Light ???

I am brand new to the salt water hobby. I have a 48" 55gal. all glass tank which will be my first salt water tank attemp. What is going to be the best light for the least amount of money? I can not afford the HIGH DOLLAR lights but do not want the EL'CHEAP O'S either. I would like to spend up to $200.00 if I could. What type bulbs and #s of the lights for a reef tank, I know nothing yet about the lights, so what "k" and what day and night light etc. Thanks for the replies.

 

I beleive the quad satallite fixture is in that price range. 4 bulbs 48in all
florcent. You will be able to keep softies and a few selective LPS corals.
$220

48" Nova Extreme 4x54 watt T5HO w/ 4 Lunar Lights: Premium Aquatics

 

It is an unfortunate fact of keeping a reef tank that lighting is very expensive. I don't feel for under $200.00 you can get lights suitable for anything beyond soft corals.

Jason

 

+1

My Nova Extreme is by far the best piece of equipment I have bought for my tank. I have a small collection of coral from soft to polyps to montipora and they are all thriving. I'm not gonna try to run acros or clams with it or anything like that but it's a good starter system.

 

+2 for jtreef.

 

They sell retro fit kits for that also. Its about a 100 bucks but it surely does help out your lighting. T-5 High Output Aquarium Lighting: Nova Extreme T-5 HO Retrofit Kits

I plan on getting on for my 36" fixture also. With that you can keep some corals that need a little more light than that.

 

+2 on Jason. You need to decide what you want to keep in the tank and then start looking for lights. If you have no clue what you are going to keep then I would get high end lighting because you are going to be in a LFS and see something nice (SPS) and it will no grow in cheap lighting, but hey it's your money, let them talk you into T5 instead of MH's.:-/

 

I was reading about the Nova Extreme 4x54 watt T5HO, Otty whats your thoughts on this light? It sells around the $250.00 +/- range. I can handle that. The $500.00 plus is when I can't go.

 

If you handy with DIY you can get 150w ballast for about $80.00 Two of those and some 14k bulbs to give you the blue look and you'll be around or less then $300.00. Plus you will be able to keep a lot of SPS's.