t-5 or powercompact

[Jellybaby]

Im thinking of going with a t-5 instead of a pc if i was going with the
Coralife S/W T-5 Aqualight Double Strip Light-48" T-5 lamps are 28 watts each
Big Al's Online Aquarium Supply
would that be enough or would i be better off with the Coralife Aqualight Retrofit Kit-48"-4 x 65 Watt

or maybe buying 2 t-5 would be even better ?

I would like to have mushrooms and easy corals like that and i've read that mushrooms don't like very hard light like t-5 but the people that had t-5 had like 4 x 54 watt and the one i want to buy are less watts. Do you think it will be better for them?

Or should i just go with the powercompact of coralife 4x65 watt and maybe add later on a t-5 strip

by the way i have a 75 gallon that is 21 inch deep aquarium

Thanks

 

[kevin4052002]

I am not sure if you want this unit for a T-5 solution. You should look at "Tek Light" T-5s, and definitely avoid the "Nova Extreme" line. T-5s are only effective with their low wattage if they have individual reflectors. For your 75, I would go with something much more powerful. You don't have to light according to 'shrooms, just place them in less lit places. It's not so much that they don't like heavy lighting, as it doesn't require heavy lighting.

If you want more corals than just mushrooms and polyps, go with a much stronger light. You should buy what you want, or else you will end up buying it later.

These are the Tek Lights, HERE. In my opinion this would be a FAR better choice than the Coralife unit. Maybe you could fit 8 of these.


To answer your original question, I don't think that you could support any coral under that Coralife T-5 unit, but the retrofit kit could work.

 

[dbacksrat]

For my 75 I've decided on the Tek light fixture from Seeds etc. on Ebay that has 4x 54 watt bulbs. From what I've been told, that configuration will be a lot for softies and LPS. Eight bulbs would be extreme overkill for anything other than clams and SPS. You're probably better off with the 4 bulb setup.

 

[Jellybaby]

then i would be better off going with the powercompact if i want mushrooms and soft corals. And maybe later on add a strip of t-5 just for extra light like doing a combo between the two.

its very hard to choose a light, it gets me all mix up lol

 

[wayne]

No, just get the single T5 fixture. 4 bulbs will be fine , plenty. It really is quite hard to have too much light with this sort of fixture, and remember a lot of 'low light' corals are called lowlight as they tolerate rather than enjoy lowlighting. If you're worried start the shrooms in a sheltered location, and put something that does like bright light like xenia or whatever i nthe brighter locations.
You can grow most anything you want under T5's unless you have very deep water (24 inches plus)

 

[S.Reef]

I have the T-% fixzture from coralife and it is not very powerful. The light it gives off is the equivalent of regular fluorecent or maybe pc. Having seen the Tek lighting over many tanks i can say your better off with that, especially if your looking for intense light.