Someone entering in the hobby today might be overwhelmed at the amount of choice you have to light your tank. I am going to give a little history lesson on the progression and describe the choices you have for your tank.
N.O. Fluorescent
Regular fluorescent bulbs have been along almost as long as the hobby. You can buy them in just about every size and color range. The are about the worst choice that there is when looking to lighting your tank. They are low wattage, and put out very little light. Even with a quality light, you would need a ton of tubes covering your tank to get any light to grow corals. They are not that bad of a choice when it comes to fish only tanks where you don’t need the extreme light over the tank.
Pros: cheap
readily available anywhere
low power
Cons: very little light output
replace bulbs every 6-8 months
VHO Fluorescent
Over the years, I have seen many successful tanks running just VHO fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs are the same size as the normal fluorescent bulbs, just more powerful. They also have a built in reflector that directs more light into your tank. VHO stands for Very High Output.
Pros: Many color combinations
Cheap bulbs
Enough light for most corals
Cons: Takes up a lot of space
Heat can be a factor
Replace bulbs every 6-8 months
T-5 fluorescent
T-5 bulbs have become very popular in the last few years. They are fluorescent bulbs but smaller in diameter than the VHO and NO bulbs. There are many different color combinations that can be achieved to help get the exact color look you want. The key to any T-5 setup is the reflectors. With high quality reflectors you can get a ton of light into your tank. With enough T-5 bulbs over your tank you can grow any coral including sps.
Pros: Many color combinations
Bulbs Cheap
Very high light output
Many bulbs can be fit into a small space
Cons: With the high number of bulbs in your fixture, replacement of bulbs can be expensive every 6-8 months
Heat
P.C. Fluorescent
P.C. Bulbs or power compact bulbs are another type of fluorescent bulb. They were very popular about 10 years ago and came on the scene in the 1990's and since have lost some ground. They put out more light than the regular fluorescent
bulbs, but not as much as the T-5 bulbs. There are not as many color spectrum’s available for the PC bulbs and I would only recommend them for fish only tanks or tanks that have low light corals
Pros: Cheap
Moderate light output
Good as actinic supplementation
Cons: Only enough light for a few types of coral
Excess Heat
Metal Halide
Metal Halide lights were the greatest breakthrough in the reef keeping hobby. They were introduced in the 1960's. These lights finally allowed reefers to keep high light corals such as many of the sps we desire. Metal halide lighting has advance since the yellow looking bulbs came into the hobby in the 60's. There are a ton of different ballasts and bulbs to choose from with a bunch of different color temperatures. They come in a range of wattage’s from 70w all the way up to 1000w. It is by far the easiest type of lighting system to incorporate into your tank. It seems that most people are using 250w bulbs in a color range from 10k to 20k. Another great benefit to Metal halide bulbs is that they can last for a few years without burning out, but the color spectrum may shift around a year.
Pros: Very High light output
Minimal Space
Long life Bulbs
Many color temperatures to choose from
Cons: A ton of heat is put off from these bulbs and may require you to run a chiller to keep your tanks temperature in check
LED
In the last few years many people have moved away from other types of lighting over to LED lighting. This technology is changing very fast and by the time I write this there will have been something new that has already come out. There are many pre-built fixtures on the market using many different wattage of bulbs. Most of the current led users are going with 3 watt bulbs. Another option is to build your own setup. With just a little knowledge with electricity and soldering you can make your own setup and save a ton of money. One of the best thing about led lights is there energy saving capabilities. They are by far the most efficient when it comes to the amount of light you for the wattage used. The also beat almost any other light in terms of penetration. They have very little light loss through the water and can allow you to grow some corals on the sand bed. A lot of people are very skeptical about led lights saying the technology just isn’t there yet, but it has been proven time and time again that they work and grow corals great.
