Quote:
Originally Posted by Bartman1818
I have a list below of the T5 fixtures I am interested in.
My tank is 21" high, I don't want to be limited to what I can keep, I want to eventually incorporate all families of the coral, sps, soft, etc. The tank is 36" long.
And if you guys have something that is better than what I have listed for a 36" long tank, 21" high, let me know please! I just want some good quality stuff.
Also, can any fixture house these 10 K + bulbs? I have lots of normal output fixtures that I can slap a nice 10 K bulb into but I am sure it is not that easy. What makes it HO, just the reflector and fans?
Thank you!
|
The two Coralife fixtures you listed are power compacts, not T5. Coralife is an entry level brand, definitely not the best. The two Current USA fixtures are better than Coralife, but still not very good. The Tek fixture is one of the best T5 fixtures you can buy, very nice, and good quality. HO is higher watts than NO. 36" T5HO will be 39w. You can buy NO 10K and up bulbs, you just won't get the same amount of intensity as you would with HO.
With your tank being 21" deep you
will be limited in what you can keep in your tank if you choose to go with T5s to a certain extent. Once you get past about 14-16" T5s don't compare to metal halide for intensity. You will be able to keep all softies, probably all LPS, and some SPS. If you want to keep certain types of clams, anemones, and SPS corals then metal halide would be a better choice. If you're ok with a few limitations, then the Tek fixture you chose should do quite well for you.