Lighting for a 5 foot deep tank

[Seancj]

Also research the Orphek Amazonas 960 and Kessil W550N.

 

[SlowAndStupid]

You guys have given me a lot of good options to start researching. Much appreciated.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

We’ve been running mixof 400w radium 20k and Hamilton 14k 1000watt with cheap grow ballasts and don’t need supplemental

 

[DanyL]

I already wrote here, but it seems like some have strong feelings about what works and what doesn’t, so I looked up a thread I remembered using the Uno 2.0 Pros on a really deep tank.

It’s a 800g tank, 54” high - lightened by 3 ReeFi Uno 2.0 Pros + 1 Duo Extreme.

It’s not enough fixtures to cover the whole area, and it’s likely using the 90 degree reflectors, and yet it is enough to grow LPS.

I believe that with proper amount of fixtures and 60 degree reflectors you’ll be able to push enough light to grow whatever you like, including SPS.

Unlike other fixtures - this one can really scale up depending on how much wattage you push out and what reflectors you’re using. And at that price, you’ll likely be able to purchase twice as much as other LED fixtures, which would give you more coverage.

Worth talking to Daniel Lu, the owner which can probably simulate this for you and recommend what and how to achieve what you’re looking for

Monster Build - In too deep, 800 gallon experiment build

Well, this is bigger in person than I expected. I have not built anything this big and now I'm thinking, "oh crap, what did I get myself into". I think I'll need more than 10 blue chromis after it's done, but I still can't get past rock work. It's hard to make it pretty at this size.

www.reef2reef.com

I've had time to watch the tank and moved things around, fragged some, and added more corals. Here is the updated pictures. I added a few more fish too. I slowly added more stuff as I saw what grew well, and what didn't. It's neat to see how some of these grew since starting.

Also, unlike others said here, watts aren’t the same between all fixtures, they draw the same amount of power but some produce more light, while others produce more heat.

That being said, MH will be a much cheaper investment in the immediate term, but it’ll even out over the years.

 

[BurgerFish]

How good is Amazonas 960 compared to MH or Kessil a500x?

 

[DaJMasta]

As some are alluding to, the hobby lights aren't usually up to this task as they aren't normally designed for it, so the step larger (which exists commercially, but doesn't show up on the normal retailers) is probably the route to go. I'd consider talking to some public aquarists or large aquarium installation companies to see if they can recommend models or vendors, but since you probably need several and they probably won't be cheap, it's probably worth talking directly to the manufacturers and seeing what they have to offer. While I don't think a lot of the hobby-focused ones will have models that work, there are some brands that do crossover, and Orphek and Kessil do come to mind. Halides are still pretty widely used in public aquariums, but they're not nearly as universal as they used to be, so there are some reasonable LED options available.

The halides do give off a lot more heat per unit illumination of choice, so depending on your installation, the additional heat could be a beneficial thing or it could be a detriment. I would seriously consider your room temperature, climate, how enclosed the tank and sump is, etc. before choosing a halide over an LED - in some situations the difference will be negligible or it will even help, but in some situations it could mean requiring multiple chillers. The LEDs are at least less likely to push you into that territory for the same delivered PAR.