I've got a 24"x24"x18" tank with a 150W coralife with 2-65W actinics. I use the legs o. The light rather than suspending it. As the light runs crosswise over my tank, the result is the far front and far back are dimmer than the center. The only way you can correct this for a lighting system that was designed to go over a rectangular tank is to suspend it and raise the light to get better coverage. Unfortunately, this also causes increased light spillage and will also lower your overall intensity (stupid inverse square law). In which case I think you'll need atleast a 250W for your tank and would probably be fine with that. You may have to live with the the low lights spots and design around it or tinker with it to get more even light. If you're doing a mixed reef though you can stick tour low light species in the low light spots as I have. Works well.
IMO, circular, square or octagonal pendant reflectors give the best light distribution but I have yet to see one that successfully incorporates actinics (either T5 or PC) and looks somewhat aesthetically pleasing.
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01-07-2011, 04:59 PM
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