501scionxb

man do i have some elbow grease to put into this puppy but it will be worth it. its got an icecap 660 on it but im planning on getting maybe 2 more of them so i can run all t5 or maybe one more so i can run 8 vho's i figure i could get in maybe 12 t5's under the canopy. i need new hinges for the stand and i need new screws and a gas piston for the canopy.

Nereaga

Thats a sweet setup! Get ready for some fun!

Keep us updated as you go through.

Brad

gm333

Looks like it will be a nice setup. Did it come with a stand?
Be careful when cleaning the acrylic, it will scratch very easily. Is the length of the tank 63" or 72"?
T-5's would be a better option than the vho's. The hood seems shallow and vho have alot more heat than t-5's/
Whatever you run make sure you add some fans to keep the heat out of the tank.

501scionxb

its 60" long i think it would be insane to have 12 t5's under the canopy.

gm333

You wouldnt need 12 t-5s you would only need 6. T-5s put off alot more light than vho's so you wont need as many. Not to mention you have a wider variety of spectrum to choose from to make coral colors stand out.

Nereaga

I agree with Gary, 6 would work fine, maybe 8 if you feel the need to go the extra mile. JMO!

Brad

Rychek

Something to keep in mind in regard to number of bulbs is the width of the endcaps. T5 bulbs use the same size endcap as the VHOs. 6 should do very well for you though. If you're at all worried about not having enough light with 6 bulbs, stagger them a bit and put individual reflectors on them.

I've got 4 48" T5 bulbs on my 90 and until two days ago they were non-reflected. I added two reflectors and the difference is noticeable. A reflector costs about as much as a bulb (maybe a couple bucks more) and you can't go wrong with them.

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90 gal Mixed Reef

501scionxb

what if i put white paint on the inside of the canopy? i was planning on doin that but i dont know what kind of paint to use.