58 Gallon Lighting

[samdrew]

Hey everyone. I am new to The Reef Tank as well as reef in general. My wife and I are getting rid of a 55 gallon fresh and are planning on setting up my 58 gallon oceanic as a reef tank. Being new to saltwater, I was curious as to my options as far as lighting as well as any information that I could get. I want to stay in a pretty reasonable price range (nothing as far as like an $800 setup, but a couple hundred or so). We are waiting until we move into our new house before we set this tank up, so I would like to have plenty of time to figure out what I need and be prepared for when the time comes to start getting everything started. The dimensions of my tank are L36" x W18" x H22". Everybody's input would be well appreciated. Thank you all in advance.

[Sndwave80]

Here is the link to my 58RR build if you need a few ideas. This whole set-up (not including rock and live stock) is pushing 2K. But if you have time and can find items used in your area you could do it for less.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f6...ld-116428.html

[Loverotties]

T5HO lighting will do!

[aquawolf]

Welcome to TRT!!!

The first question to ask when considering lighting is what do you actually want to keep in the tank? If it is high light loving organisms like clams and sps corals then you will need to go with at least T5 lighting with individual reflectors for the bulbs if not metal halide. Depending on the dimensions of your tank you may be able to put either type of fixture over it for that price. You can always look around for used equipment that someone is selling since you have time right now.

[hng]

Welcome to TRT! You have lots of choices with lights and to narrow it down, you need to answer a few questions. 1) What kind of corals do you plan to keep? Do you like "shimmer"? How comfortable are you with working with wiring and electrical stuff?

[crvz]

Welcome! I had that same tank before I upgraded to a 156. I had great success with a 6 bulb T5 unit, but I'd bet a 4 bulb would be plenty (mine was more geared for the upgrade). I'd recommend the tek series, so something like this would be perfect.

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_...unlight_Supply

[tangmang23]

i agree with the TEK light. I feel the ballast they use, and the reflectors are much higher in quality then others, so for the money you can lose. Geismann bulbs are my preffered but UVL also make good bulbs. Something to consider, seems the TEK's don't come with bulbs.

My 120 runs on 8 T5 HO bulbs and that is way more then plenty of light. My lighting system was all retro from ICECAP so you have several options. But look at all the options you have before you make your purchase, to ensure you've covered all your bases. good luck.