Lighting help needed

[marblesab]

I'm terrible when trying to figure this out and desperately need help.

Ok, I got my tank a few months ago, it came with a coralife PC fixture, that is 65W, it has one actinic bulb and 1 -10,000k bulb. Both bulbs are a dual bulb.

Now I have the opportunity to switch to a t5HO fixture, one is a 10K daylight and the other is a 67k broad spectrum. So there are only 2 bulbs in this fixture.

Is this going to be enough light for my tank? It's 27 gal, I have frogspawn, birdsnest, digis and gps. Plus two clowns. Everyone is happy and growing good with the existing lights, however I'm having a hell of a time trying to get new bulbs for it (which I understand), but is switching to essentially less light (if I'm looking at it right) really going to help me??


Thanks in advance for any advice offered

[fishytime]

What brand is the T5 fixture?

[marblesab]

AquaticLife

[sphelps]

It's enough light if it is T5HO and not just T5 like some coralife units. The color however will suck under that bulb combo. Best to two good quality bulbs like KZ, ATI, or aqua science. Use something along the lines of one 10K and one 22K, for ATI that would be one aquablue special and one blue plus.

[blacknife]

If I read you right you are thinking of replacing 2 65 w pc lights with two 24w lights. The PC lights are by design a little inecficient and the t-5s depend on quality reflectors.
I have some pc lights i still use and jl has bulbs though the shipping cost is the same if you get one or a bunch of bulbs.

http://www.jlaquatics.com/info/202/Power+Compact+Bulbs+-+Straight+Pin.html

They also have straight pin if that is what you need.

The 2 bulb t5 might keep everything alive but a four bulb might be better in the long run and will give you more choice to tune the color. The 6500k bulb may grow the corals faster but they may stay fairly brown. You might want to put a more blue bulb on instead.

[marblesab]

Hmmm, maybe I should just stick with what I have and just suck it up and order new bulbs. Would I be better off replacing them with two 50/50's? Or just staying with the combo that I have?