light for corals

Hey everyone
The light for my new reef tank is the question number one for me. I will install the fluorescent bulbs in the T5 fixture that I have currently. How much light do the corals need in 90 gal tank? If anybody has the similar tank please help me..

How deep is your tank?
Its more the depth of your tank that's the main issue for photosynthetic life.

The more lighting the better because as it tries to find its way to the floor of your tank, it is defused by the particles and tannins in your water.

Also T5s not fan cooled will only last at quality lighting levels for around 4 to 6 months, from then on they are still on and shinning bright, but the tubes internal phosphorus powder coatings that give the light its imbedded colours that empower photosynthesis, are now fading fast!

Just put as many as you can over your tank and change them each 4 to 6 months and its all good.

Hey, so my tanks a 5ft by 2 by 2 and I have 3. 3x55watt led lights above it. The lights are sold as full spectrum, or most of the major colors anyway. They cost me 117$ off eBay and I have just changed them now because I ordered one different so changed the rest to suit. Yes I do have ocd lol. So they have lasted a couple good years at least and still going strong when I took them down. I have had 1 driver blow but the fella on eBay was excellent and got a new one within 1.5 weeks for like 20$. They have a big heat sink inside with two little fans I have my lights about 300mm above the the tank, suspended on a hanging light fixture I made up to hang them in certain ways so they covered areas of my tank. That I wanted to grow more sps. I have my blue leds on 100% for 14hrs in summer and turn my chiller up abit. And the whites r on for 8.5hrs at about 30%. I have never had a bleaching problem and a sometimes move corals around abit. If in the direct light sps will grow, even bits that have snapped off and don't get stung on the ground. obviously the higher the better. I have most of my sps probably about 200mm under the water line to about 200mm up from the bottom. Everywhere else or on the bottom grows lps rics and the like. I have had many different types of anemones in there under these lights, had a magnifica in there for awhile who lived happily mid tank. Can't think of anything left to tell u about mine, personally being an electician I am not a big fan of t5's, losse alot of energy from heat instead of light and dieing gass's and light direction and such, mh are the same sort of thing really. And u can get pretty close if not better spectrum then the mh now from leds if ur after a certain spectrum. Also depends what u want to grow in ur tank, a normal desk light will grow some beautiful algae, or u could get really serious and get urself a par meter, but that's abit crazy for me. Lol. Just my opinions, hope it helps abit.

Simon51 wrote:Hey, so my tanks a 5ft by 2 by 2 and I have 3. 3x55watt led lights above it. The lights are sold as full spectrum, or most of the major colors anyway. They cost me 117$ off eBay and I have just changed them now because I ordered one different so changed the rest to suit. Yes I do have ocd lol. So they have lasted a couple good years at least and still going strong when I took them down. I have had 1 driver blow but the fella on eBay was excellent and got a new one within 1.5 weeks for like 20$. They have a big heat sink inside with two little fans  I have my lights about 300mm above the the tank, suspended on a hanging light fixture I made up to hang them in certain ways so they covered areas of my tank. That I wanted to grow more sps. I have my blue leds on 100% for 14hrs in summer and turn my chiller up abit. And the whites r on for 8.5hrs at about 30%.   I have never had a bleaching problem and a sometimes move corals around abit. If in the direct light sps will grow, even bits that have snapped off and don't get stung on the ground. obviously the higher the better. I have most of my sps probably about 200mm under the water line to about 200mm up from the bottom. Everywhere else or on the bottom grows lps rics and the like. I have had many different types of anemones in there under these lights, had a magnifica in there for awhile who lived happily mid tank. Can't think of anything left to tell u about mine, personally being an electician I am not a big fan of t5's,  losse alot of energy from heat instead of light and dieing gass's and light direction and such, mh are the same sort of thing really. And u can get pretty close if not better spectrum then the mh now from leds if ur after a certain spectrum. Also depends what u want to grow in ur tank, a normal desk light will grow some beautiful algae, or u could get really serious and get urself a par meter, but that's abit crazy for me. Lol. Just my opinions, hope it helps abit.

My tank is of this dimension. 48″ x 18″ x 24″
I have 3 these bulbs. https://www.mrosupply.com/lighting/ballasts/fluorescent-ballasts/1854152_flft5eh54w850_fulham-lighting/ They are fluorescent 54W Will it be enough?