Need of Lighting Help!

[Tazman]

Greetings:

Hello, I'm new to reefing (and this forum) and I'm setting up my tank and need recommendations for lighting.

My tank is 5 foot long/26" deep tank. In front of my 5 foot tank is a 10'wide picture window (indirect light, no direct sun).

My tank will support mostly soft corals, few hard corals, and some fish.

I do not want to use metal halide, initially. Therefore, my question is, would it be better to use 2 or more power compacts that are overlapping supplying 4 bulbs of different light waves or would I be better off using an Ice Cap 660 retro w/ 3, 5 foot bulbs.

Later on I will probabaly had a pendant style metal halide.

Thanks for the help in advance. I'm looking forward to being part of Reefland.

[icemark]

First welcome On board,

Second, You will need to use MH lighting for a tank 26" deep. I would use a MH /VHO combo retro, rather than a PC or VHO only retro. You will more than likely need the MH for hard corals, and softies near the bottom.

If cost is the major consideration (and for who is it not?) Then go for the Icecap VHO retro now, and down the road add the Metal Halides, but I might use four 48" VHO instead of the three 60" (440 watts vs 420). The 48 inch bulbs are generally easier to find and you won't have to worry about them overlapping the edges of your tank.

[Tazman]

Mark:

Thanks for the reszponse and suggestions. And yes, you were on it, cost is the major concern, but I also don't want to have to redo or repurchase multiple products as well.

I had already started to move on an Icecap retro when a couple of persons had started touting the benefits of Power Compacts (lower heat, brightness, etc.) and I became confused. My normal state of reference.

Thanks again for your help.

Michael V.

[SPasse]

Tazman,

Actually watt per watt, PC lamps are only marginally more efficient than VHO lamps.

However, for a given wattage, because they are smaller, you can fit slightly more of them in a given space.

The “big” advantage that PC supposedly have over VHO’s is mostly smoke and mirrors.

Regards,

Scott Passe