Five Hydra 32s or Four Radion XR15s on a 6ft tank

[Speaker]

Planning on doing a mixed reef. Most likely going to try acros in the future. The cost difference between these two options is only a 150 dollars so I was wondering which would be better long term? Tank dimensions are 65cm (25.6″) wide and 60cm (23.6″) high and180cm (71″) long (RedSea 750).

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I would recommend 4 XR30’s if you are considering SPS. The recommended spread on the XR30 is 24X24. If money is a factor, you could start with 3 XR30’s and add a fourth when you start adding SPS.

You could also go with the same number of hydra 64’s. The 32‘s and 15’s just won’t provide the spread you will need in the future.

 

[Billldg]

I will be using a hybrid on my 6ft tank, and I will still go with 5 Radion XR15 G5's. It depends on what you want to keep, Lps or SPS. I will have primarily Sps, and I will probably add some Reef Brites on the end to extend it further.

 

[EuphylliaAddict]

I use 4x ai hydra 26s and 4 t5 bulbs

 

[Speaker]

I would recommend 4 XR30’s if you are considering SPS. The recommended spread on the XR30 is 24X24. If money is a factor, you could start with 3 XR30’s and add a fourth when you start adding SPS.

You could also go with the same number of hydra 64’s. The 32‘s and 15’s just won’t provide the spread you will need in the future.

Even if i mounted parallel to the side of the tank instead of parallel with the front? I figured more sources of light would be better than fewer.

 

[Speaker]

I will be using a hybrid on my 6ft tank, and I will still go with 5 Radion XR15 G5's. It depends on what you want to keep, Lps or SPS. I will have primarily Sps, and I will probably add some Reef Brites on the end to extend it further.

I understand hybrid works well but I just remodeled the basement and I don't want a big fixture hanging off the wall or ceiling. I am really trying to get it done with lights I can hang on the back of the tank.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Even if i mounted parallel to the side of the tank instead of parallel with the front? I figured more sources of light would be better than fewer.

The recommended spread for the XR15's is 18X18. You will barely cover the length of the tank and may fall short on the width. BRS did a great video on the recommended number of lights and spacing for the G5's. If you go with the 4 XR15's, you will most likely have issues with shadowing as corals grow. If you really want the 15's instead of the 30's, based on the video I linked, you should be fine with 5 XR15's. Either way, when you decide on the lights, rent a PAR meter and play with the spacing to get the best light spread on your tank. A little more time in the beginning will save you a lot of headaches later.