Lighting for a frag tank

[RTab619]

Need some suggestions for lighting a 24x24x11" frag tank (water line is 11" high). I have about 50% SPS, 25% LPS and 25% softies with the SPS directly under the light and lower light chalices/acans on the sides.

I currently have a Radion XR15 but I get too much shadowing in my SPS. I have a lot of high end coral so I'm fine spending some money (but probably not ATI Powermodule or Giesseman Aurora money).

I was thinking of upgrading to T5s or a T5/LED combo. The lights would have to be mountable as well.

I was thinking of a Reef Brite Ultra w/ 2 Reef Tech LEDs (1 on each side) which would also make the lights mountable. It would run me $625 . Is this too much light?

A 24" ATI Sunpower is an option as well - ATI is supposed to release mounting legs at MACNA. I could get one for probably for $400.

Thoughts? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[cromag27]

I would absolutely do a 24" t5, maybe 6 bulbs, with supplemental leds.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

have you thought about going wide or no lens on the radion and then add t5?

yea new lights are pretty cool too.:D

 

[RTab619]

I would absolutely do a 24" t5, maybe 6 bulbs, with supplemental leds.

My worry about 6 bulb or even 4 is too much PAR since it's only 10 inches from bottom to water so probably more like 6-8" from coral to waterline. And I want to mount so lights are going to be lower. Is that going to be overkill for the LPS and softies?

 

[RTab619]

have you thought about going wide or no lens on the radion and then add t5?

yea new lights are pretty cool too.:D

I have the wide lens on already but it's only a single cluster so I get shading on one side of most of my acros.

I don't have a canopy so I can't retrofit in T5s

 

[cromag27]

Possibly. you'd have to find a height that would work for the sps and lps. possibly stagger the light to try and create a low par area.

 

[RTab619]

Possibly. you'd have to find a height that would work for the sps and lps. possibly stagger the light to try and create a low par area.

The Reef Brite Ultra only has 2 50/50 T5 bulbs so I was thinking about lining the SPS down the middle directly under the 2 bulbs and supplementing with the Reef Tech LEDs which can be dimmed

 

[cromag27]

T5 has a very good light spread so I don't know if that would be enough. you'd really need to set it up and use a par meter.

 

[RTab619]

Someone posted these PAR readings. The light was 5" above the water surface. The middle numbers are the middle of the tank and the left/right numbers are the ends of the bulbs. According to this a 4 bulb ATI would be enough for my tank with my LPS and softies in the front and back of the tank with hopefully lower than the 275-300 par on the sides under the light

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

My worry about 6 bulb or even 4 is too much PAR since it's only 10 inches from bottom to water so probably more like 6-8" from coral to waterline. And I want to mount so lights are going to be lower. Is that going to be overkill for the LPS and softies?

I wouldn't run a high light low light frag tank with conventional means. At5 fixture is the most even spread of light you can get. Your looking at 50 to 100 par for low light and 400 plus for the high light ones. keep in mind par in that fixture depends on bulb choice too.(theres also some technical details on how a par meter works that shows some inconsistency in that chart, the fall off is 50% at the top 975 to 500 and 355 to 255 on the bottom.
I just dont think youll get that kind of massive difference in par with a conventional fixture.

personally I think if you are mainly a low to med light coral tank, set the par of the t5 to those and add hi end stunners or pucks to the spots that you want higher light. No it wont be even lighting but I think thats the point in this tank. The geissmann aura is likely what you want to replicate.

Look into a lux meter too.
lux meter.
100,000 lux (daylight at noon) = 2,000 par (100,000 / 50 (sun constant)=2000)
SO
5,000 lux = 100 par :D
measure at the top of the tank.


yes its easy math, so no debate on t5 coral + @38 constant = bla bla bla the par hitting one coral is 275.333333 par Please.:rolleyes:
this is My lighting K.I.S.S 5000, lux = 100 par. 2500 lux = 50 par

 

[RTab619]

Ok so I think I've decided upon the 4 bulb ATI. May add a lower powered LED strip as well.

I wouldn't run a high light low light frag tank with conventional means. At5 fixture is the most even spread of light you can get. Your looking at 50 to 100 par for low light and 400 plus for the high light ones. keep in mind par in that fixture depends on bulb choice too.(theres also some technical details on how a par meter works that shows some inconsistency in that chart, the fall off is 50% at the top 975 to 500 and 355 to 255 on the bottom.
I just dont think youll get that kind of massive difference in par with a conventional fixture.

personally I think if you are mainly a low to med light coral tank, set the par of the t5 to those and add hi end stunners or pucks to the spots that you want higher light. No it wont be even lighting but I think thats the point in this tank. The geissmann aura is likely what you want to replicate.

Look into a lux meter too.
lux meter.
100,000 lux (daylight at noon) = 2,000 par (100,000 / 50 (sun constant)=2000)
SO
5,000 lux = 100 par :D
measure at the top of the tank.


yes its easy math, so no debate on t5 coral + @38 constant = bla bla bla the par hitting one coral is 275.333333 par Please.:rolleyes:
this is My lighting K.I.S.S 5000, lux = 100 par. 2500 lux = 50 par

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ok so I think I've decided upon the 4 bulb ATI. May add a lower powered LED strip as well.

good choice. If you set the "white" in the middle and the blue purp on the edges youll get more of the par spread your looking for.

 

[RTab619]

good choice. If you set the "white" in the middle and the blue purp on the edges youll get more of the par spread your looking for.

That's what I was thinking. You think 4 or 6 bulb? Or 4 bulb with LED supplement?

 

[cromag27]

I would get a 6 bulb. even if you only use 4 bulbs now, if you would be more versatile down the road. jmo.