Lighting

[omarshabaz]

Hey everyone, I am getting a custom light built and I am not sure what to go with.

the tank is a 125 gallon, i was looking at a 12 by 39 watt t5 which the bulbs are all 36",
or a 6 by 80 watt t5, which all the bulbs are 60" so we will have to stagger the bulbs. Thinking the cost would be cheaper as I only need 2 icecap 660's and less reflectors and endcaps.

these will all be individual ballasts.

Which one do you think or if you have any other ideas...

[Hookup]

If my math is right, which it might not be... 125 gallon is 72" long (6 feet)...

My 180g is 72" and I went with 10 bulbs at 60" each... It's not a DIY fixture, but this sized fixture seemed to be very common on that length of tank.

Hope that helps a little.

[omarshabaz]

At 60 inch are those 80 watt bulbs or less, What can you keep with that lighting. Perhaps I will go with an 8 bulb 80 watt staggered fixture.

[Severum]

With that kind of lighting the sun becomes irrelevant. You can keep ANYTHING.   

[Hookup]

At 60 inch are those 80 watt bulbs or less, What can you keep with that lighting. Perhaps I will go with an 8 bulb 80 watt staggered fixture.

I think they were 84 wats each, giving the 10bulb fixture 840 watts... but watts the deal with watts anyhow... it's all about the par and spectrum. 

With my fixture, which is an ATI Powermodule, I've seen many fully SPS tanks that are mind-blowing.  The lighting works...  you'll be growing sps in under the stand if you go with 8x60"...IMHO anyhow.