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Help me with my 36" lighting


Metzzen1

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I have a 30 long (36"x12"x14"). I plan on housing alot of zoas, shrooms (low light stuff) but would like to keep a clam or two, maybe a leather, BTA.....basically mostly softies... I would like a acrapora but dont think my lighting would suffice. Please read below and give me an idea what i can and CANT keep.

 

I currently have 2 70W metal halide DIY's i got from a local forum member. I plan on buying T5 retrofit kits to retro 36" T5's into the hood (yet to be built). The mh's currently have 10k bulbs but before any corals get in there i will probably change to 14k or 20k bulbs (depending on how many 10k t'5s i have)

 

Would 2 36" T5 with indicidual reflectors be sufficient if combined with the MH (probably 1 - 10k bulb, and one actinic) or should i go for four T5's total in addition to the MH's (bulbs choice undecided) OR.......should i scrap the MH's all together and go straight T5's?

 

If i houses anything "moderate/high light" (leather, clams) i would situate those directly below the MH's. the tank is only 12" deep so i dont think the fact that the MH's are only 70W will affect the light penetration and i shouldnt need a chiller (fingers crossed).

 

Obviously the different of 2 or 4 t5's would change what i could or couldnt keep, but i would like to know what difference i would get by going with 4 instead of 2 t5's.

 

thanks.

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HecticDialectics

You can't fit 4 T5 with individual reflectors AND MH over a 12" wide tank. T5s with Icecap reflectors are about 2.5" wide each, so your MH reflector can't be over 6" wide even with 2 T5s. Two 70W MH with two T5s with good individual reflectors will be enough light to keep whatever you want.

 

The only thing -really- low light you listed are shrooms, which you can keep under rock overhangs and such. Everything else you listed will be just find under that lighting.

 

But yes, high light would be better directly under the MH. MH tend to have a concentrated effect, with higher intensity in a center, and lower intensity around the outer edges of the light spread.

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