T5 Actinic Lighting

[PaulPerger]

I have seen several tanks recently that have been very appealing to me. One thing I have noticed they all have in common is they use a combination of LED and T5 lighting.

I am currently building my first Reef Tank. My tank is 75G and is going to have an enclosed canopy (I have cats, so this is a must...) so my light fixtures will not be seen, so aesthetics are not important.

My questions is this... Is there a good reason to NOT buy a fixture from Home Depot (similar to a shop light) vs. a Sun Blaze from BRS (the cheapest hobby specific option I have seen)?

I want four bulbs, but I think I want two, two bulb fixtures so I can mount LEDs between them. The Home Depot option is half as much. Granted, it's not as pretty, but I don't care as it will never be seen by anyone unless I remove the canopy cover.

 

[RobZilla04]

Just add reflectors and there is no reason you cannot use a pair of those fixtures.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

The Home Depot fixtures probably aren't dimmable. You could also get a retrofit kit like this one.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/dimmable-t5-ho-miro-4-retrofit-kit-let-lighting.html