a straight shot and reflectors are able to throw way more light down. Even if PC's were straight, T5's would have more useable PAR per watt thus being way more efficient. A 3' PC bulb is 96 watts, and a 3' T5 is only 39 . . . put three 36" T5's against a PC lamp (to almost equal the power consumption) and then see which gets more PAR.

~Will.