Hi all.
I have just recently started a 29 gallon tank and I have some lighting questions. Ultimately I would like to have a mixed reef - corals like frogspawn, zooa's, ricordia, maybe a brain of plate coral on the sand bed, some easy monti's or other "beginner" SPS. I have an old 24" coralife aqualight pro fixture that has a 150W 14K MH complimented by w 65W power compact actinics and 2 really cool looking LED moonlights. Unfortunately the power compact bulbs have all but disappeared and I can no longer buy one to replace the burnt out bulb.
I'm thinking of two options:
1. replace the fixture with a Current USA Marine Orbit 2.0 LED - this one:
www.jlaquatics.com
and in the future add two t5's with the LET retrofit kit: https://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-store/LET-24-2x24W-Miro-4-T5-High-Output-Retrofit-Kit.html
2. Keep the MH fixture so I still get the LED moonlights and really great MH light in general. Add the same t5 retrofit kit to be added into the canopy I'm building. The t5's would essentially replace the power compacts. I would just hang the MH fixture so it sits just above the canopy leaving it about 7-8" off the water surface. I was thinking of ATI bulbs - 2 actinic or 2 blue+. I will be building in a 4" fan to one end of the canopy to help control heat buildup and it would likely be partially open on top - although I really want to minimize evaporation so I'd like to enclose the canopy as much as possible. I'd like to think that the canopy I plan on building will better control evaporation compared to a completely open top tank...maybe I'm wrong
Any thought's or suggestions?
I have just recently started a 29 gallon tank and I have some lighting questions. Ultimately I would like to have a mixed reef - corals like frogspawn, zooa's, ricordia, maybe a brain of plate coral on the sand bed, some easy monti's or other "beginner" SPS. I have an old 24" coralife aqualight pro fixture that has a 150W 14K MH complimented by w 65W power compact actinics and 2 really cool looking LED moonlights. Unfortunately the power compact bulbs have all but disappeared and I can no longer buy one to replace the burnt out bulb.
I'm thinking of two options:
1. replace the fixture with a Current USA Marine Orbit 2.0 LED - this one:
Current USA Orbit Marine 2.0 LED Aquarium Light - 24-36 Inch
Low profile LED system saves power and is completely adjustable via the included controller.
2. Keep the MH fixture so I still get the LED moonlights and really great MH light in general. Add the same t5 retrofit kit to be added into the canopy I'm building. The t5's would essentially replace the power compacts. I would just hang the MH fixture so it sits just above the canopy leaving it about 7-8" off the water surface. I was thinking of ATI bulbs - 2 actinic or 2 blue+. I will be building in a 4" fan to one end of the canopy to help control heat buildup and it would likely be partially open on top - although I really want to minimize evaporation so I'd like to enclose the canopy as much as possible. I'd like to think that the canopy I plan on building will better control evaporation compared to a completely open top tank...maybe I'm wrong
Any thought's or suggestions?
