lighting options

i have a 55 gal tank its 48" long and im clueless as to lighting. i plan on having coral . not sure what kinds yet. i am hearing t5 lights will be ok. but there are sooo many options. im not rich so price is an obstical. any suggestions? sry if i could have searched but im on my pda and the search function does not work on this hunk o junk.

 

Without knowing what corals you want to keep, and your budget it is hard to give you any firm advice. Most 4x54 watt T5HO setups would be fine on that size of a tank.

If your tank has a canopy on it, getting a retrofit kit would be the least expensive way to go for good lighting, it might cost more than some of the ultra cheap fixtures, but it will be a lot better.

There are a lot of good fixtures that are still inexpensive. You might even want to check your local craigslist for any used setups for sale.

Kim

 

i have got a 48 inch long 55 to i got 2 t5s 2 250w metal halides and 2 actenics i got it on ebay for 350 plus shipping look there it came all under one hood

 

craigslist,i buy from ebay rarely but rarely.

 

well if it helps i went to afew lfs and looked at some corals and i do not know their names but i do know ill be having a variety or soft and hard corals (this is my frist tank ever). the budget is somewhat undetermined, im trying to keep the cost down though because money is tight. i guess $200-300. i want good lighting for my aquatic friends but i do not want to break the bank. i think some options for me would be best. i do like those nifty moon lights for night time viewing though

 

I wouldn't go less than a 4x54W from Tek. You are still looking at a fair amount of money, but you seriously get what you pay for in lighting. All told, from reefgeek.com, the bill would come to $400. If you were to go the cheaper route and get another fixture, the bulbs would most likely be junk. So you would have to replace those out. At about $22 per light plus tax and shipping, you might as well get the good fixture with the good quality bulbs included.

 

i dont think i could splurge that much ....i still have a few other things i need to buy for the tank ie protein skimmer fish inverts food stuffs yadda yadda. ive seen afew nice set ups in the ball park. im going to look for them now ill post them up when i come across them. i know they wer 4x54w t5 set ups

 

Buildyouraquarium - 48'' Power Compact Aquarium Light 4 X 65 with Moon Lunar

Buildyouraquarium - 48'' Power Compact Aquarium Light 4 X 96 with Moon Lunar

48" 4ft Odyssea T5 HO Aquarium Light 216W Pro Series - eBay (item 140326341638 end time Jun-20-09 23:17:40 PDT)

https://diyreef.authsecure.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=724

48 Inch 4x54 Watt AquaticLife T5 HO Light Fixture w/ 4 Lunar LEDs | PetDepot.com

 

any of those good? some are more then id like to spend but my finnd friends need theyr light lol

 

The aquatic life unit is pretty good. Don't know much about the others to be honest.

Kim