# Lighting questions



## Aaron27 (Sep 15, 2010)

The setup:
I currently have a 90 Gallon (48"x18"x24") tank. 
It's a couple of years old, water parameters seem about as perfect as can be. Calcium is high/normal (even though I don't have a calcium reactor - my guess is I don't have any corals absorbing the calcium, so it just stays up through water changes).
I seem to be able to grow RBTA's and mushrooms like mad, the fish seem wonderful and happy. 
My torch and ricordia survive, but don't really grow. (not sure why)

BUT, everything else I've tried wilts and dies (pulsing xenia, green star polyps, acropora, galaxy... more)

I currently have 4xT5 - 6400K bulbs (2 white, 2 actinic)

I was thinking of making the switch to LED's, specifically:
Marineland Reef Bright LED Light Fixture (48-60 Inch)
Plus a couple strips of royal blues.

The question: 
Ignoring price (I'd be buying it used), is that a wise decision?
Are those reasonably good lights? Can I expect better results than I'm getting with T5's?

I'm not really an electrical DIYer, so that's not an option.


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

Are the t5's no or ho?

Switch to 10000k bulbs and you might have more luck


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

Also the marineland reef brights are only 1w bulbs and IMO they're a step down from 4xt5 ho especially with the water depth of a 90


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## Aaron27 (Sep 15, 2010)

These are the white bulbs I have:
SunBlaster Lighting - Fluorescent lighting for home, garden and business.

T5-54W HO - 6400K


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## monocus (Sep 27, 2010)

stay away from the marineland-if you want to go led you can come over to my place and look at various led fixtures ranging from $60-$5000


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## oyf709 (Sep 18, 2010)

6400k will probly promo your algea better than corals. I would go with soit.fire's suggestion and go to 10000K or even 120000K as coral need more into blue spec


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

oyf709 said:


> 6400k will probly promo your algea better than corals. I would go with soit.fire's suggestion and go to 10000K or even 120000K as coral need more into blue spec


Exactly, sunblasters were designed for growing plants, and even then they only put out enough for veg. Cycles, 6400k is nowhere enough for corals, not even softies for the most part. The fixtures themselves are good, I use them on some of my systems. Switching to 10 000k bulbs will make a huge difference. I have 6400k on my shark tank and I get a lot of algae growth but I have an army of tangs to take care of it. Other option is metal halides, a 150w pendant would be perfect for that size tank


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

Also the single 150w consumes less than your sunblasters

Pm me if you want to go with a halide, I can probably set you up with one


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## Aaron27 (Sep 15, 2010)

Thank you so much guys! I'll swap over to 10,000K bulbs this weekend.
I'll see if that makes a difference. Sounds like it should certainly help my immense algae issue 

Would it be ok to have the above LED's along with the 4xT5's? Or would that be too much light?
Would that add the cool shimmer that I see in people's tanks who have LEDs? 

Sorry for all the noob questions, you'd think after having a tank for almost 2 years I'd know what I'm doing a bit better.


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## Aaron27 (Sep 15, 2010)

Are two T5 - Hagen Power-Glo the type of bulbs I should be buying?
And then two Marine-Glo for the Actinic?


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## Earth Eater (Apr 22, 2010)

One thing to note is that your algae while may be helped by the low kalvin rating of your lighting is more likely caused do to nutrient problems. Test, test, test you're water


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