t5s vs mh

[jasonperez]

i have a 75g tank 18.5" high, running 54x8 t5s 48" long with 4x460 super blue & 4x10000k daylite, do you think i should upgrade to mh or can stick with t5s. I want to have sps in my tank is the light good for sps. I have one sps in the tank now and seems to be fine, im just dont know:scratchch



thanks jason p

 

[ming]

Considering you have 8 bulbs, I would say yes, but because you have 8 bulbs, I know you dont have individual reflectors so your intensity is limited. I could only fit 6 bulbs on my 75, if I added a 7th, it would shine on the lip of the tank instead of in the tank.

You can definately do monti's, and some easy sps like green slimer, etc

 

[tomzpc]

Considering you have 8 bulbs, I would say yes, but because you have 8 bulbs, I know you dont have individual reflectors so your intensity is limited. I could only fit 6 bulbs on my 75, if I added a 7th, it would shine on the lip of the tank instead of in the tank.

That's not necessarily true. I had an 8 bulb tek-light over my 90 and each reflector was 100% over the water and inside the rim. None of them shined over the lip of the tank and a 90 has the same footprint as a 75. That being said, last year I downgraded to a 6 bulb only because 8 bulbs was just too much light for my LPS and soft coral dominated tank.

Personally, I think that you'll be able to keep most sps corals in a 75 under 8 54w T5 Ho's, even if you don't have individual reflectors.

 

[ming]

my mistake. I just took a measurement of Tek's reflectors compared to IceCaps. Tek's are only 2" wide so it would fit at 16" for 8 bulb, and the lip of the tank is 1" each side for a perfect 18". IceCaps are 2.375" per reflector so it wouldn't fit.