[ncdiablo]

Sorry about this guys but trying to get things moving along.

My tank is 72" x 16 1/2" x 25" I was looking to go T5 for lighting. The tank has an 18" glass brace in the center. Wasn't sure if I should go with 1 72" light or 2 30" or 2 36". I was looking at:

Black 72" Constellation 14 Lamp T5 HO Fixture.

Features:
Unique aluminum fixture design allows the fixture to be placed directly on top of tank without dramatically heating the water or fixture.

Can hold up to 14 39W T5 HO lamps
72" long, 14" wide, and 3" high.

All fixtures come with 95% reflectivity Miro IV full-length individual reflectors for maximum light propagation.
Quiet dual ball bearing fans on top of fixture help displace heat away from the tank.
All aluminum construction for a light weight and ridged design.
All fixtures are powder coated for extended fixture life.
Three switches on fixture for dusk / dawn lighting or for reduced lighting applications. One switch for 3 rows, another for 2 rows, and the last switch for 2 rows. Also, separate power cords for each of the switches.
Splash shield keeps the bulbs safe while also helping to keep the heat away from the tank.

Anyone had any experience with this light?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I have looked at the aquactinic fixtures you are refering to and they are top notch.For a factory made fixture they cant be beat.

[ncdiablo]

Ok so it looks like I have found my light. Anyone want to give me a good heads up on the mixture of bulbs for the light. 14 slots.

[ncdiablo]

39w T5 HO 36" Midday Lamp

T-5 Diameter High Output Fluorescent Lamp
Full Spectrum high CRI Lamp
6000k Broad spectrum encourages growth

39w T5 HO 36" Pure Actinic Lamp

T-5 Diameter High Output Fluorescent Lamp
Original true Actinic T-5 lamp
Blue Spectrum Peaks at about 420 nm

From what I have been reading they say use in 1 to 1 ratio. So that would be something in the realm of 7 Midday's and 7 Pure Actinics........

Sound right?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I believe that 7 actinics is way overboard on the blue.I would use 1 420 nm,3 6500k,3 10000k per side.even that might be a bit on the blue side for some.

[ncdiablo]

Thanks for the reply. You helped save me from making a mistake there. I found the bulbs you were talking about on champion and the prices seem better than what I was looking at before. saving about 5 dollars a bulb on 14 bulbs is a big savings.

So looking at it now I see my lighting costs should be $900. But I need to look into getting a timer.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

5745k is the color temp of the sun at high noon on the equator(lots of yellow).6500k is where the yellow starts to drop off and the blue starts to take over.At 10000kthere is some yellow left but its mostly blue.At 14000kthere may or may not be some yellow and touch of red left.At this point actinic suplimentation is no longer needed.At 20000k its all blue(not found in flourescents that I know of) and its all about the look of the tank.Im not sure how much it does for the corals but some bleaching has been reported.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

How many switch's are on the unit> you will need timing control for each switch. wether its all in one unit or if it is 4 individual units.Lowes sells a timer for about 6$'s that would control one switch and you can buy a controller on line for 279$'s that works wonders.how is that for a broad spectrum? lol.

[CyberJester]

You probably want to try to have all your Actinic on a seperate switch if possible so you can bring those on earlier and turn off later then the day lamps to more closely simulate sunrise and sunset.

[admann]

Originally Posted by ncdiablo

39w T5 HO 36" Midday Lamp

T-5 Diameter High Output Fluorescent Lamp
Full Spectrum high CRI Lamp
6000k Broad spectrum encourages growth

39w T5 HO 36" Pure Actinic Lamp

T-5 Diameter High Output Fluorescent Lamp
Original true Actinic T-5 lamp
Blue Spectrum Peaks at about 420 nm

From what I have been reading they say use in 1 to 1 ratio. So that would be something in the realm of 7 Midday's and 7 Pure Actinics........

Sound right?

I have been doing lots of research on this exact fixture, I am going to purchase for my tank, best choice for 72" fixture IMO. Couple of things to remember, this is more like 2 36" fixtures built into one, 7 rows of lamps (7 wide) with 2 lamps in each row. It has 3 separate switches, 1 for row 1, row 4, and row 7 (6 lamps). One switch runs row 2 and row 6 (4 lamps) and the last one runs row 3 and row 5 (4 lamps).

So if you want to light your tank the same on both halves, you should look at it as 7 lamps times 2 and make sure to put the same lamps in the same rows on both haves.

I am still fairly new to all this but I have done lots of research and IMO this is the best single T5 fixture for a 72" tank. PEACE

[ncdiablo]

Thanks for the info it looks like I will be buying this light shortly and will get three timers for the light so that the actinics turn on first for 2 hours and then the mid day ones can then come on with one set for about 30 mins before the 2nd set come on to help simulate morning and then I will have the lights do the reverse in the evening if that sounds correct to everyone.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Works for me.