[CraigThor]

Once I get my shrimp tank sold off I'm going to upgrade my lighting

Here are my 2 options:

TEK 4x24 Light Fixture with 4 Geismann Midday bulbs

or

Coralife Aqualight Pro 2 65 watt CF lights and 150 watt HQI

I've looked at many options but not sure which I will get, pricing is almost the same +/- $75. I really love my current setup but don't like my DIY hood all that well and can't find a way to make one that would fit what I want.

What does everyone think?

Craig

 

[Daud]

Not enough data: for what tank size, plants, CO2 etc...

 

[CraigThor]

Not enough data: for what tank size, plants, CO2 etc...

Tank:

20H
Soil based substrate covered in TMS
Eheim Ecco 2236
Rex Griggs BDR w/ Ideal needle valve running about 50 ppm CO2
Full EI dosing

Plants:

Erio and Tonina Species tank
Eriocaulon Mato Grosso
Eriocaulon Thailand
Eriocaulon Cinerium
Tonina Fluviatilis sp. Lotus Flower
Tonina Manuas
Soon Tonina 'Belem' and hopefully E. Goias

No Fauna just Flora!

Current Lights 2 15 watt 18" 5000k Flourescents 10 hrs a day and 70 watts MH 8000k 6 hours a day, ghetto DIY reflector from a old 250 watt HPS setup.

LMK if you need anything else.

Craig

 

[CraigThor]

or also a light from hamilton technologies:

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/Me...rcompacts_(Linear_Pin)_by_Hamilton_Technology

or

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/Fl...__Fluorescents_75W_VHO_by_Hamilton_Technology

craig

 

[CraigThor]

I kinda like the Hamilton fixtures as they are nice and plain and not too wide like the Aqualight pro

Craig

 

[bigstick120]

That coralife is WAYYYY over kill! The Tek will work just fine. I think you'll have more problems with the the power of the coralife.

 

[thefishmanlives]

over a 20 high?? Honestly a good 2x24 t5 setup with individual reflectors will be more then enough to grow anything and nicely (ie: ground cover, red reds, etc). That TEK will go to serious waste over a 20h. People seem to get too hung up on names and "quality". Sure that TEKs an awesome fixture but you would probably do just as well over a 20H with a catalina 24x4 with ind. reflectors. It would be a serious waste. A 150 watt halide + 65x2 PC is alot too. I too like very high light. I dont wanna grow good plants. I want every plant in my tank in awesome shape, bottom leaves and all. every plant in the tank. I hate when people talk how 2wpg gallon grows everything fine then you see their tank and yeah its aquascaped nice, and everything looks good for a picture but you can see the bottoms of the plants are weak and leaf-less, but they are blocked by midground plants so they fine for a picture. I would think you would get plenty of light from a 70watt halide over a 20H. Did you not get enough? Thats interesting to hear that.