Lighting for 6'x4'x4 reef tank

[Uroplatus]

I'm thinking about building a 6'x4'x4 reef tank out of plywood but before I get started I would like to know how feasible it would be to light the thing. If anyone has suggestions I'd love to hear them.

 

[naterealbig]

What's the most important thing to you with the light? Cost? Heat? Ease of setup and use? Coral health? Color? Will you even have coral? Give us some more details.

 

[Uroplatus]

What's the most important thing to you with the light? Cost? Heat? Ease of setup and use? Coral health? Color? Will you even have coral? Give us some more details.

I'd like to have coral but I don't know what would punch that deep. I was thinking metal halide but I don't think anyone sells them anymore

 

[Seancj]

Orphek Amazonas 960's!!!

Amazonas 960 iCon Aquarium LED Lighting • Orphek

Orphek Amazonas 960 iCon reef Aquarium LED Lighting, 10,000% dimming control system - never offered in the market before!

orphek.com

 

[Uroplatus]

Orphek Amazonas 960's!!!

Amazonas 960 iCon Aquarium LED Lighting • Orphek

Orphek Amazonas 960 iCon reef Aquarium LED Lighting, 10,000% dimming control system - never offered in the market before!

orphek.com

Do you have any idea on the price?

 

[Seancj]

Last time I was quoted, they were $985 with free shipping. That was for a single unit. You may get a price break if you order more than one. You'd need at least 3 with their wider 60 degree optic lens to cover your tank.

 

[Dbichler]

I would say if ops not doing sps only 2 would be plenty.

 

[nereefpat]

Reefi Uno 2.0 with 60 degree reflectors would punch down that far. With the narrow beams, you would need a bunch of them to cover the 24 sq foot surface, likely 10 give or take. The video on this link ( https://www.reefi-lab.com/reefi-uno-2-0-pro/ ) would give you an idea, although the tank is only 2 foot deep, you can extrapolate PAR. You could also contact Reefi. He's good about giving you numbers and suggestions.

Is this a theoretical thing, or are you really doing this? Have you built a plywood tank before? If you were my buddy, I would tell you not to do this. And if you wanted a big tank with these dimensions, I would tell you to make the depth more reasonable and have someone build it for you. Something like 6x4x30" tall could be made for a few grand.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

I would use 2 400 watt halides .

 

[Dirk Griffin]

A mix of 4-400w halides, 4 led's and blue led strips throughout