need advice on lighting 120 gal

[reefhead728]

Whats the best lighting for my tank. I want to be able to keep hard corlas, ive been using my old set from my 55 and i need to upgrade whats the least of amount of watts to get i want to keep the price under 800 bucks also.

[charlie]

I have some ideas, but I am totally bushed right now, spent all day setting up someones tank for them, mind if I catch this back in the AM??? Hope not cuz I am gonna hit the sack my friend.

[charlie]

Keeping it under 800 with halides may be a problem unless you can find some thing used, why don't you look into T5 lighting?
What are the dimensions of your tank?

[reefhead728]

60 long 18 wide 24 deep looked into a mh fixture on premium aquatics

[charlie]

which one??

[reefhead728]

60" SunPod 3x150w 14K HQI-MW w/ 12-Blue & 12-White Lunar Lights

they have it for 500 bucks but i dont know if it will do the job and i have already wasted so much money over the years upgrading lights i just want an unbyased opinion for a good lighting solution

[charlie]

My personal opinion is that a 150w MH lite will not cut it in a 24" deep tank.

[reefhead728]

So I should try to go with a 2x250 set up?

Posted via Mobile Device

[charlie]

Yeah, I think that would be the better choice.

[reefhead728]

alright ill see what i can find thanks for the help

[charlie]

take care and make the right choice man, it sounds like you have wasted as much money as I did before I finally got the right lites. Good Luck.

[reefhead728]

who makes a great T5 set up just in case i cant come within buget for the MH ?

[charlie]

I had a 4' nova 4 bulb fixture over my 80 that I was pretty impressed with.

[reefhead728]

48" Nova Extreme 8x54 watt T5HO w/ 4 Lunar Lights
think this would be the best way to go ?

[returnofsid]

150 MH definitely won't be enough for your tank. If you decide to go with MH, 250 is what you'll need. 2X250 retro kit, with the right reflectors will probably cover the 60" length. I don't know if you'll get 60" of coverage from a 2 bulb fixture.

As for T5HO, there are some great fixtures available. The top of the line would be the ATI Power Module and then the ATI Sunpower fixture. In your price range, the 6 bulb Power Module would be a good choice at about $960.00 including bulbs. Okay, that's a lil' over your price range. Next choice would be the Sunpower 6 bulb fixture for $729.00 including bulbs. One step down, and still a very good fixture, would the Sunlight Supply Tek5. Unfortunately, I'm not sure they're made in anything over 48". With your 18" front to back, if you're able to put 6 T5HO bulbs, with ICR or individual reflectors, and a quality ballast, you'll have no problem growing just about anything you want. Oh, ICR is Individually contoured reflector. They aren't individual reflectors. They're a single reflector that's bent over each bulb, in a "gull wing" shape.

[reefhead728]

Thanks for the run down on that Sid

[reefhead728]

Found a fixture any T5 bulbs you guys can recommend

[returnofsid]

For fixtures AND bulbs, get in touch with Greg at ReefGeek > Aquarium Supplies for Marine, Reef, and Saltwater Aquariums

He really knows his stuff, is a great guy, has great prices AND always ships candy...lol. No really...candy. Hard, sugery candy.

[reefhead728]

cool deal ill give him a shout

[charlie]

Thanx for the shout out sid, appreciate the help.