New tank lighting question

[Josh S]

I just purchased a 80 gallon tank it's dimensions are 48x24x16. I'm sort of up in the air about what lighting I should to use. I want to get into the sps side of coral so my question is will a 6 bulb t5 do or should I do a dual bulb 150 watt mh fixture?

 

[JohnK]

T5 or MH would be options. If you go T5 you want to be sure to get a good quality fixture with actual individual reflectors and active cooling.

If your goal is specifically keeping SPS it might be worth considering 2x250w mh or 8x54w T5. Opinions will vary, SPS like strong light but you are working with a fairly shallow tank.

 

[Photiczoner]

I also have an 80 with the same dimensions, and have 1 Kessil a360we pendant at one end, with plans to put a second one at the other end. The wide kessil has plenty of strength for the depth, and a roughly 3 ft wide coverage area from what I see on my tank. That's at ~14 inches from the water.