Lighting for a 40 BR

[SmokeyGnar]

Hi everyone

I'm building a 40 breeder tank to start keeping my first corals (I've done fish only for over a year with a lot of success) and I'm wondering what kind of lighting setup would be best. I currently have two 36" coralife T5 fixtures with two bulbs each, so four bulbs in total. Is this right for keeping lps and eventually sps?

Also, should I raise the lights above the tank at all? I've seen this a lot but I'm not sure if I'll need to with two separate fixtures.

Thanks!

 

[Husker]

If you have good quality bulbs (ATI, Giesmann, etc.), you would have no problem with LPS with those fixtures. I would even venture SPS would be fine in the upper-half and in the middle of the tank. However, I have never used that fixture myself.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

If you have good quality bulbs (ATI, Giesmann, etc.), you would have no problem with LPS with those fixtures. I would even venture SPS would be fine in the upper-half and in the middle of the tank. However, I have never used that fixture myself.

This. Make sure you're using good bulbs and you're good to go. I have a similar fixture with ATI bulbs and I've had good SPS growth.

 

[brett_schn]

I have a 4bulb t5 fixture for my 10g what bulbs should I go for

 

[SmokeyGnar]

Thanks for the recommendation

Im most likely going to buy two ATI blue plus bulbs and two ATI aquablue special bulbs after researching them a bit. Hopefully this will give me what I'm looking for.

Can anyone recommend a lighting schedule or should I just try something and see what works for me?

 

[Husker]

T5 lighting is really hard to screw up. If you get decent bulbs and put them on a schedule that feels right, your success will probably not hinge upon your lighting. I have an ATI 6 bulb T5 over my 40 breeder and I run them about 8-10 hours a day. I think I am on the high end of what you might see most people do, but that is because I like to see the tank under full lights as much as possible.