Upgrading my lighting for softy tank...?'s

[Mr Crabs]

Hi everybody....I started my 38g softy tank several months ago and everything is doing great, but i would like to upgrade my lights, and im not sure which way to go here. So first of all i'll explain what i have and what i plan to add to the tank in the near future.

In my 36"x20"x12" tank i keep the usual shrooms, devils hand, kenya, and some other kind of finger leather. I may or may not add more leathers later. I also currently have some xenia and gsp's.

I will soon be ordering rics. florida/yuma, possibally some zo's, and neon green clove's. And that's about the jist of it since space is kinda limited in a 38. But who know's... once i have my priority corals in place, i may end up with a little leftover realestate, at that point i will choose another type of easy-med. care leval coral to add.. I'll just have to see how that goes.

Anywhoo...im running n.o. bulbs now but want to upgrade..i'll most likely build my own light but i am not sure of what wattage i should go with, so my question is...what wattage would you all suggest i use for my softy tank.

Im considering all types of lighting..but here is what i have easy access to.

78 w of t5 1 daylight/1actinic decent fixture with reflector..

jbj 4x65w pc, problem with this fixture (besides the wattage) is, its only 30"

I have a nice fixture i could diy a mh into but i want to get some feedback on the t5/pc options first. The jbj fixture is real nice, only a couple of months old and comes with an assortment of 6 new bulbs for me to play with. And its only $100. But is the -6" 's gonna be a major problem? And is that wattage way too much for a 38g?

Would 78w of t5 be sufficiant?

What suggestions do you guys have for this tank?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated... Thanks...

-Wayne

[Reefland]

Hi Mr. Crab,

Both of those options would be nice with a softy tank like you have; I don't see where one would be better than the other. If you do go with the PC's, I think the ends of the tank would be fine since your only looking at missing 3" on either end, the light should spread that especially if it's a few inches off the surface.

The MH option is a tricky one since your trying to cover 36", not enough for 2 bulbs and too much for 1. To get one to cover you would have to go with a 400w placed really high above the tank and then contend with the heat. If you went with two you would really be lighting up the 36" length and still have to contend with heat being a smaller tank.

[Mr Crabs]

Hey thanks for the input..Ive decided to go with the pc's. Ive been meaning to upgrade for a while now but i keep getting sidetracked by other projects.

I have another question though for future reference..

I have another tank i plan to setup later on. I will prolly build my light fixture for it since i am definately making a custom canopy anyway. What i dont understand is, why does everybody insist on buying their diy light parts through pet trade sources? Is there any reason why i should not buy ballasts and outdoor rated endcaps from say....U.S. electrics, which is a major electrical supply store here in Springfeild. As long as i am using the right bulbs (which i know us elec. cannot supply me with) does it really matter what brand of ballast i use?

[Reefland]

As long as you can find the correct ballast you can definitely do it. For the DIY'er it is probably the way to go. The trouble is sometimes finding the right ballast and getting it wired.