light recommendations

[Joel A]

so in upgrading to my new 120 gallon tank, i'm thinking that i also want to upgrade my lighting system. I've currently got a 6x54 watt ATI sunpower over my 75 gallon, and the light is more then adequate... but the new tank brings new demands, and this tank will be completely SPS dominated.

my new set-up however, is 4" deeper front to back, as well as 4" taller, or 4" more distance to the sand bed. The new tank also has eurobracing, so it essentially blocks out light for 4" on each end of the tank... all of these things together are making me think that a 6 bulb 48" sunpower is probably not the unit for me on this new tank.


I was thinking that i'd be better suited with a 36" fixture, because of the eurobracing.. if i stayed with all t5's maybe something like an 8x39 ATI Powermodule? Or would you go with 10? I'm also kicking around the idea of adding some metal halides to the mix, mainly because i love the look of radiums.. this has gotten me looking at combination fixtures that are around 36" and use t5's and metal halides. The ones that stick out to me are the Elos Planet, the Giesemann Infiniti (although that's 48"), and the 36" sfiligoi HQI stealth.

So judging by the cost of all of the fixtures mentioned, i've decided that i'm willing to pay in the ball park of 1,500 for the fixture.. but only if it's the right one of course, and justifies a 1,000 dollar upgrade over my current ATI sunpower.

Anyone care to offer any feedback?

 

[stingythingy45]

JMO..........And this is my O.
But why would you go for color crayon color over growth?
IE.......T5
Get halide and stop fooling around.lol

 

[Joel A]

IME i got just as much, if not more growth from my t5's, and the colors were much better than they were under Metal halide. They also cut heat down in my tank significantly.

On my next tank i'm thinking i like the idea of adding back a few 150 watt metal halides, or even 250's, simply because i love the crisp white look of the radium, but i'd much prefer to have the majority of the lighting come from the t5's as opposed to the majority of the lighting coming from metal halides... this is why the sfiligoi fixture was so intriguing to me, because it has 8x39 watt t5's.. so there's no doubt that's the main lighting that the unit provides, but then it adds 2 150 watt metal halides for the "shimmer" effect as well as some added color and PAR... but the 2x150 watt HQI's aren't meant to be the main lighting source..

this is the fixture that best suits my personal needs, only issue is that they are a lot of money, and for the money there are very few customers out there to give feedback.. it seems everyone who's bought a unit from sfiligoi recently is happy, but it also seems that all of the older customers who bought units 18+ months ago have had some sort of issue with their fixtures..

this in turn is of course what led me to look at elos and giesemann fixtures, but neither the elos or giesemann fixture subscribe to quite the same method of thinking where t5's are the main light source, and halides are supplemental, instead they have halides as the main light source (2x250 watt) and t5's as supplemental (4x39 or 54 watts respectively)... this is of course the more conventional and traditional way of looking at lighting, but i'm not sure it's the lighting methodology that i personally agree with.

 

[Miller]

Joel, I have the 8x24 Power Module over my 93 which is 30"x30". The eight bulbs cover the 30" front to back with out any problem. I'd say on a tank that is 24" wide you could cover that with a 6 bulb fixture, though the 8 bulb would be a guarantee.

Our tank is 24" deep and with the 8 bulb fixture we have to carefully place LPS on the sandbed. Low light corals have to be shaded. The fixture is ~24"x~21" IIRC and it fully covers the 30"x30" sandbed space in the tank. Lower light LPS even get brunt in the corners and have to be in the shade.

I think a 6 bulb ATI Power Module could easily light a 120 gallon tank. 8 bulbs would be a METRIC BOAT LOAD of light over 24" front to back IMO. I've got 8 and if the tank was 24"x24" I think it would be way over kill.

Our light is 24" long and the tank is 30". The fixture is short 3" on each end. There is no visual drop off of light on the ends and lower light LPS can't handle it as its to bright. If you got the 36" fixture you would be short 6" on either end of the fixture but I bet you could pull it off.

Just my experiences with the lighting and opinions about the ATI lighting. 6 would probably do it, 8 would for sure. 8 bulbs is more electricity and more cash to replace.

JMO..........And this is my O.
But why would you go for color crayon color over growth?
IE.......T5
Get halide and stop fooling around.lol

T5 grows corals very nicely also! I love the growth from my corals under T5 and the color is great. WIN WIN!

 

[dcforester1]

Why not use what you have, and see how it lights up the tank. Once you see what it looks like you can decide if $1000 is worth the investment.

 

[Joel A]

Why not use what you have, and see how it lights up the tank. Once you see what it looks like you can decide if $1000 is worth the investment.

this is true, only thing is that the bulbs need replacing soon, so if i replace all of the bulbs for 150 bucks, then i should probably stick with the fixture for at least another year

 

[stingythingy45]

IME i got just as much, if not more growth from my t5's, and the colors were much better than they were under Metal halide. They also cut heat down in my tank significantly.

