Need lighting for a 120 gal

I was told in another thread that the nova systems have poor quality ballast and dont emit the correct par and lumes from the bulbs as it should.

Just what I have been told and dont know from personal experience. There are several videos on youtube of ice cap vs others with a par meter to compare. Might want to look into it before spending 500+

 

The ballasts arent horrible. and the lights arent either for starting a tank. They also are easy to replace if need be, Some people have issues with them some dont. Same goes with skimmers, Its all how the operator uses the equipment. And if I recall, the starter of this thread has another one out there with a stocklist saying that hes upgrading to a longer tank anyways, Why drop some serious dime on a light if your gonna upgrade? Thats what Id like to know?

 

Yes i will be upgrading the tank but i will keep the 120 up and going...If you dont change things up you get bored and lose interest so down the line i will upgrade but i will also keep the 120 running

 

Well I can only speak for myself personally I have given lighting a lot of thought so that I am not in a situation where I have to spend more money later down the line as I will be keeping both tanks running also.

Its personal preference and I dont want to be limited if I choose to raise sps later.

Thats just me, as for the OP its his choice I guess I was simply pointing out what I have been told allowing him to make a choice with as much info as possible.

 

well from the research youve been doing what is a good quality long lasting light?

 

I agree that T5's will be a good fit for you for what you want to do now. But don't rule out MH's just because you think you might need a chiller. I run 2 250w on my 150 and the temp on my tank never gets above 80. I have 2 small fans that sit inside the canopy and come on with the MH's and 1 near the sump that runs at night. This keeps the temps very consistent.

 

ttti have a opportunity to get an mh i just dont want to spend 450 for a chiller

 

Personal preference is going to pay a major role in choosing lights. I will give you my take on it....

From what I have read and all he things I have seen such as videos, others tanks and comparisons.

Brands I personally am considering....

ATI
Tek
Aquactinics
Icecap
AquaticLife

Granted all will have there perks and depending on what your looking for. I happen to like the option of having more then one cord so I can bring in the lights over time vs all at once. Lunar lights would be another feature someone might consider as well as a built in timer. The Aquaticlife fixtures have both a built in timer to control the t5's and lunar lights which seems nice but I think the quality lacks in other areas hence why the cost is about the same even with the extra features. Most others do not come with lunars but maybe a bit better quality and lunars are a simple add on with little expense.

I am not partial or bias to anyone brand or another and it comes down to how much your willing to spend and what you want from the fixture. Myself I want 2 power cords and 6 bulbs. Lunars would be nice and a timer would be great but I can add lunars and put them on timers myself which would save a me little money on so I can buy a better quality fixture.

I have noticed when you are looking at T5 fixtures your limited to the features they come with but when you step up to combo fixtures such as MH/T5 you can often get the timer, extra cords, and or built in LEDs.

Reefkeeping Blog

Search around on that site and look at what lights are being ran for what the tank is used for and you will notice the brands that stick out. IMO there is a reason the people who spend thousands on their aquariums are running certain brands. Not to say its the best or anything else but it obviously does the job ment to do.

Again by no means do I know everything and cant tell you I have personal experience with all these fixtures because its simply not true. This is my opinion and everyone has one and free to share it, after all that is why we are here asking questions.

 

Oh and with your tank size being 24" deep you can run a T5 system with 8 bulbs and put anything you want in your tank and still have sufficient lighting.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-lighting/poll-a-493.html

Here is a little poll conducted on this site for the exact question you and I have both ran into!

So yes I said my opinion but it is also shared by many.