Lighting 6 x 2 foot tank

[sitandwatch]

So I am now starting a 105g shallow tank thanks to Josh.

I am looking at light and my options.

Due to the depth of the tank and cost I am going with T5's.

A 6 foot light is pretty pricey so I am thinking of a 4 foot with 6 bulbs? I will loose some light on the sides but it may not be to much.

The other option is two 3 foots but I don't know if that would be much better?

What do you experts think ;) ?

[e46er]

i dont think id life the dark ends of the tank............my buddy has a 6 foot planted discus tank and leaves the middle MH off...............im not a fan of the dark spot look

with 2-3 foot fixtures you could have so many bulbs combos

[kien]

It also depends on what you plan on putting in the tank :-) I'm not big on the light fall off either and would either put two 3 footers or raise a 4 footer high enough so that it lights the whole tank. This is possible but you will loose some light power obviously. This may not be an issue though since the tank is so darn shallow :-)

[imcosmokramer]

I would use two 3 foot fixtures.
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[Spiny]

if I were you, I'd go with multiple 3 feet

[blueyota]

I agree with posts above I have a 5 foot tank and a 4 foot light and I have alot of light loss at the ends ...and its making me angry :twised:

[sitandwatch]

Well I was sold on a 4 foot but now I am thinking of the two 3 footers, I thought the light would not fall off too much.

Good to know that blueyota is angry at his 4 foot over 5 foot I dont want to be angry.

I will have some sps but is wont be the dominant feature.

[imcosmokramer]

you have to think of the angles. If the light has to travel downwards on a diagonal, any rock/corals placed high, will shield the light from reaching the edges of your tank. You'll end up with many more shaded areas than you'd think. I had 1 MH reflector on this tank (http://www.reeftools.com/live/imcosmokramer/albums/11), and hated it. Once I switched to a 3 foot T5 fixture, I got much better coverage.
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[sitandwatch]

Ok I got a message that this could be a good light to go with

ATI 60" 6x80W Sun Power High-Output Fixture, more money up front but less bulb cost in the future then going with 2 3 footers

I would only loose 6 inches per side and due to the shallow depth I could raise it and not loose too much penatration.

imcosmokramer, good point about the shadows I will keep that in mind.

[kien]

Keep in mind that 60" T5 bulbs can be a challenge to locate, especially in a varied selection of colours. I rarely see them at LFS here.

[JDigital]

Keep in mind that 60" T5 bulbs can be a challenge to locate, especially in a varied selection of colours. I rarely see them at LFS here.

And typically more expensive as well because of the awkward shipping requirements.