Pros: Very efficient
Deep penetration
Almost no heat
If you DIY you can get the perfect color for your tank
Cons:
New Technology that is constantly changing
Not as readily available as other light setups
Good luck on your choice of lighting, and just remember that the technology in our hobby is changing all the time. Plan out your system to go for at least 3 years before making a change and it will help you determine the costs associated with your setup. I have not included every light available in the hobby as some of them are still being researched (plasma), but these basic descriptions should help you in your choice
Turbo21(Bob Cox)
N.O. Fluorescent
Regular fluorescent bulbs have been along almost as long as the hobby. You can buy them in just about every size and color range. The are about the worst choice that there is when looking to lighting your tank. They are low wattage, and put out very little light. Even with a quality light, you would need a ton of tubes covering your tank to get any light to grow corals. They are not that bad of a choice when it comes to fish only tanks where you don’t need the extreme light over the tank.
Pros: cheap
readily available anywhere
low power
Cons: very little light output
replace bulbs every 6-8 months
VHO Fluorescent
Over the years, I have seen many successful tanks running just VHO fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs are the same size as the normal fluorescent bulbs, just more powerful. They also have a built in reflector that directs more light into your tank. VHO stands for Very High Output.
Pros: Many color combinations
Cheap bulbs
Enough light for most corals
Cons: Takes up a lot of space
Heat can be a factor
Replace bulbs every 6-8 months
T-5 fluorescent
T-5 bulbs have become very popular in the last few years. They are fluorescent bulbs but smaller in diameter than the VHO and NO bulbs. There are many different color combinations that can be achieved to help get the exact color look you want. The key to any T-5 setup is the reflectors. With high quality reflectors you can get a ton of light into your tank. With enough T-5 bulbs over your tank you can grow any coral including sps.
Pros: Many color combinations
Bulbs Cheap
Very high light output
Many bulbs can be fit into a small space
Cons: With the high number of bulbs in your fixture, replacement of bulbs can be expensive every 6-8 months
Heat
P.C. Fluorescent
P.C. Bulbs or power compact bulbs are another type of fluorescent bulb. They were very popular about 10 years ago and came on the scene in the 1990's and since have lost some ground. They put out more light than the regular fluorescent
bulbs, but not as much as the T-5 bulbs. There are not as many color spectrum’s available for the PC bulbs and I would only recommend them for fish only tanks or tanks that have low light corals
Pros: Cheap
Moderate light output
Good as actinic supplementation
Cons: Only enough light for a few types of coral
Excess Heat
Metal Halide
Metal Halide lights were the greatest breakthrough in the reef keeping hobby. They were introduced in the 1960's. These lights finally allowed reefers to keep high light corals such as many of the sps we desire. Metal halide lighting has advance since the yellow looking bulbs came into the hobby in the 60's. There are a ton of different ballasts and bulbs to choose from with a bunch of different color temperatures. They come in a range of wattage’s from 70w all the way up to 1000w. It is by far the easiest type of lighting system to incorporate into your tank. It seems that most people are using 250w bulbs in a color range from 10k to 20k. Another great benefit to Metal halide bulbs is that they can last for a few years without burning out, but the color spectrum may shift around a year.
Pros: Very High light output
Minimal Space
Long life Bulbs
Many color temperatures to choose from
Cons: A ton of heat is put off from these bulbs and may require you to run a chiller to keep your tanks temperature in check
LED
In the last few years many people have moved away from other types of lighting over to LED lighting. This technology is changing very fast and by the time I write this there will have been something new that has already come out. There are many pre-built fixtures on the market using many different wattage of bulbs. Most of the current led users are going with 3 watt bulbs. Another option is to build your own setup. With just a little knowledge with electricity and soldering you can make your own setup and save a ton of money. One of the best thing about led lights is there energy saving capabilities. They are by far the most efficient when it comes to the amount of light you for the wattage used. The also beat almost any other light in terms of penetration. They have very little light loss through the water and can allow you to grow some corals on the sand bed. A lot of people are very skeptical about led lights saying the technology just isn’t there yet, but it has been proven time and time again that they work and grow corals great.
Pros: Very efficient
Deep penetration
Almost no heat
If you DIY you can get the perfect color for your tank
Cons:
New Technology that is constantly changing
Not as readily available as other light setups
Good luck on your choice of lighting, and just remember that the technology in our hobby is changing all the time. Plan out your system to go for at least 3 years before making a change and it will help you determine the costs associated with your setup. I have not included every light available in the hobby as some of them are still being researched (plasma), but these basic descriptions should help you in your choice
Turbo21(Bob Cox)
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