Lighting Opinion Please

[octoberfest]

I’m putting together a custom 190 gallon tank and I’m looking for opinions on what to do for a lighting setup. The tank measures 66†wide, 33†front to back, and 20†tall. It has a coast to coast overflow so the coverage only needs to be 30†front to back. The top of the tank has two openings measuring 25†wide and 20†front to back, comparable to eurobracing but it’s one solid piece.

As far as what I want to keep in the tank I’m shooting for mainly LPS, I want the tank to move. There may be a few SPS but that won’t be the focus of the tank. My main goal is movement and color.

I love the look of T-5’s, the ability to change bulb colors, the lifespan of the bulbs and the savings on electricity consumption over metal halides.

When it comes to metal halides I love the shimmer effect and the crisp look.

So I came up with 2 options but would like to see if I’m missing something or if someone has some better options out there.

Option 1 –
8 bulb retro t-5 kit using 60†bulbs

Option 2 –
2 250W metal halide pendants (one over each opening)
3 t-5’s up front
2 t-5’s in the back

 

[octoberfest]

.....Bueller.....Bueller

 

[eswebster]

depends on how much you care about the elctricity bill vs the shimmer. If you want the shimmer your going to have to go with the MH setup. If you want efficency then its the t-5's.

 

[Reefsurfing]

LEDS will give you the shimmer and electrical savings and there are plenty of options out there now.

 

[eswebster]

multi LED shimmer is different than what most think of when they are talking about shimmer though. its more of a miniature shimmer because of all of the bulbs.... kind of a strobing.

 

[eswebster]

I am going with a high powered LED like the LED cannons that ecoxotic puts out... it will give you both the MH shimmer and the efficency. Really a newer technology though.

 

[fab1971]

I would do a combo of both or all three. I had all three with my last set-up and it looked fabulous. I was able to get amazing growth and shimmer with mh, t5 for support and late at night had the reefbrites to feed and get the great led look. Main negative was mh generating too much heat in my tank.