Lighting for 75g tank

[jstuver]

So I will be setting up a 75g tank here soon and I think I will go with T5 lighting. So my question is how many 48" bulbs will I need to have good light. It will be a softy/LPS dominated tank and it will have a canopy.
Thanks for the advice in advance:)

 

[KingRicky]

Before I switched to Metal Halides, I had as many T-5's as I could fit under the canopy. I used Retro Fit Kits and ended up with 6 bulbs total.

 

[nixer]

anymore for the price you can get leds pretty cheap.
i have 2 reefkoi evolution 120 on my 75.
i would say atleast 4. 6 would be better, but at over 100$ a bulb change i would surely consider leds

 

[frickenfragger]

I run T5's on all my tanks. I would go with a 6 bulb fixture, ATI if you can afford it, tek light elite (new version with fans) if you can't afford the ATI. Run ATI bulbs 3 Blue+, 2 Aquablue Special, and 1 Purple plus. LED's seem to be the way to go now days though...

 

[swannyson7]

I would say a minimum of four bulbs for a softy & LPS tank. However, if you add 6 bulbs you would have the power to add some lower light SPS towards the top of the tank later on, so that may be the way to go.

 

[mizzoumed02]

If your staying with Softies and LPS I'd go with a 6 bulb fixture. ATI does make awesome bulbs and fixtures, the fixtures cost a little more than others, but well worth it. If you can swing it, you can go with an 8 bulb fixture, that way if in the future you want to try some SPS, you will have enough light for them also!

 

[jstuver]

I would love to do LED but dont have the funds to swing that. I love halides in fact they are my fav but I dont like the power bill. If I went halide what could I get away with?

 

[Dave3112]

I was very happy with a 2 175watt Halide set up on my 75 when I had it running! It's enough light for just about anything you want to keep and not that much more power draw than a 6 bulb T5 fixture. I had T5's on another tank and LOVED the color combos you get out of the bulbs but I switched back to Halides on my 220 and I am MUCH happier with the growth and colors of my SPS.

 

[aslmx]

Same here on the halides, power is measured in watts, 8- 54watt bulbs or 2- 175 watt bulbs about the same in my opinion.

 

[gar732]

For softies and LPS a 4 bulb unit will be plenty on a 75gal. I have a 75 with 4 48" bulbs and I keep quite a bit of SPS. The tank has been set up for a year now and I've had pretty good growth. I think people really under estimate T5s. I know everyone is probably thinking I'm wrong so here are some pics to support my point of view.
Here is my red planet when I first got it.

And and here it is now

Scripps stag when I first got it.

And now.

I don't have a before pic of this one but it was a small frag about 2"x2" when I got it and its about 6" from the bottom

I could show you more but I don't want to take over the thread with tons of pics. Also this is a cheap fixture (individual reflectors though) and ATI bulbs.

 

[btkrausen]

Wow, nice progression pics. What was the time span between the original and the current pics? I love progression pictures :)

 

[gar732]

It was about a year. I've had some swings that slowed growth some. I'm hoping to really see some corals grow out his year now that I've got things pretty much figured out. Here is a link with some more in between shots, I should have just posted that in the first place lol. https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/general-sps-discussion/45918-some-progression-pics.html

 

[btkrausen]

Nice, thats fantastic. I constantly take pics of my stuff too, so hopefully I will be able to compose some nice progression shots for myself. Congrats on the great growth.

 

[IntDboy]

I agree with GAR.. 4 bulb T5 would be fine for softies and LPS.... I also have a 75 and questioned if my 36" 6 bulb would be enough and thats what Im using right now...and having no problem growing SPS anywhere in the tank

 

[Bugg_zy]

I am with gar732 on this one as well. I have a 75 with a 4 bulb ATI and it's plenty for me. If it's a cheaper unit you will most likely want a 6bulb. Under my 4 bulb I have a bit of everything including acro's and monti's. I decided to pay more up front for a better fixture to hopefully save money on the back end. Replacing only 4 bulbs, not 6 or 8. And only paying to run 4 bulbs electricity wise. Also the active cooling helps. Even with only 4 bulbs everything is growing. and GL!

 

[jstuver]

Ok another quick question, if I went metal halide would 2 150w be enough?

 

[KingRicky]

I am currently running 2 X 250. I think that is the perfect set up for a 75. I switched from T-5' to the Metal Halide with Radium bulbs and my growth and colors took off.

 

[skinz78]

This is the setup I had on my 75g and I loved it so much I just swapped it over to my 120g. I have everything under it from clams to sps and all critters are doing very well.

It is a great price and even comes with bulbs! If you can run a drill, and use a tape measure you can do this setup, it's super easy.

Hellolights 48" 4 Lamp T5 Retrofit Kit (Bulbs Included)

48" 2 x 54w T5 HO Retrofit Kit

 

[Clayton Jessup]

I am looking in between a ATI SunPower 6 bulb or a Giesemann Matrixx II 4 bulb over my standard 75g tank any suggestions on which of these two light choices , for me?

 

[Clayton Jessup]

Both a 48in option on my tank sorry . So either 6x54w ATI or 4x54w Giesemann..