Debating which lights for new Ric tank
 

Hey guys I need some help to decide. I am going to set up a new 15 gallon or 20H in the next couple months, not anytime soon but not far away, so I'm thinking about which lighting would be best for ricordea. I'm looking at retros so I can make the canopy.

The two main options I'm looking at:

1. IceCap 24'' 2x 75 watt VHO retro. I'm thinking one Actinic White 50/50 and one Super Actinic Blue for the bulbs.

[url]http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ICE-2X24R&Category_Code=Icecapvhor[/url]

2. IceCap 24'' 4x 24watt T-5 HO retro. It's more expensive but if it's better I don't mind. Or I could go with the 2x 24 watt if 4 is too much.

[url]http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ICE-T5-4X24R&Category_Code=IcecapT5[/url]

2x 24 watt

[url]http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1349[/url]

Other Options-

3. I could always go with a 2x 65 watt pc fixture but I don't mind the other two choices if the color is better.

[url]http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=113[/url]

4. 150 watt MH retro.

[url]http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1324[/url]

5. Unknown brand lights.

a) 4x 24watt T-5 HO

[url]http://www.fishneedit.com./t5ho-2ft--4lamps-light.html[/url]

b) 150 watt MH pendant

[url]http://www.fishneedit.com./150w-metal-halide-pendant-lig.html[/url]



I'm looking at IceCap since it's good quality. Any other suggestions would be great.

20h with a 150 retro from hello lights.

Any more suggestions would be helpful.

The 150 watt does look good.

How about a 130 watt pc over a 15 gallon?

I can steal it from another tank I have and put a 65 watt pc over that tank (it's a fw planted tank and I pretty much just have 65 watts on it anyway) and then put a 80 watt pc (2x 40) over the 10 gallon I took the 65 watt off?

4X24w T5's without a doubt! I've had a 250w MH (14k, 10K, & 20K) on my 20g and when I put my T5 fixture it looked so awesome I promised mysef I would never go back to MH. The T5's make the colors explode on the rics and basically the unit emits no extra heat over the tank like the MH.

MH Setup
[IMG]http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/UpLoAdS/fulltank_102.jpg[/IMG]

TEK T5 Setup
[IMG]http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/UpLoAdS/newt5_836.jpg[/IMG]

Rics Under T5's
[IMG]http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/UpLoAdS/newt54_382.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.dfwmas.org/Forums/UpLoAdS/newric2_179.jpg[/IMG]

wow! Nice setup blide. lots of filtration. What is all that? I see the skimmer, what's that underneath the tank? Ca reactor? Phosban reactor wow. I'm actually going to Lowe's to look around and maybe pick up some parts to make a reactor.

Tank looks awesome. Those blue rics are great. Did you by the rocks with several or are they from single polyps? I want my tank to look similar to the right side of yours.

Does the t-5 fixture have slr's or is it just one relfector for all of the bulbs?

Yes, I do have overkill on equipment. I had a bigger tank going before I moved, so I just used the equipment I already had to setup the tank.

The TEK lights come with individual reflectors.

How much was the fixture?

I went to my lfs today (well twice) and they have a new display for some new T-5 lights by Hagen. I was trying to find them on the internet but couldn't, then I looked at Hagen's website and apparently right now they only sell them in Canada or something. They have a 24'' 2x 24 T-5 HO fixture with a single reflector for both bulbs. I was thinking maybe two of these would work. Or I could get a retro kit that they have and use a single reflector for each bulb, which would cost the same as buying the fixture and I would need to build a canopy if I went the retro route, but if I went with the fixture they would be so small it would be nice open top over the tank and it would probably look better

And I also got $40 store credit today for 8 gsp frags I took in. So I could just work up some store credit and get two of those t-5 fixtures (~$100 each).

What do you think?

Either way would work... I prefer the fixture and picked mine up locally from a club member for $200.

here in olathe,kansas petland & petsmart are carrying the hagen glo lights. don't really know what they are selling for though. might e-mail hagen for an area near you --if you were interested in them