Need Help with lighting

[Ghost1337]

I'm getting a 105.1 Frag tank by waterbox that measures 47.2 inches × 23.6 inches ×16.1 inches.
I saw a couple 105.1 tanks on here but I'm looking for an upgrade and finally comfortable going for an sps dominant tank.
I personally like LEDs because of the controllability but with this tank being 16 inches high makes me worried about how much lighting I need.
BRS recommends on a full 4ft 120G to run [4] XR15s or [4] ai 32HDs but that tank they are testing is bigger than this one.
Would you say 2 or 3 lights instead of 4 ?

 

[Ghost1337]

Also need an idea on spacing for the lights

 

[Spare time]

For the first year or so with small frags, 2 xr15s should be ok, but eventually shadowing may be an issue. You could fix this by doing xr30s or possible adding supplemental lighting such as with the reef brite hybrid that you can use with xr 15s.

 

[JJSins]

haha nice tank, I was looking for a lighting setup on here also for this tank. I was worried about choosing the right one because of the shallow feature of the tank. I'm going with straight t5s but I would like LEDs just that is a nice price tag.

Products - ATI Sunpower 6 to 8 bulb ( Watch BRSs video on t5s )

 

[PatW]

An AI 32 HD is rated at a 24” by 24” coverage to a depth of 24”. So 2 should work. But with LEDs the coverage is not really even. So using 3 fixtures and backing the intensity off a mite would be better.

I use AI fixtures of the previous generation and they work quite well and I have had mine a long time and they certainly grow acros.

From my reading, the Radions seem to be the gold standard. They have a more even coverage than AIs. But you pay a bit more.

 

[srobertb]

I'm getting a 105.1 Frag tank by waterbox that measures 47.2 inches × 23.6 inches ×16.1 inches.
I saw a couple 105.1 tanks on here but I'm looking for an upgrade and finally comfortable going for an sps dominant tank.
I personally like LEDs because of the controllability but with this tank being 16 inches high makes me worried about how much lighting I need.
BRS recommends on a full 4ft 120G to run [4] XR15s or [4] ai 32HDs but that tank they are testing is bigger than this one.
Would you say 2 or 3 lights instead of 4 ?

All the light. Not just for wattage but spread. if you’re already starting to think about “what can I get by with,” you will find SPS to be very challenging. It’s an expensive endeavor and success relies on great equipment.

People use LED and T5 combinations because they don’t want 4 or 5 $850 units and so they can get away 2-3 + T5’s. You still get good color customization through your LEDS and T5 combo. In some ways it’s better because you can’t tinker.

If you want all LEDs, look at wider spread lights like Stratons or Orphek’s or purchase the appropriate amount XR30’s or XR15’s to obtain a good spread.

What you start with and what you will eventually need are also different things. Start with 3 and add a 4th later…or maybe a 4th and 5th.

 

[Ghost1337]

All the light. Not just for wattage but spread. if you’re already starting to think about “what can I get by with,” you will find SPS to be very challenging. It’s an expensive endeavor and success relies on great equipment.

People use LED and T5 combinations because they don’t want 4 or 5 $850 units and so they can get away 2-3 + T5’s. You still get good color customization through your LEDS and T5 combo. In some ways it’s better because you can’t tinker.

If you want all LEDs, look at wider spread lights like Stratons or Orphek’s or purchase the appropriate amount XR30’s or XR15’s to obtain a good spread.

What you start with and what you will eventually need are also different things. Start with 3 and add a 4th later…or maybe a 4th and 5th.

For a hybrid would you say the 48" Hybrid T5HO 4x54W Fixture - Aquatic Life or the 6 Bulb. Also what LEDs to run on the size of my tank - 2 xr15's

or would it be better to run a t5 only system, such as 6 or 8 bulb ati sunpower - Non dimmable because i've heard the corals will adapt to instant off and on

 

[Spare time]

PS it is more about spread and not intensity. SPS don't need insane amounts of light (a par of 300 around the tank is good). That is why the Reef brite radion xr15 combo would be my go to. It is practically the same as a t5 combo but uses an LED instead. Again remember that you can always add things down the road.