what kind of lighting good for reef tank?

[richardong]

Just looking to upgrade to reef tank, what kind of lighting is good for the coral. Search many sites and some said VHO others HO.

Is the following light as below enough to start?
48" JEBO HIGH COMPACT AQUARIUM LIGHT 260w, come with two 65W bulb 12000K DAYLIGHT & two 65W actinic BULB a total of 260W.

 

[fanaglethebagle]

Metal halides, all the way

 

[B.rian]

i have a light like that right now. you can do shrooms, soft corals and lps. i have not had a problems with any of these corals. i actually have a frag of moderate to high light sps and it is doing well too. i would say that anything moderate level is doable under those lights.

 

[gurumasta]

completely depends on what corals you plan on keeping, and dimensions of the tank. i would shy away from NO if you plan on keeping any types of coral.

 

[MikeG]

Decide on a type of coral to keep first. Then lighting is much easier. If you want to do a mixed reef, you should have appropriate light for the highest light demanding coral in the tank. This is a 55 right?

 

[richardong]

the tank is 55 gallons with dimension of 48"X14"wideX20"tall.

gurumasta, what type of light is good to use for any types of coral?

the question is the cost of the lighting as well.

 

[richardong]

That would be nice to be able to have mix reef if the appropriate light not cost too much. I guess depend on how much different the cost for the good one and for the average one. If not too much different, i would go with the right system

 

[Moe_K]

I agree with Mike and Guru.
I've heard bad things about Jebo lights. You may want to do a search on them on Reef Central.

Many hobbies have big up-front expenses, then there's not much expense after you get into it. Scuba diving is an example. Lots of money to buy the right equipment.
With that in mind, I'd spend the money to get damn nice lighting (Metal Halide with flourescent actinic supplementation) and a damn nice protein skimmer.

 

[MikeG]

If you want to be able to keep any type of coral I would go with 2 250W metal halides with 2 110W VHO for actinic supplimentation. It is the depth of the tank that is important here. You could also probably use double ended 150's as well on a 20" deep tank.

 

[MikeG]

That would be nice to be able to have mix reef if the appropriate light not cost too much. I guess depend on how much different the cost for the good one and for the average one. If not too much different, i would go with the right system

Watch for used fixtures on the board. You can usually get one for $300-600 depending on brand and age of bulbs.

 

[this is me]

First choice: Metal halide. Cost alot to run and can heat up the tank, so you'll need somekind of cooling system. You can keep anything with these lights.
Second choice : T-5. Consume less enerygy and cool. Can do all corals and sps at the top, and derasa and squamosa, hippo, gigas clams. Crocea and Maxima clams questionable.
If I was to set up a new tank today, I would go with T-5.

 

[owenz]

It depends what kind of money you have. Metal halide is the best, and most expensive. Most people agree that VHO and T5 are second best, but they can be nearly as expensive as halides. The most inexpensive option you can go for (and still keep coral) is compact fluorescent.

The Jebo fixture you describe will give you a nice amount of wattage for the price. The problem is that Jebo has a reputation for shoddy equipment. Just as importantly, they have a reputation for selling their units with cheap bulbs. It becomes a situation where the fixture is decent, but the bulbs are no good. And at $25 a pop, replacing the bulbs ain't cheap.

Personally, I think lighting is something you can afford to delay spending big money on at first. (A nice protein skimmer is much more important.) If compact fluorescent is your budget, I would look at 48" units from Coralife and Orbit USA. Both are better brands than Jebo, and worth the extra money.

Compact fluorescent will allow you to keep some corals. If you find you like it, you can upgrade.

Putting metal halides over a 48" tank is going to cost you at least $450, probably more.

 

[Jocko]

Thats what I did. And I wouldn't recommend it. I tried to save money and went for PC first. Finally I realized they sucked, and spent 3 times as much for awesome T5s. I wish I had not wasted the money on the PCs. I am SO happy with the better lighting. If you don't get good lighting it will hang over your head constantly like a dark cloud.

 

[B.rian]

i went with CF for the last 3 or so years and i feel that they are worth the price. i bought a unit with new bulbs for under 100 shipped. the unit has definitely been worth the price. any coral i have lps or softies has flourished under these lights. i agree that MH are the best. the shimmer effect is unmatchable. t5s are more cost efficient and a close second. but CFs are so inexpensive when compared to MHs and T5s. if you are just starting out and don't want to spend the money/can't spend the money, go with CFs. if you have seen several tanks with T5s and MHs and CFs and you THINK you would like a specific kind given what you have seen, then trust your instinct. i highly recommend viewing other reefer tanks. if you ask, many people will be receptive and welcome you to come view their tanks. you can see what flourishes in their tanks and will then be able to make a judgment as to whether the corals you like will flourish in your tank.

 

[RichConley]

It depends what kind of money you have. Metal halide is the best, and most expensive. Most people agree that VHO and T5 are second best, but they can be nearly as expensive as halides. The most inexpensive option you can go for (and still keep coral) is compact fluorescent.

Theres no way VHO and T5 should even be discussed together. T5 is superior in almost every category.

That being said, I dont think it matters which you go with between MH and T5. THeyre both plenty of light.

Flow and water quality are more important

 

[dz6t]

VHO is on its way out, let's forget it altogether.

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Figure out the cost of the PC setup, then compare it to a T-5 & a MH setup
I bought my dual 250w HQI setup for $289 - used 6 months
I bought (2) 175w MH retro setups for $60 total

 

[Moe_K]

VHO is on its way out, let's forget it altogether.

Balogna.

 

[RichConley]

Moe, the thing is, the T5s are more efficient, and the URI T5 bulbs have EXACTLY the same spectral output as the URI VHOs...

When they came out, VHO lost its last leg to stand on.

 

[Moe_K]

How's the price compare? I have no idea.