NEW TANK

[DRUDDELL]

As a complete newcomer to the hobby and this forum, I just got a 72 Gal bowfront I intend to establish as a reef tank. I intend to stock it with soft corals and a few carefully selected fish and invertibrates.
My question is: I plan on using T5 lighting as MH I believe would put out too much heat and use more electricity to run. How much total wattage of lighting do I need for this tank?

 

[blackcloudmedia]

Since your starting new you have the advantage of setting up your entire tank based upon the types of coral you want to keep. Even within the soft coral group there are variations upon the favored intensity of light. You will have to measure the tanks width as T-5's come in different lengths and thus wattage. Also how deep is the tank. You want the bottom of the tank to recieve light that is strong enough to have corals on the bottom as well.

 

[Anonymous]

DRUDDELL,

:welcome:

What Blackloud said. Also, I'd start looking at your stocking list and make certain that the T5s will support what you wish to keep. There are ways to mitigate the heat MHs give off if that's what your chosen corals require.

 

[SnowManSnow]

a GOOD t5 unit will keep most anything available in the hobby imo. I've got sps's a medium size maxima and all sorts of stuff that has really grown in the last few months under my constellation?

b

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to RDO and the hobby!

I'm personally partial to MH but I agree with the other folks that T-5's are a great option. The first critical factor in going T-5's is the fixture itself. The quality of the reflectors is the pivotal component IMO. They are not all the same.