On my next tank i'm thinking i like the idea of adding back a few 150 watt metal halides, or even 250's, simply because i love the crisp white look of the radium, but i'd much prefer to have the majority of the lighting come from the t5's as opposed to the majority of the lighting coming from metal halides... this is why the sfiligoi fixture was so intriguing to me, because it has 8x39 watt t5's.. so there's no doubt that's the main lighting that the unit provides, but then it adds 2 150 watt metal halides for the "shimmer" effect as well as some added color and PAR... but the 2x150 watt HQI's aren't meant to be the main lighting source..

this is the fixture that best suits my personal needs, only issue is that they are a lot of money, and for the money there are very few customers out there to give feedback.. it seems everyone who's bought a unit from sfiligoi recently is happy, but it also seems that all of the older customers who bought units 18+ months ago have had some sort of issue with their fixtures..

this in turn is of course what led me to look at elos and giesemann fixtures, but neither the elos or giesemann fixture subscribe to quite the same method of thinking where t5's are the main light source, and halides are supplemental, instead they have halides as the main light source (2x250 watt) and t5's as supplemental (4x39 or 54 watts respectively)... this is of course the more conventional and traditional way of looking at lighting, but i'm not sure it's the lighting methodology that i personally agree with.

Joel,
JMO,but don't even fool around with 150 watt halides.
Get 250 watt with a high quality bulb and watch you tank explode with growth.

 

[jackthestrat]

I think a 6 bulb ATI Power Module could easily light a 120 gallon tank. 8 bulbs would be a METRIC BOAT LOAD of light over 24" front to back IMO. I've got 8 and if the tank was 24"x24" I think it would be way over kill.


T5 grows corals very nicely also! I love the growth from my corals under T5 and the color is great. WIN WIN!

I've got a 6x39 PM over my Elos (~22" front to back) and I have even coverage over all dimensions of the tank at 4" over the water line. I have gone the MH route, with 175s and 250s, and this thing blows them all out of the water in coverage, light quality, and growth rates.

If I were doing a 120, 24" front to back and had a lot of $$$ kicking around I'd probably get the 8 bulb, but I think anything more than that will be overkill. JMO. Then I'd spend the amount I saved from 1500 on ridiculous flow instead.

 

[Joel A]

I've got a 6x39 PM over my Elos (~22" front to back) and I have even coverage over all dimensions of the tank at 4" over the water line. I have gone the MH route, with 175s and 250s, and this thing blows them all out of the water in coverage, light quality, and growth rates.

If I were doing a 120, 24" front to back and had a lot of $$$ kicking around I'd probably get the 8 bulb, but I think anything more than that will be overkill. JMO. Then I'd spend the amount I saved from 1500 on ridiculous flow instead.

i suppose i can just get an 8 bulb powermodule and a couple extra vortechs..

 

[Joel A]

I've got a 6x39 PM over my Elos (~22" front to back) and I have even coverage over all dimensions of the tank at 4" over the water line. I have gone the MH route, with 175s and 250s, and this thing blows them all out of the water in coverage, light quality, and growth rates.

If I were doing a 120, 24" front to back and had a lot of $$$ kicking around I'd probably get the 8 bulb, but I think anything more than that will be overkill. JMO. Then I'd spend the amount I saved from 1500 on ridiculous flow instead.

wait, isn't the elos system 70 like a 30" cube? You've got a 36" light over it?

 

[jackthestrat]

i suppose i can just get an 8 bulb powermodule and a couple extra vortechs..

That's the spirit.

 

[KSC]

i suppose i can just get an 8 bulb powermodule and a couple extra vortechs..

If you decide to go that route just pick up a 4 bulb Sunpower and run the 2 fixtures. The PM and SP have negligible par differences. But if you want my opinion I'd buy 2 Lumenmax Elites, 2 Lumatek adjustable 250/400 ballasts and a couple of Radiums. I tested the par on the 400watt setting and was getting 2000 par @ 12". SPS zen....

 

[Joel A]

I do love the radiums.. and the PAR of 400 watters is great.. just not the heat that goes with it.. i'd never go back to strictly metal halide.. i would consider metal halide and t5's in conjunction though... but i'd really prefer it in a fixture, personally i think a fixture hanging above is a cleaner and better look than a canopy.. but i know everyone doesn't think this way.

As far as running them in conjunction, you're right on as far as PAR goes, but i think the PM looks a bit classier than the SP, especially if it's going to be 2 SP's vs 1 PM.

I really wish the there were more people out there that had tested and tried the Sfiligoi lights.. that 8x39 watt and 2x150 watt is like a dream light to me...

 

[KSC]

Well, the heat issue is a myth. With the newer reflectors you can mount them high enough above the tank to control the heat. Right now my office is 78*, the tank 80.3 and my 250's just shut off. You could always get a canopy to conceal mh's and t5's and hang the whole thing. I simply built legs for my canopy so the whole tank is basically open for 6"'s. I just built a canopy for my 40, I made it 20" wide so I could fit a Sunpower and angle some leds into the tank. It's almost as nice a the radium lit tank....

 

[jackthestrat]

wait, isn't the elos system 70 like a 30" cube? You've got a 36" light over it?

Correct.

 

[Cherokee_Dude]

LED's man... LED's.