T5HO $100 - $300 fixtures.. Worth the jump?

IHaveCrabs

IHaveCrabs

Premium member
Hey All,

I currently have a 40 breeder with a 36" Marineland Reef capable light which has worked out pretty well for me keeping a variety of mushrooms (trippled in size in 2 months), ricordea (multiple splits), huge growth on my waving hand xenia and I have a birds nest coral (newbie purchase based on current lighting) which is alive and doing ok but no growth and the colors have lost their luster.

So anyways, I have recently purchased a 93g Marineland Cube and I am looking at some better lighting for multiple reasons..
-A need for some SPS (only ones with lower light requirements for the upper 1/3 or tank)
-Softy and LPS dominated tank
-and the tank is 24" deep and a lot deeper than the 40b so the LED's will not cut it.


Can I go with a few cheaper 30" T5HO lights (2x 2bulb fixtures) which are about $80-100 each rather than $400 for one unit? Will I still get great growth from LPS in a 24" deep tank?

Thanks for your advice in advance.
 
trackfast said:
Get one unit if you don't want to deal with multiple cords.
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I was more concerned with the spread than the cords. With 2 - 2bulb units, I could simulate a better sunrise/sunset with timers and also spread them out more so I wouldn't neglect the very front or very back with light.

Thoughts? Do the ballasts make that much of a difference?
 
I'd just go with a cheaper led unit rather than multiple t5 units. You'll be paying about the same amount for equipment, but your energy bill will be much cheaper. Welcome to the site. :)
 
Smitty said:
I'd just go with a cheaper led unit rather than multiple t5 units. You'll be paying about the same amount for equipment
Click to expand...

Will I still get the growth? Any recommendations on which LED systems to use? Since spread is an issue, do I need 2 fixtures on a 30x30x30 (24" deep) tank?

Thanks for the advice.
 
You could go with four Par38 bulbs; that would run about $400 and be good for around 3 years or so.
 
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